Preppers

Weapon of Choice: The Benefits of Purchasing an Air Rifle

Although some are quick to write off an air rifle as a weapon of choice, there are many advantages to carrying an air rifle versus a crossbow or center-fire rifle. There are a wide range of air rifle offerings that extend well beyond the traditional BB gun that you may have used as a kid to ward off crows or prairie dogs. They can be used for hunting, training for self-defense and for effective target practice.

Lewis and Clark carried them when they journeyed across the United States and brought them to the Native Americans. The caliber offerings range from a .177 to .50, and gun enthusiasts can choose from air-compressed, single-pump or multi-pump action. Choosing the right air rifle or pistol for your needs depends on the amount of firing power and use you require from a weapon.

Pistol Uses

Not all air pistols are recommended for self-defense. While certain varieties are ideal for hunting due to their lightweight and quiet nature, they are most useful to defend crops against birds and small animals, as well as for target practice. A lower pressure, small-caliber pellet or BB is ideal for a first time or young shooter. It allows them to become comfortable with reloading, cocking and shooting an air pistol so that it becomes seamless when they have harnessed enough experience to make the transition to a higher-powered gun.

Pellets vs. BBs

One of the great advantages of carrying an air rifle is its accompanying lightweight ammo, which is typically inexpensive. You can easily carry 2,000 rounds on your person and never notice any issue with it weighing you down. The ammo you choose is indicative of what kind of shooting you will be doing.

Smith & Wesson M&P Airgun

BBs are small, round balls that you can typically load large numbers at a time. They are best utilized for target practice and plinking, but are not ideal for causing physical harm or hunting. BBs have the risk of ricocheting off buildings or other objects and are not intended for long-range aim due to the size of the ball and its loss of velocity over long distances.

Pellets come in a large range of sizes and shapes and are designed for accuracy. Like firearm ammunition, there are varying nose shapes to correspond with your end goal of your shooting weapon. Using a heavier pellet in a lower powered air pistol will reduce the sound made by the weapon. One highlight of air pistols is that the ammunition is significantly lesser in cost than that of firearms, making it a more cost-effective option as a weapon.

Pre-Charged Pneumatic (PCP) Air Rifle

Benjamin BPBD3S Bulldog .357 PCP Hunting Rifle, Black

The highest powered option, the pre-charged pneumatic air gun, uses either a pump or an air compressor to “precharge” the pressure within the pistol. They tend to also be one of the higher priced air pistols on the market, ranging from $400 to $2,000. There are additional pieces of equipment that can be added to the these lightweight guns to add desired velocity and pack more punch with minimal recoil. Check out the Bulldog .357, designed specifically for hunting. One of its drawbacks is the tiny holes in which you load the pellets and the models that require a special external pump to fill the reservoir.

Break-Action Air Rifle

Gamo 611009154 Bull Whisper Extreme .177 Caliber Air Rifle

Break-actions are known for their ability to project ammo at a high velocity. This air rifle option uses a heavy-weighted spring that when cocked and released pushes a piston forward to create enough air pressure to expel the pellet. The spring produces a downfall noisy “thwang” sound that would not be advantageous for hunting. It also only holds one shot before having to reload. These guns are ideal for using as target practice before moving on to a fire rifle.

Variable Pump/Multi-Pump Air Rifle

Winchester Model 77XS Air Rifle

The variable pump/multi-pump air rifle is typically the most traditional firearm gun enthusiasts are used to thinking of when broached about the subject. This rifle, which is light in weight and compact in nature, is great to put into the hands of a first-time gun holder, as it has variable pressure levels and is intended for many uses. Reloading this gun takes a while, but provides great practice for beginning shooters. The gun, which typically runs between $75 and $100, will need to be pumped eight to 10 times after each shot to re-pressurize the reservoir. Due to its limitations, this type of gun is not favored for hunting due to the amount of movement and noise that occurs when reloading it. Instead, it’s best intended for getting rid of unwanted pests.

CO2-Operated Air Rifle

By vaporizing CO2 internally using small cartridges, CO2-operated air rifles can shoot pellets at about 600-700 feet per second. This makes this air pistol an ideal weapon for hunting small animals, such as gophers and rabbits. The rifle has a reservoir that can store enough gas to power a number of shots by only loading the projectile. In addition, CO2-operated air rifles are easy and fast to reload, with a lot less movement that a multi-pump or PCP rifle may need. And, carrying extra CO2 gas cylinders is not a setback for this rifle due to its compact and light design.

Air rifles are versatile, offering a number of ways to use them, from hunting to self-defense to target practice. They’re a great firearm shooters of all levels should have in their arsenals.

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Although some are quick to write off an air rifle as a weapon of choice, there are many advantages to carrying an air rifle versus a crossbow or center-fire rifle.

Graduated Levels of Force and Redundant Detection and Warning

Security is a 24 hour requirement. If you can’t surveille, detect, and defend when the sun goes down, then you will vulnerable to the bad guys. It doesn’t matter how much food you have, if you can’t protect it, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to keep it, no matter where your location is. And, you can’t do it by yourself. There are cases made that it will take 10 to 12 adults to provide 24 hour security, gather, grow, and prepare food, tend to community hygiene and medicine, local and wide communications, power production, water sanitizing, gather fuel, and many other mundane chores necessary for continued operations after SHTF. During the early phase of SHTF, security will demand an intensive manpower effort. This article is about providing yourself with options for force. It’s just not a prudent plan to go directly to the AR-15 to solve your defense problems. A good defense plan includes options for dealing with problems at the lowest level of force up to deadly force. Redundant detection and warning are essential to a good defensive action plan.

Graduated Levels of Force

There should be a range of possibilities for security you can employ. You could take on the look of a previously ransacked position with a grey-man concept…there is nothing of any value here…it’s all gone…don’t bother even looking here. There is a lot of “hope” involved with this attitude, but may be your only defense if you are of few numbers. Or, you might employ a well thought out layered defense with graduated levels of force to be used to defend your position. This will require a formidable effort of manpower and equipment. You won’t be relying on hope to defend your group. Your position will be known and possible intruders will suspect that you have things of value they would want. You’re objective is to persuade them that it just isn’t worth the risk to get nosy.

Early Warning

At the extremes of your perimeters you could establish a warning line; a string holding paper signs in document protectors warning the intruders to “DO NOT COME CLOSER….DEADLY FORCE”. They have been warned. There very well may be legal consequences after society is reestablished, so proper levels of warning and force should be considered.

After intrusion detection, an announcement with a bullhorn from a security post could be the next level of warning. If necessary, a conversation with the intruder could be conducted from afar. Simultaneous with that, a warning would be made via walkie-talkie or whistle to the rest of the group for additional support. They would drop everything, arm themselves, and respond to their predetermined security support positions.

Pyle-Pro PMP30 Professional Megaphone/Bullhorn with Siren

Redundant Detection

Detection is a very important aspect of security. You can’t engage somebody you can’t detect. Detection should to be redundant and reliable to be effective. I have been using a Chamberlain CWA2000 Wireless Motion Alert System to detect motion with a range as far as a half mile, and they are passive in nature. One base unit can support eight sensors and everything works on battery power. Each sensor causes a unique alarm at the base unit. It’s a little pricey, however you don’t have to line you whole perimeter, just the areas of probable access. Intruders probably won’t choose to wade through obstacles. They’ll take the easiest route.

For redundancy I like GE window warning alarms used with trip wires to sound an ear-piercing alarm that can be heard from a distance. Use a mono-filament fishing line at ankle level as a trip wire to separate the magnet from the alarm. You can use several trip wires with each alarm. The batteries last a long time and a large supply is fairly cheap.

Escalating the Force

Back to the increasing levels of force; wasp and hornet spray killer can accurately spray up to 25 feet. Maybe that will turn them around when you hit them in their face. You might not want to allow the intruders to be that close to you. This is just an option under unique circumstances. If you allow them to be close, a 26 Inch-Self Defense Stick may offer a viable option in your inventory short of going lethal.

If the intruders are still coming, it’s time to escalate the force. Here are some options in order of use. A 12 ga. Super-Sock Bean Bag Impact Round. It’s an attention getter and can reach out and touch someone without permanent damage. For graduated levels of force, I would load a shotgun with one or two rounds of these first, followed by some #7 bird-shot, followed by 00 buck shot. Yes, you need a magazine extension kit for your shotguns.

Are the intruders still around after the bean bags? How about a BB gun, followed by pellet gun, followed by a .22, followed by #7 bird-shot? These are escalations of force options as appropriate. You just can’t go straight to the AR-15 to solve your problem. Your threats maybe anything from an unarmed mother with two kids to a mob of 25 armed animals. You need to be able to respond accordingly.

Security at Night?

Mr Beams MB393 300-Lumen Weatherproof Wireless Battery Powered LED Ultra Bright Spotlight with Motion Sensor, Brown, 3-Pack

Night operations are much more complicated and sometimes expensive, but if you can’t provide security 24 hours a day, then you don’t have security. It’s a must. Bad guys are hungry at night as much as in the day.

I can’t afford generation 3, Night Vision Goggles for three security posts for night ops. That would be $10,000 plus. So, here’s what I’ve got lined up. In addition to the motion sensors and trip-wired window alarms, I’ll use Mr Beams MB393 300-Lumen Weatherproof Wireless Battery Powered LED Ultra Bright Spotlight with Motion Sensor. They are easily mounted to trees, eaves, posts, etc. The four D cell batteries will last six months to a year. I’ll locate these on avenues of approach and areas that are hard to detect intruders. The best place for these is as the next layer after the motion sensors and window alarms. After that line I think a light that the security position can remotely turn on like: Mr. Beams MB371 Remote Controlled Battery-Powered Motion-Sensing LED Outdoor Security Spotlight.

Each weapon needs to be able to light up the intruder. I like the u-Box 2000LM C8 CREE XM-L T6 LED 5-Mod Flashlight Torch Lamp with Remote Switch Pressure Tail Switch Wire Extended Switch and Flashlight & Laser mount for Gun/Rifle/Shotgun plus 1x 18650 Rechargeable Batteries and AC Charger Complete Set. Yes, it’ll give your position away, but it is more important to detect the bad guys than flounder around and bump into them. This is a 2,000 lumen light. It’s bright and can blind and disorient the intruders.

Got more money? I’ve looked at these for increasing my night capabilities:

Equinox Z Digital
Bushnell Equinox Z Digital Night Vision Monocular $276.77

12X X-Sight
ATN DGWSXS312A 3-12X X-Sight Night Vision Rifle $449.99

As I said previously, your main goal is to just make the intruders think there is just nothing in your position that is worth dying for.

Sometimes you might be able to get more bang for your buck with something that might cause the intruder caution or reconsideration. I like this UniquExceptional UDC4 silver Fake Security Camera with 30 Illuminating LEDs. For $9.36 each this fake camera shows infrared capabilities which could cause intruders to take a second thought on their safety.

Maybe just sticking some utility easement flags at various locations would cause concern with the intruders. It’ll make them wonder what they are for and do I want to take a chance finding out.

During SHTF there will be a lot of good people doing bad things. Have options for a full range of force levels and detection that has backup in all conditions, day or night.

If you can’t protect it, you won’t be able to keep it.

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Security is a 24 hour requirement. If you can’t surveille, detect, and defend when the sun goes down, then you will vulnerable to the bad guys. It doesn’t matter how

Pros and Cons of a Vegan Diet Post Apocalypse

I am vegan and I have no intention of being vegan in SHTF. However knowing some tips and tricks about the vegan diet might help us all out when the worst happens and the shelves empty forever.

For most people likely the idea of having to eat an exclusively vegan diet is their idea of the apocalypse! No more bacon and beef burgers. Leaving aside the other valid reasons to embrace a vegan diet before SHTF this article is a none expert’s view on how to eat better if there are no more open stores and the only meat for miles is the odd rat.
Personally I plan on eating that rat in SHTF but I was recently asked to put together a how to article on how to be vegan in SHTF if meat, fish, dairy, and/or eggs are unavailable. I would argue that meat food preparation is the easiest of all if you embrace the SHTF and accept that Costco is gone forever and so is McDonalds. You should have plenty of meat sources stored and have a good idea of how to hunt and trap those local rats.

Having been vegetarian for 12 years and vegan the last 5 years I know how to eat well without animal products. I also know, and this is a critical point, that small amounts of meat and fish go a long, long way. While grabbing that tin of meat balls and eating it dumped over your white rice might work in a short-term SHTF in a long-term event what a waste! Use a tiny amount as protein is readily available from nature and using a huge intake is not necessary. More on this later.

Eating vegan means variety and eating a wide range of different vegetable sources. Eating vegan using the available produce in our modern world is easy and tasty. In SHTF this won’t be the case but nor will it be the case for anyone eating any other type of diet.

What Can Go Wrong with Being a Vegan?

Nothing much as it improves your sex life and general longevity but certain things can easily become dangerously low using a vegan diet. These pre SHTF include calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids (Read more here). The occasional rat takes care of calcium (hum, rat bones!), iron, and zinc. In fact your garden (you have plans for one and have seeds and know how to save them, right?) will almost supply everything you need.

Zinc

This needs to be taken care of as it is essential but how to get it when there is just no meat or stores anymore? Soya beans grow easily even in southern Canada so growing them and knowing how they can be used and stored is an essential skill. Green peas also are easy to grow and help with zinc. Nuts need to be found, prepared, and stored. I have acorns and black walnuts in my area. You need to know what you have in yours and how to harvest, prepare, and store these nuts. It is labor intensive and a skill.

Calcium

Spinach I hear you cry! Popeye had this as his source of strength. Yes and no. It is high in calcium but that calcium is bound to oxalate which renders it hard to absorb. For this reason use it as it is easy to grow and tasty but also grow rocket, cabbage, parsley, and kale (Bet you have been waiting for kale! Preparing tips after this this section). Use these heavily in both SHFT and now. Cow’s milk is very; very good at blocking calcium absorption which is why very few vegan females have osteoporosis.

Iron

A normal vegan diet supplies plenty of iron despite the myths. Just eat a lot of dark green vegetables. I became anemic (lack of iron) about a year and half into my badly thought out vegetarian diet and I suspect a lot of preppers will as well in a long-term SHTF. Eat those vegetables, eat them a lot, and eat them daily.

B12

This vitamin is infamous in vegans yet most vegans and almost everyone else know next to nothing about it. You will need supplements and fortified foods. However gardening in good quality soil and regular rotation of the fields will introduce some B12 into your body if you do not mechanically scrub the vegetables. This is not a reliable source so long-term you need to eat small amounts of meat. Fortified vegan foods and grains work well now but in long-term SHTF I plan to use my rat traps!

Can you fish in SHTF? Fish and the problem with a source for Omega 3 mainly goes away.

Omega 3 Fatty Acid

Black walnuts are essential in SHTF and a good long-term supply of chia seeds is helpful. You can get Omega 3 from soya beans and leafy greens but it is unreliable. Can you fish in SHTF? Fish and this issue mainly goes away. Salmon run near me and I plan on grabbing them in the Spring and dehydrating them for the year.

Vitamin D

This is of no concern in SHTF as the time in the sun throughout the year will generally give you adequate amounts. Eating the occasional egg also removes any worries about this. Know where the local birds nest and eggs are on the menu in the early Summer.

What Might Be Lacking in a Vegan diet in SHTF?

Top of my list is Vitamin C as I do not live in Florida. There’s no issue at present as trucks and trains bring me lots of oranges but in a long term SHTF I need sources found in Southern Canada.

So wild strawberries and blackberries I will have to find, harvest, and store. But what can I easily grow to cover this one? Orange trees won’t work. Have seeds and grow bell peppers, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and leafy greens. One of the go to foods in SHTF needs to be parsley. Easy to grow, looks like nothing worth plundering, and full of vitamin C and calcium. Most people might add a sprig for decoration or a sprinkle on their slab of meat but as a vegan I can tell you it is awesome chopped up and added to salads and rice. Eat lots of it.

Protein.

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me “so how do you get your protein?” I would be very rich. My diet is loaded with it and yours is probably in excess if you eat meat. Protein in excess is very bad for the kidneys. Peas, beans, amaranth, millet, and dried pastas are full of it. Eat a wide variety of vegetables and this one is taken care of. I said earlier I would mention vegan ways versus business normal. Well I bet you have tins of tuna and Spam hidden away in your stock pile? Add a tin to a lot of rice and eat over 2-3 days. Before each meal chop up and throw in available greenery. Protein now is not your concern.

Time

A vegan diet without a decent blender (Vitamix or BlendTek) is nearly impossible. I do plan some solar power to use mine but without one preparing food will be a massive time commitment. Cook in bulk and add the greens each meal. Have excellent knives and have the ability to sharpen them every time you use them.

What do you need to know now about vegan diets?

Have seeds and know where you will grow them

Have seeds and know where you will grow them. For me I plan to grow a lot the first season after the first Winter post SHTF. I cannot see much point defending a garden from hungry people. Up here in Southern Canada they will die in the first Winter and afterwards trading and survivors should be friendly.

My main foods stored are vegan with long-lasting tomato sauces, pastes, etc. and pastas (fortified). I have a fair amount of tinned fish and meat as I think sticking to being a vegan in the SHTF would be deadly. Like foreign vacations the vegan diet is great for you but in SHTF won’t be available or would be dangerous. Vegans need lots of different types of intake to stay healthy and that just won’t happen easily in SHTF.

Powered greens and vegan powders are generally very expensive and I can see no use for them at all in SHTF. For me they are not a part of my planning but research them and they might be a bridge for you. I prefer actual real preserved foods than using this sort of thing. Collard, Swiss Chard, and Kale all dehydrate easily under glass in the Summer and can crush up and packed tight into a glass jar. Even without canning this source of green stuff lasts 8-12 months. Have lots of glass jars with air tight lids.

One thing you might not know is that Kale and Swiss Chard and Collard greens come in different varieties. Have a wide selection of types not just one type. Another tip is decent knives and remove the stems and only eat the leaf. Good scissors work very well in preparing leaf vegetables. The stems are very bitter. I think people hate Kale because of this basic preparing error. Kale is actually really tasty.

Amaranth

This is a seed that thinks it is a grain and a good one. It is complete protein and should be part of your pre SHTF garden. Grows tall and has colorful red leaves so put it around your place not just in the vegetable garden. It does well in drought and heat. For fun in SHTF you can pop it and have popcorn around the camp fire. Boil the seeds for a strange but okay porridge or use as a type of pasta/grain.

The leaves are a decent addition to any meal and the root can be eaten if the plant is mature though I have not tried the root. Plant it around the neighborhood as it acts like a weed and no one else will know to eat it in SHTF as red means danger!

Quinoa is a similarly useful crop and I am growing my first this year.

The obvious is the Three Sisters and history is something we all need to focus on. Again my tip is different types of squash, corn, and beans. The more variety the less chance of a crop wipe out and variety is the spice of life.

Anyhow I hope this gave you food for thought

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I am vegan and I have no intention of being vegan in SHTF. However knowing some tips and tricks about the vegan diet might help us all out when the

The Real Essential Oils You May Have Overlooked

You may have heard of the increasingly prominent use and promotion of what is being called essential oils if you have read any prepping blogs or self-sufficient literature in the last few years. Essential oils are typically derived from plants and their uses in Aromatherapy or Naturopathy are numerous. You can buy individual oils for specific ailments or boxes containing hundreds of oils. I remember one Doomsday Preppers episode where the preppers planned to use small drones to send survival kits consisting of essential oils to fallen neighbors after some pandemic.

I don’t know anything really about the usefulness of natural “Essential Oils” but I don’t dismiss the validity of their claims. I am sure there are tangible benefits to be realized by depending more on nature to heal our bodies as opposed to the concoctions of the pharmaceutical companies, but this post isn’t about Rosemary or Lavender. In this article, I wanted to talk about the other oils we use all of the time to make our vehicles go, to lubricate our power tools or to light our way. In a survival situation you may need to look at stocking up on some other essential oils.

Oils for your vehicle

Yes, we need to plan on our vehicles working even after a SHTF event. Many assume that an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) would render all electronics inoperable and that may be the case, but I don’t know if every single vehicle in the world can be counted on to be worthless in the future. There are some essential oils that you could store away just in case you have to keep that Bug Out Vehicle running. Some of these aren’t technically considered oil but they do fall into the lubricant category. The list below would also extend to off-road vehicles.

Motor Oil – Motor oil is an easy one for most people even though I would bet that a majority of us, myself included take our vehicles to a service station for an oil change. Even though I do that now, I certainly have changed my fair share of oil in the past and could easily do it again. Having spare motor oil is an easy prep that you can store away in the back of the shed. Don’t forget oil filters for your vehicle too.
Transmission fluid – Many newer cars have what are called sealed transmissions but if you have service instructions in your owner’s manual for transmission fluid, it can be replaced. Imagine not going to the mechanic for 10 years? Many manufacturers recommend changing the transmission fluid every 30 or 60 thousand miles. Consult your manual and get the recommended replacement amount just in case.
Power steering fluid – If you have power steering, you might need to flush this out or top it off after a leak. Careening down trails in the back country could cause some damage you need to fix with spare hose and your trusty Leatherman.
Brake Fluid – Brake fluid could run out or need topping off so this is another good one to have on hand. A small can goes a very long way.
Lubricating grease – In my Army days we used to have to grease all of our fittings on our trucks and there were a ton of them. There aren’t as many on my current vehicle, but I can still lubricate several points along the drive-shaft and it’s good to have some lubricating grease on hand. As well as vehicle maintenance, you never know when you might have to make a sticky bomb.

Hand tools are important, but if I can use a chainsaw, I will.

Oils for your Power Equipment

So now you have most of the major oils and fluids for your vehicles, what about the power equipment you will likely rely on when the world ends? What equipment you ask? I can think of generators, chain saws, garden tillers, and mowers. Given enough time and desperation, there is probably a never-ending list of creative things people could do with the engines in our sheds. If the grid goes down, I seriously doubt I will be mowing the grass, but I could easily see a need for a chainsaw and I might be able to convert that mower into a survival generator.

2 cycle Oil – For any engines (like chain saws) that need to have the oil mixed in with the fuel.
Chain oil/ Bar oil – To lubricate your chainsaw blade and help it slide over the bar.
WD40 – For just about anything that the oils above don’t fix.

Lighting and Fuel

You would use anything other than batteries for lighting? Sure I would, with caution. I have some great kerosene lamps that I would break out if needed. In the winter time they would even be more valuable because they put out a good bit of heat.

Lamp Oil – I have lamp oil for my lamps that burns nice and clean, but they also burn kerosene. This lamp fuel is pretty cheap and I have several gallons stored for an emergency.
Kerosene – Kerosene runs my heater and those lamps in a pinch. I could even barter with any extra fuel if the opportunity came up.
Extra Gas – I have frequently written about the benefits of even 20 gallons of gas stored properly and how that could help you in an emergency. You could avoid the gas lines or use that fuel to fill vehicles and get out of dodge.
Stabil – To make sure your stored fuel is protected against the effects of degradation, use a good additive like Stabil to keep your fuel fresh. Even with this, I add the fuel to my vehicles yearly and fill my containers with fresh fuel.

Oils for your Health

This list will likely be the one that people point out all of the oils I have missed and that is perfectly fine. I threw a few of these in here that were actually oils that I could see from a strictly utilitarian viewpoint. I know there are more but these three have immediate uses I could identify.

Mineral Oil – Did you know that you can preserve eggs for at least a year by coating them with Mineral Oil? In addition to making eggs last eggstra long (OK, I couldn’t resist) you can also use mineral oil as a topical moisturizer. It is supposed to also make a good laxative but I haven’t tried it.
Vaseline – Ointment and lubricant that can be used for hands, feet, lips, elbows; pretty much anywhere you have dry or cracked skin.
Tea Tree Oil – This can be applied to the skin for infections such as acne, fungal infections of the nail, lice, scabies, athlete’s foot and ringworm. My kids were unfortunate enough to bring lice home from summer camp one year and we all shampooed with Tea Tree Oil shampoo for a month, but no lice for me. According to WebMD, It is also used topically as a local antiseptic for cuts and abrasions, for burns, insect bites and stings, boils, vaginal infections, toothache, infections of the mouth and nose, sore throat. Ask your doctor if Tea Tree Oil is right for you.

Oils for Cooking

The last category I will include are cooking oils. You need a healthy amount of oil in your diet and some of this can come from the oils used to prepare your food. Oils don’t typically have a long storage life, but having extra on hand can make cooking much easier.

Cooking Oils/Vegetable/Olive/Canola – Need to fry up some squirrel that you brought home from your big hunting expedition? A little oil in your cast iron pan will help that little guy out and make cleaning easier.
Shortening/Lard – I know Crisco isn’t that healthy, but it sure does make a yummy icing for a birthday cake. Saving your grease from cooking other foods like bacon makes a good substitute for frying needs, but maybe not dessert. Yes, there will be cake after TEOTWAWKI or someone will be in trouble.

Oils for your weapons

Initially when I wrote this article, I left this all too important oil off the list. You need to protect the metal that is protecting your life. Cleaning supplies and weapon oils are very important supplies to have.

Hoppe’s No. 9 Lubricating Oil, 2-1/4 oz. Bottle – A clean and well lubricated weapon is necessary if you want to stake your life on this tool. We talk about all of the gear, but you also need the tools to maintain your survival firearm also.
Hoppe’s No. 9 Gun Bore Cleaning Solvent – Great for keeping your weapon clean by removing gun powder, lead, metal fouling and rust.

So there is my short list. What oils did I miss? What essential oils have you stocked up on?

3 Comments

You may have heard of the increasingly prominent use and promotion of what is being called essential oils if you have read any prepping blogs or self-sufficient literature in the

Considering Precious Metals? – the Case for Suisse Bars

There are options when we talk about stockpiling wealth or currency in preparedness folds. Precious metals (PM) as a preparedness item are a topic of some debate in and of themselves, with Suisse bars a love-hate or what? item inside the genre of unconventional currency. Some collect their PM’s in various forms of “junk” coins or bar form for the ease of acquisition and recognition value. Some collect gems instead, pointing out the number of immigrants who have arrived in various countries with fortunes in the linings of their clothing and the even more condensed form of wealth they offer. Some choose to go with keeping paper cash on hand, with the expectation that once cash is truly meaningless, there are other barter items available or it’s time to batten down the bunker hatches and compound gates and ride out the storm. There are others who point out various regional currencies as a way to hedge against loss.

Precious metals are sometimes maligned, with anti’s pointing out the bubbles involved with them and the amounts they’ve “lost” here and there with purchases. Many will also point out that you can’t eat a coin or sapphire.

Those anti’s are right.

You can’t eat a sapphire or coin, can’t use it to treat an infection, can’t wrap up in it to keep warm or use it to stitch up a torn udder. You also can’t immediately swipe them in the case of an emergency room visit to save a farm dog’s life at 3 a.m., even now. There are absolutely highs and lows in the value of gold and silver – like buying a house, there’s no guarantee that the value will go up.

One of the things we commonly hear about buying the precious metals deals with the larger weights, 50g and 1-oz. or more – the $20, $50 or $100 loaf of bread or can of beans argument. That can get thrown away, regardless of whether we go with coins or bars of one kind or another. There are both coins and bars that represent smaller amounts.

I don’t personally see precious metals (PM) as an investment with intended returns over purchase price. Instead, I see PM as another form of insurance, as an alternative to paper or an electronic balance. Certain things have had value since at least B.C. time-stamps, and PM’s and gems are among them even when a printed currency fails. They are a standby through most of the world and most of history.

Assign priorities

Even so, PMs are not and will not ever be my sole focus. Because we aim for different lengths of times and have different expectations and abilities, our priorities and what we focus on are going to be different.

Before we delve into precious metals (or anything – 5K rounds of ammo, 600 pounds of wheat, biodiesel big rigs) we should sit down and seriously consider what we are preparing for, why, and how much we can spend. I personally think immediate needs and existing debt should carry equal weight, but others will say max everything to get as many physical goods as you can and some will push to escape high-interest debt before moving beyond a standard hurricane, tornado or any other evac or shelter-in-place kit.

Lists are important in prioritizing. Listing with a firm eye toward wants and needs can help both in creating available budget and spending it wisely. Don’t assume you won’t reach retirement age without a mega disaster and that you’ll never need to pay health insurance and medical co-pay when you’re making your lists – include that additional savings and investment in your needs.

Suisse bars

When we’re ready to branch into backup currency, a lot of us hear about and jump on coins. I’m not totally against coins, but I don’t go that way exclusively or in a big, big way. I’m not jumping on the gem bandwagon, either. I kind of like Suisse bars.

Suisse bars are a type of bullion that come in thin sheets, regularly encased in plastic. There are now some that come in a break-away format that allows you to snap off small segments for smaller purchases or cash redemption. They are available in many several metals, but for our purposes, silver and especially gold suit my needs.

The gold bars come in pretty useful chips or little bars of 1, 2, 2.5, 5, and 10 grams, stamped with their weight and their purity, with an enclosed certificate when purchased from a respectable dealer. Those weights fluctuate in price, as gold pricing goes up and down, but are typically in the $40-50, $70-80, $90-120, $200-220, and $400-450 ranges at the moment, respectively. The smaller the denomination purchased, the greater the pricing markup, usually. However, there are those new-ish 20- and 25- and 50-gram divisible or “combibars”, such as JM Bullion and Austin Coins. Because of their specialty, they’re usually more expensive than if we’d purchased a solid bar.

Since I don’t often make thousand-dollar purchases, I usually skip the 20-gram and larger gold bars, just like I don’t delve into 1-oz. gold coins all that often. Smaller denominations cost me a little more now, but have more applications in any future.

Suisse bars are available for silver as well. Obviously, the value of silver is lower, so in some denominations, the ease of calculation is the only real benefit over a coin. However, they can help fill gaps between the greater values of gold coins or gold Suisse bars for purchases in the future.

Suisse bars versus coins

I consider a 5-oz. silver Suisse bar a lot more convenient than a specialty coin or roll of coins that total $100-120 in silver. I do have some silver coins, but as I move forward in life, I like the Suisse bars more and more.

When I get paid for a job, it’s sometimes in junk silver or oddball smaller gold coins. Since I don’t carry knowledge of all things in my head, I have to not only know the current spot price (which means a newspaper or the internet), but also each coin’s worth, the amount and purity of the PM in that coin. For me, that means some printed cheat sheets or a book.

The first time somebody showed up with a Suisse bar and asked how I felt about barter instead, my eyes opened. Now, since the bar itself and the stamp inside each little plastic credit card tells me the weights and purity, it’s super easy to do math using only a single sheet of reference for that spot price. I also don’t have to check to make sure those coins are all the appropriate silver-content without an “oops”, and the Suisse bars are easier for me to redeem than waiting for the coin guys to be there or to inspect each one in turn. Easy transactions are a good thing.

Now consider what I have to carry if I’m the buyer with junk silver and 1/10 gold coins.

I don’t commonly go to a store or go do a job for less than $20, and regularly, it’s a $40-50 trip. I rarely leave a supermarket without spending $50-100 and I have never had a service person out for less than $100. That means some of the 1- and 2-gram gold and the 20- and 50-gram silver Suisse bars very much have a place in my current spending.

Since we typically talk about the loss of value on the dollar, too, I can expect that a current $1-4 loaf of bread or apple fritters will go up, too. So I really might not have much use at all for those $2-10 denominations, anyway. Sure, some, maybe, so I can still get a cup of coffee and a meal while we’re in town, and tip the waitress (we’ve been exchanging metal bits for meals since the Dark Ages – it’s okay to envision it, honest). But I expect that if I ever fall back on them, modern society or knocked-back, knocked-down culture, those equivalents of today’s 20’s and 50’s will see a lot of use.

I need my book, really, because not everybody is going to trust a printout. I need the printout (or somebody’s declaration of spot price per ounce). And I need my assorted coins. Maybe I’m going to a pawn shop or bank to sell them for a mortgage or Buy’N’Large-appropriate cash, maybe a government is reestablishing or it’s a disaster more like the Civil War, Great Depression, Argentina, Bosnia, or Greece and I need to pay taxes on my property. Maybe I’m off to buy myself a new donkey or mule, and, hey, while we’re out, hit the blacksmith for a new file or hitch bar, or a septic man to come check my system. I’d like to be able to work in relatively small amounts like $20, $40, and $100, but I may also want to deal with $500-$2K.

With Suisse Bars, I can fit several thousand dollars flat on my person inside a belt, inside the lining of a vest or coat, inside my holster, and inside two or three pockets.

Suisse bars – especially in conjunction with some coins for $2-10 purchases – give me that flexibility, and I can fit several thousand dollars flat on my person inside a belt, inside the lining of a vest or coat, inside my holster, and inside two or three pockets. I need just that spot price, whether I print it weekly or cut it out of a paper and stash it monthly, and that fits nice and flat, too. They add some weight to a canteen, to the stiff panel of a holster or mag pouch, but they don’t add a lot of bulk and they don’t add the weight of 1925 dimes or 1943 quarters.

Compared to just the coins, the Suisse bars do take up more space due to the packaging, but that packaging is what allows them to be readily used as currency and barter even with people who aren’t currently preppers and who are going to be suspicious of the junk silver we like unless we present – and sometimes even with – a “real” book that shows their silver or gold value. The lack of trust may end up limiting our future options. The book alone is one more thing that I have to carry around, or I may end up losing more opportunities from non-hoarders. Since we like to do things in three around here, it’s not just one book or one set of cheat sheets.

Anything limiting is bad. Options are good.

I’d like to be able to use them pretty easily. Marked as they are, Suisse bars inspire a fair bit of confidence in recipients and come with an ease for calculation, use, and carry that coins or rolls of coins just don’t. Not for me.

Suisse bars versus gems

Something I see come up regularly when we talk about PM’s on forums or in person, is that soul who points out gems. It’s a point I acknowledge. However, when you start talking about gems you need three things: a knowledgeable buyer, tools for assessing value, and to be spending a fair bit at once.

You’re way past a how-to book for the uninitiated with even small diamonds. You’re into a loupe, and you have to find somebody willing to take them. If we run into the “you can’t eat a coin” mentality when we discuss PM’s, that goes double for the stones folks. Fewer people will just take your word for it on the value of a piece. A certificate for a stone or a piece of jewelry isn’t going to carry all that far, really, unless somebody can find a jeweler to confirm that value. There’s more time, more equipment, and more specialized skills needed to use gems as currency.

Now, if the Bad Thing that happens turns us into refugees fleeing into a working, functional country and city, my theory is dumb. Somebody with some nice, rare stones and gems stuck in the hollowed out chunks of their boot heels, grandma’s cane, and Cousin Louie’s hood seam are going to be able to readily find a shop, trade their gems for monies, and go be successful. I’m going to have a harder time stashing the same cash value worth of <5g Suisse bars than gem people or people with 1-oz. gold coins.

That’s a pretty specific scenario, though. Because they’re more versatile through more disasters of lesser and greater scales, I prefer the Suisse bars.

Buying in

There are some real scams out there associated with Suisse bars, especially. There are some stupidly overpriced coins, too, but because of the packaging, Suisse bars end up seeing a lot of markups and some unsavory types will always take advantage of wants, needs and fears and mark things up further.

Do your homework. Always.

A three-minute internet search can give you the going rate of bars and denominations, their shipping costs. That knowledge can be carried to a supplier (remembering that brick-and-mortar shops pay for overhead and that increases the price further). We can also call around to shops before we even go out the door so we know what a general starting price is for our areas and not be taken advantage of by unscrupulous types in our towns and cities, or plan a detour to buy from a larger supplier in a larger town somewhere, where bulk consumption helps keep consumer prices lower.

If you choose to buy online instead of with cash, for sure and 100% at least compare the prices against a reputable dealer like JM Bullion or APMEX, and be really, really sure Amazon and eBay are going to insure your purchase and the shipping. Do a BBB and internet search for the seller and company to find reviews. If they’re not 5-star sterling, buy elsewhere.

Suisse bars as a currency

The sizes and ease may make Suisse bars part of a solution for somebody who’s ready to invest in more than savings, retirement, and consumables. They aren’t for everybody, and neither are PM’s. I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all fix for anything in life, really. But they are an option for backup or alternative currency, and they’re one I rarely see discussed (besides the scam alerts) so I wanted to point them out.

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There are options when we talk about stockpiling wealth or currency in preparedness folds. Precious metals (PM) as a preparedness item are a topic of some debate in and of

Urban Survival Kit

The remembering of the events on 9/11/2001 that killed thousands is just barely in our rear-view mirror. This day fortunately passed without any incident. That day in our past saw so much death, chaos and confusion many of us haven’t experienced in our lifetimes and hopefully never will again. It was a historical day for all manner of reasons beyond the tragedy of lives lost through terrorism or sacrifice. It gave us a glimpse into the very definition of pandemonium live on TV – played out in real-time before our unbelieving eyes. As a nation, we watched in horror as first explosions rocked the towers, then the catastrophic collapse of two giant skyscrapers enveloped a city in toxic dust and sent untold thousands running for their lives.

A terrorist attack on a large city is still statistically one of the least likely events you would ever be affected by, but since that day people have come to understand some of the risks of being caught in an urban disaster differently. There are different realities in an urban environment that might require an alternate set of plans for your life. If you started to plan for an urban survival kit, what items should you consider?

Urban survival kit list

An urban survival kit is one you could carry with you and possibly stash at your work location assuming you have a safe place to go to outside the city. If you live full-time in the city, your needs for a kit might be similar but if you plan on walking out and not coming back, a Bug Out Bag might be more appropriate.

I work in a small city in a building in our downtown area and if an event like 9/11 happened in my city, I would want to have some items on hand that might allow me to escape with my health intact or possibly to render aid to someone. The items in the urban survival kit below are just ideas. Your reality might require additional survival items altogether.

I am going to discuss items that could assist you if an event like 9/11 happened in a city you were in. A disaster has impacted the city and you work in an office building downtown. Communications are down, services are down and your goal is to make it out of your building, out of the city and back home as quickly as possible.

The basics

Water – Naturally you will need water so a liter or so, maybe a couple of plastic bottles of water would meet your needs until you either get home or to a location with a source of water you could filter and resupply. Even in 9/11 the world didn’t stop. Stores were still open and you could still make purchases but this initial supply will allow you to get as far away from the crisis as possible before you have to stop and think about additional supplies.

Plastic water bottles can be reused and are lighter than other options, but a stainless steel Nalgene bottle can also be used over a fire to boil water if you really are in dire straits.

Pack down to storage pocket-size. Ultra lite-weight Waterproof and breathable. Beats carrying an umbrella.

Food – This should be something that requires zero preparation. Something like high calorie energy bars would be best. You don’t want to have to worry about boiling water (or carrying cookware) to re-hydrate your Mountain House Chili Mac, you want to get home. Energy bars take up relatively little space, you can eat them while you are walking and they will tie you over until you get to a safer location. A good option would be Bear Valley Pemmican Bars. They have 390 calories each and no chocolate to melt all over the place. Have enough for the amount of time you think it would take you to walk home and double that. You could face detours or be slowed by injury.

Shelter – You could be forced to spend the night outdoors, or trapped in a subway station or airport. For urban survival you wouldn’t need to worry about packing a tent. There should be millions of places to find a shelter you can get under. You do need to worry about warmth though. In the cooler months plan for a set of base layers, a fleece and a water proof shell. These don’t have to be expensive and the high-dollar hiking shells aren’t worth their price in my opinion. You can get a waterproof jacket from Frogg Toggs for less than $20 that is incredibly light so it takes up no space in your urban survival kit and it can keep you dry. It also doubles as a windbreaker so in combination with your base layers and fleece you should be warm for a walk out of the city.

A urban survival kit can give you the survival items you need to make it out of the city fast.

Summer conditions require a different shelter and that is usually from the heat. A good lightweight hat that keeps the sun off your head will work. I would also pack a lightweight long sleeve shirt. This may be the last thing you want to wear if it is hot, but if you are a woman who is in a sleeveless dress in the middle of summer a shirt will keep the sun off you and offer a little more protection.

Simply touching an attacker will deliver a high voltage shock causing loss of balance and muscle control, confusion, and disorientation bringing him to his knees and making him incapable of further aggressive activity

Shoes are a big deal for me probably because for some reason I have been blessed with the tenderest feet in the world. If I had to walk very far barefoot I would be hurting. I know some people who can walk barefoot over gravel. Not me so good footwear is a priority for me for that reason. In addition, you may be at work with dress shoes and they aren’t suited for long walks. Have a good pair of shoes that will first allow you to walk for days possibly and protect your feet. You could have to walk cross-country. The weather may be inclement so have shoes that will get you home no matter what. I wear either leather boots with good soles or hiking shoes every day. I know some people who wear flip-flops and I would hate to see them try to climb their way out of a collapsed building or pile of rubble with nothing more than those on.

Security – I carry a concealed firearm with me just about all of the time. If something happens I will at least have a 9MM for protection. In a true disaster, desperate people might be out to harm you for any one of a million reasons. Having a means to defend yourself is an important, but often overlooked necessity. If not a firearm, because for some people that isn’t possible, a high power Taser that can shoot out 53,000,000 watts could incapacitate someone quickly. Barring that, Police Strength pepper spray is an alternative. Sabre has a compact size that gives an advertised 35 shots. That could get you through a lot of bad guys. Going down the list a good survival knife is a fall back item which has other uses, but the last thing I want to do is get into a knife fight with anyone.

Health – Running from disaster can lead to injury or you could have been injured in the attack. Simple first aid items can help you stop bleeding or wrap up wounds long enough to receive care when you are in a safe location. Obviously, if you are seriously injured, I don’t expect any of us will be packing a full service medical kit in our urban survival bag.

You can pack a few of the following items that could help in the health department.

N-95 masks – Remember the giant dust clouds when the buildings fell? These could be very useful in a similar situation or offer some protection against other threats.
Nitrile Gloves – This one might not make sense because our goal is to get home as quickly as possible but a few sets of nitrile gloves weigh almost nothing and could be a disposable option for messy situations.
Pain Reliever – A good pain reliever could help with aches from injuries or sore muscles from carrying loads.
Blood Stopper –This is a compound that actually stops bleeding. Used for serious wounds to create a seal. Adventure medical kits created a Trauma Pack bandage with Quick Clot in it so you can wrap the wound, the Celox will stop the bleeding and you can keep on keeping on.
Sunscreen – If you are forced out in the middle of summer and you aren’t prepared to deal with the effects of too much sun, you could end up with severe burns.

In a disaster or crisis you could find yourself running for your life. Will you have the gear you need?

Hygiene – I wouldn’t worry too much about the hygiene department assuming you aren’t dealing with disease or dead bodies here and assuming you can make it to safety. Spare toilet paper might be a good item to pack just remove the cardboard insert out of a half used roll and squish it down. Put this in a freezer bag to keep it dry. Hand sanitizer isn’t something I use, but in a disaster situation where I was worried about disease and I couldn’t wash my hands I would use this before eating.

I wouldn’t bring deodorant or a toothbrush although I know comfort items are really important to some people.

The X Factor

Many of those items above could have a home in either your Get Home Bag or your Bug Out Bag, but what other items could you need in an urban survival situation where your goal is to get home as quickly as possible?

The Stanley FUBAR can get you out of a jam or be used as a weapon in a pinch.

Pry Bar – A simple pry bar can be a lifesaver. You can use it to pry open vending machines to get that lifesaving candy bar fix or do open elevator doors, stuck filing cabinets… A million uses and if you want to go all Braveheart on someone, a prybar like the Stanley FUBAR can be used as a weapon in a pinch.

Bolt Cutters – This may not be a realistic tool for some of you, but a pair of mini-bolt cutters can open doors that were previously closed. Pun intended. If you goal is to get home, maybe these aren’t needed but I can imagine a lot of potential uses depending on how bad the disaster is.

Eye Pro – You want to protect your eyes and a good pair of swimming goggles can keep you safe from the effects of Tear Gas or dust. You can even get them in pretty colors too. If that is too silly for you, there is always the high-speed ESS Military issue protective glasses. These will protect you from debris, but they aren’t sealed around your eyes. You will probably look much cooler though.

Gloves – Gloves should be available to you pretty much in every bag you have. These can be good leather gloves or something like Mechanix Gloves. They will protect your hands from cuts, heat and abuse.

Small Roll of Duct Tape – Do I really have to say why? Don’t pack a whole roll because you don’t need that weight. Just wrap your water bottle or a lighter a few times for back up repair capability.

Headlamp – A good bright headlamp, beats a flashlight every time for hands free sight when it’s dark.

Bandanna/Shemgah – These can be used for bandages, face-masks or protection from the elements.

Loud Whistle – A simple whistle is great for getting the attention of anyone you want to find you, like a rescue team if you are trapped.

Sticky Notes and Permanent Marker – Useful for leaving notes for people letting them know where you are or where you are going.

USB Battery Charger – This adds some weight but if your phones are still working, this will allow you to recharge your phone without the benefit of an electric socket. Even a small 3300mAh USB Battery charger can fully recharge your smart phone.

Maps of your city – Yes maps. What if you can’t take your normal route home? What if you are forced to go around due to a giant fire? Having even a simple map will allow you to chart out an alternate route if you are forced to. Another option mentioned on another post was to take screenshots of your city or route in Google Earth and store them on your phone as a reference.

What bag are you going to carry your Urban Survival Kit in?

So you have all of this gear stocked and ready. It could go in the bottom of your locker at work or in a desk draw, but you need something to carry it all in. There are a million bags out there and you should select a bag for your urban survival kit that not only gives you room for your gear but is comfortable, able to withstand a little abuse and blends in to the rest of the crowd so you aren’t targeted for your belongings.

Here are a few sample bags that should do the job nicely. Make sure the bag you choose fits and is comfortable to you.

5.11 Rush 24

The 5.11 bag is my get home bag that remains in my vehicle. If I can access my truck but am unable to drive to safety, I will use this bag and transfer any gear if needed. These are incredibly tough bags but do look tactical which is certainly by design. I have seen many guys rocking these bags though so I don’t think you would get too many looks if you brought this to work.

Rush 24 by 5.11 Tactical

Black Diamond Bullet 16 Backpack

Versatility in a sleek, trim pack, the Black Diamond Bullet 16 panel-loader is an excellent rig for off-trail or high-mileage scrambles which would serve you equally well in an urban environment.

CamelBak Cloud Walker 18

The Cloud Walker 18 hiking pack sports a clean, technical aesthetic with features designed to keep all your gear organized. The main compartment is accessed via an asymmetrical zipper that enables easy access and prevents cargo from spilling out when fully open. In addition to the 2 liter Antidote Reservoir you get two mesh side pockets for keeping essentials close at hand.

Osprey Axis Daypack

Osprey makes excellent bags and I have this pack’s older brother, the Atmos AG as my bug out bag/hiking bag. Excellent quality.

Tactical Taylor Urban Operator Pack

The Urban Operator has a large main compartment, medium-sized front pocket with an admin organizer. Fits most laptop computers up to 17″, water bottle pocket and contoured padded shoulder straps. 1,836 Ci volume. It’s a little tactical looking but nothing too out of the ordinary nowadays.

So there are my thoughts on some good urban survival kit items. What do you have in your bag? Do you commute to work in a large city? What are your plans if disaster strikes?

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The remembering of the events on 9/11/2001 that killed thousands is just barely in our rear-view mirror. This day fortunately passed without any incident. That day in our past saw

The Grey Man Theory: Living at Home VS Living Abroad

What is the Grey Man Theory?

There are many different ideas, rules and trains of thought about the Grey Man theory. Some would view it as a way of life, others a tactical style or type of camouflage and others an exercise in preparedness.

The Grey Man however is universally recognized as a person who remains unnoticed in all situations. Someone who is not only physically but physiologically average and everyday. These people wear non branded clothing that blends in with the crowd and does not draw attention. They are of average height or build and have facial features that do not attract attention in any way. For example, a short balding man in a camouflage jacket with a large nose would attract attention no matter what. The same could be said of an average sized women wearing nondescript clothing who happens to be stunningly beautiful.

Some would say that some people are just born to be Grey Men and others not. However, looks aren’t everything. The places you go and the things you do can also make you stand out. Ordering a flamboyant cocktail in a bar or a specialty dish at a restaurant will also attract attention. The car you drive, the house you own, the job you have, everything leaves people with a memory or note worthy point about you. The Grey Man does not have these things. This is where people tend to have different ideas on how far to go or how to do it.

The other side to the Grey Man is how they think. A true Grey Man will assess the situation in every room or location that they are in trying to take note of the number of people, exit points, hazard points and threats. They do this via a military technique called Situational Awareness.

Being Grey in a Grey World

100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative’s Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation

Staying unnoticed in a place where you and the people all share the same or similar physical traits can be a huge advantage. Also, by having similar habits, mannerisms and speech it allows you to go better unnoticed. Having these things means that the minds Reticular Activating System will have a harder time identifying you as a threat or someone worth noticing.

This system is part of the way your mind processes information. It is a lot like the way computers process information when searching. Certain signals, actions, images or sounds processed by the brain set off alarm bells that make us take notice of things. This is how we pick people out in a crowd or overhear odd conversations in a room full of people.

No matter how we think as individuals this system remains active for everyone and works on the basis of what is different is a threat or to be feared. This is why being a Grey Man in a place full of people that look just like or act just like you is a major advantage.

Many sources of information would state that the Grey Man never speaks out or puts himself in the center of attention. However, in many cases speaking out or getting in the spot light every now and again is what makes people seem normal. Keeping too much to yourself and being too quite can often signal that something is wrong to others alerting them to your presents.

Being Grey on Color TV

As a survivalist and prepper living in a foreign country I can put weight behind the point of how hard it can be to simply blend in. This has given birth to a whole new way of thinking about the Grey Man. Trying to blend in when you obviously stick out will only bring more attention to yourself. So, how do you hide the wolf amongst the sheep? Not by trying to be a sheep, but by being something different to either one.

In Japan for example, there are a lot of preconceptions about foreign people’s. By adopting some of these it will aid in your acceptance and in time blending into the public. If the preconception is that you are loud, be loud. Work with these preconceptions and once you are not perceived as a threat, move to fade away into the backdrop.

This idea of conforming to people’s ideas about you also works for creating your own. Many would agree at by wearing tactical clothing draws attention and gives people the idea that you may have something of value in a SHTF situation. However if you have already created the misconception that you do not but wear such clothing as for example fashion or a work functional preference then people in your area are less likely to approach you or question your reasons. For example, if you do a lot of sport, wearing something a little more tactical or survival based would not raise an eyebrow.

This can also work in an offensive way as well as defensive. By appearing as an outsider and not one of the group, people will be less willing to confront you for fear of the unknown. Especially if you are in a physical situation and employ the right body language.

While this is all well and good for people that you know, strangers will still perceive you as different or a threat. Creating a balance of openness and concealment is important and will take time.

What shade of grey are you?

So how do we find out what people thing is grey and what is not? While a lot of preppers keep very much to themselves, some of us have a few friends and contacts that can help lend a hand in his regard.

A good technique for training your mind to pick out and mimic greyness in any given area is to look for it. Find a spot where you can sit relatively unnoticed, like a coffee shop window, which a good view of passers by. With each passing person try to find something to ridicule or mock. This, while not particularly nice is an effective way of finding something noticeable about a person that could be taken note of. When you find a person you can’t find anything to make fun of, you have found a truly grey individual.

Greyness is in the Eye of the Beholder

All of the ideas and view points discussed in this article have merit and are effective in their own way. However, the main point discovered by looking at all of this things and the additional element of living abroad highlight a key flaw in the current way of thinking when it comes to the Grey Man theory. You are only grey if everyone else things you are. By taking the culture, people and their preconceptions of you into account you can create a real camouflage for yourself beyond just clothing and body language.

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What is the Grey Man Theory? There are many different ideas, rules and trains of thought about the Grey Man theory. Some would view it as a way of life, others

Long Term Food Storage Issues in Canada

Food storage has generated a lot of controversy over the decades and will do so over the next decades if SHTF fails to arrive.
How do you tell if someone is a vegan? They tell you!!!

[Disclaimer: I have been a vegan for the last five years and I was a vegetarian for twelve years prior to that].

Meat canning/storing is not my thing nor my focus. That said I have zero intent to be 100% vegan in SHTF but frankly the concept of not being mainly vegan in SHTF for everyone who is prepping is likely unachievable and unhealthy. In SHTF I plan on eating meat, fish, and eggs but not dairy other than goat cheese (I am serious anti-casein- the protein in dairy). In fact I would eat anything to avoid starvation in SHTF and I plan to.

I store what I want to eat and so should everyone. This article is just looking at my specific case and specific circumstances here outside Toronto. Obviously if you live in warmer climes you can plan on a mixed farm and enjoy fats from pork and cattle. This would not really work in an area with a growing season of six to seven months maximum so here are my thoughts on long-term food storage issues in places like Canada.

Fat

Living in Canada one thing I always worried about when storing food for SHTF was fat (fat is oil). I am nowhere near walrus or seal meat so what could I do? Nuts are a possible idea and certainly I have black walnut and acorn near at hand and have experimented with both as a source of fat as well as protein. They take time, effort, and knowledge. Harvesting might be dangerous or impossible depending on the scenario. Squirrels and rodents I should be able to get but they have little to no usable fat. Same with deer but I think they will be very rare near any city for years after SHTF.

Carrington Farms Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Storing nuts and oil seems pointless given the really short shelf life of both. Of course, with notice, I’d hit Costco and buy bulk cooking oil, olive oil, and nuts but five years into SHTF those supplies would be gone or be rancid.

My answer is currently storing coconut oil. Not just any coconut oil but extra-virgin. A little goes a long way in supplying calories and essential fats. Storage is as simple as buying a small bottle or tub (I prefer glass) and placing one in each 5 gallon bucket.

How long does coconut oil last?

This supply can be used and stored relatively easily in most temperatures provided you keep the container size small. Once opened it will go rancid the same as other sources of fat. It can be frozen, heated, and repeat without any issues provided the container is unharmed.

The link above also gives useful information on telling if the coconut oil has gone off. I had expired peanuts and experimented with various methods of cooking and spicing to get rid of the horrible taste. Nothing worked. Expired oil is truly awful!

Protein

This is worth storing in small amounts. Nothing like a tin of SPAM added to white rice and beans for taste and protein in the apocalypse. Yet really the amount of protein should be very, very small. The SAD (Standard American Diet) truth is most people eat far too much protein for their own health. Excessive protein leads to kidney failure and a lot of other avoidable diseases.

Protein for me is in the category of condiment or small requirement. I mean small here! In SHTF one tin of tuna would be added to one week’s worth of meals per person. Would this make me as weak as a vegan? In SHTF I hope so and you can look up how weak vegan athletes are yourselves. As an ex-ultarmarathoner I can tell you most endurance athletes long ago went vegan or vegetarian.

Most of my added protein would come from beans and quinoa. Long term they are easily stored and reasonably priced. Quinoa in bulk is often available at Costco for $34 Canadian. Yet honestly protein from my garden will supply almost all of my needs and protein is the least important issue in SHTF yet the one many preppers are storing the most aggressively. They would be healthier and better off financially storing kale seeds!

Carbohydrates

I do not use sugar and have not for years. Still I like to think about my preps and it dawned on me a few bags of sugar would actually make a lot of sense in SHTF. A bit added to flour really helps the taste of bread and it is very cheap and stores easily. Again most of my carbohydrates would come from the garden and home-grown potatoes are wonderful! For storage I have lots of white rice and some pastas. This area I am not very worried about.

Of course being Canadian I also store maple syrup which is the best carbohydrate in the world, eh! I have spiles and tubes (food grade) to harvest maple syrup in SHTF once the ability to move around becomes safe. Anyone living near maple trees really needs to think on this and also other sap trees.

Smart Long Term Stores

Can you sprout? It is very easy and very helpful in many SHTF scenarios. Make sure you can do it and have the equipment to do it daily in SHTF. Why not store grains and seeds long-term that you can eat, sprout, and plant? This is as easy as buying organic chia seeds (they need clay pots for sprouting) and putting them in a Mylex™ bag inside some of your food buckets. Most dried beans are easier to cook and healthier to eat after sprouting for a couple of days.

Pink Gourmet Himalayan Salt

Vitamin C is a key ingredient for us all to live a good and healthy life. Storing it is an issue. Sure have lots of vitamin tablets but consider canning or strong lime and lemon juices. I cannot grow oranges up here but if you can then start now. I plan on using apples a lot in SHTF and storing blackberries and raspberries. These skills will be essentially long-term in SHTF so I have started now. Basic good quality bottles of jam is another essential and smart long-term storage item that I’d have in every food bucket. I cannot stand marmalade but I can added it to white rice easily enough so I store marmalade.

Salt

I am guessing everyone has salt but what about iodine? Those of us who live a long way from the ocean or on land that never was ocean will become iodine deficient in SHTF. Is your salt also a supply of iodine? It needs to be unless you live near the ocean.

I add very little salt to my diet at present but I have a small package of iodized salt in all my buckets for long-term use. I am expecting convenience foods to disappear in SHTF and the large and excessive amounts of added salt we all eat at present will be a memory. Plan for a lot of salt and make it iodized. If you check your preps and it is sodium chloride with nothing else listed and/or does not say “Iodized Salt” then put that aside and use for barter.

Dried Spices

Pepper, garlic, onion, turmeric, etc. are all easily available and store well enough for years If you have not put one in each of your storage buckets you might regret it after a year or more of living off your stored rice and beans. You can also store a lot of small plastic bags (UK coin bags are great for this) and divide up very small amounts for barter in SHTF. There are many spices available and buy one each time you shop. Variety is the aim once salt and pepper are dealt with. Hot spices are great but bottles tend to go off over time so grab handfuls at fat food places. Put them in a Mylex™ bag with lots of oxygen absorbers as their packaging is fast food not apocalyptic! Basil and arugula should be available to you via seeds as should mustard. A quick survey of your local area would find many greens available that will spice up food and help you stay healthy. Purslane and Dandelion are weeds for me but a snip them frequently to add to my salads now. Avoid harvesting near rods, polluted rivers, and dog walking areas!

Conclusion

What do you store as long-term food and why? If you mess this up there’s no quick trip to Costco’s available in SHTF to fix it. Take a hard look at what you have now and think about how you will use it in SHTF. Can you make different textures and flavors easily? Will this food supply vitamins, fiber, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in variety? Can the food stored be easily extended by wild foraging and/or gardening? When you open it will you be using the entire amount before it goes bad? Sure 5 gallons of X in the bucket makes you feel secure but can you use all 5 gallons before it goes rancid? Pack small Mylex™ bags inside the big buckets so you have both choice and shelf life after opening.

Hopefully my errors and mistakes here will get picked up in the comments section. I am not going to explain or justify my current diet nor why I feel casein is not a great thing to eat. This is about food storage and SHTF not current nutrition! Bon appetite!

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Food storage has generated a lot of controversy over the decades and will do so over the next decades if SHTF fails to arrive. How do you tell if someone is

Site Planning for Your Survival Homestead

A great deal can go into site planning for your survival homestead, even when the infrastructure is already in place and funds don’t exist to renovate lines or move buildings. Where we place things can increase or decrease our defensive abilities, success in growing, and how likely we are to see something – which can be good or bad. It can also hugely impact the efficiency of a site, whether it’s a small suburban or urban lot or a large rural retreat. While more space creates more options, planning for efficiency has major merits for any size site. When things are more efficient, they require less work to maintain. Whether that work is manual or powered, using less time, labor and resources frees up our abilities elsewhere, allowing us to do more.

Site Planning Factors for your survival homestead

The three most important factors in site planning for efficiency are arguably access, sun, and water. They are equally important, although when aspects like defense and drought resilience come into play one or another may take more precedence. There are variable levels of importance within factors as well. For example, access for ease and convenience might drop to the bottom of a list, but access for maintenance should stay near the top.

Cattle on silvopasture – Trees can be saw logs, firewood, forage/fodder or fruit and nut trees in a rotational pasture system that creates shade and stacks the functions taking place on a piece of land, creating a more efficient use of that land.

Sun

Sunlight plays a lot of roles in our lives, far more than just which plants will be successful – and where. Sunlight can be manipulated to create passive heating and cooling, such as using deciduous trees to shade greenhouses, coops, homes and windows, and livestock in silvopasture. Shading even just the entrance of a cellar can help dramatically reduce the amount of heat-cool transfer while loading it during harvest season. Shading can also significantly reduce moisture loss. On the flip side, opening canopies can not only increase availability of sunlight for plants during winter, it can help us dry up spring-bog areas and provide free lighting.

Using sun and shade to create passive heating and cooling by combining livestock and deciduous trees with a greenhouse, or locating coops and hutches beneath trees.

When we look at shading, a lot of times we only look at trees, but buildings, fences, and walls come into play as well. One rule of thumb is to place the tallest things on a site to the north in the northern hemisphere, to allow the most light through. However, if we want that shading factor to limit our irrigation or keep our rabbits breeding longer without running fans, we can play with them, interspersing buildings and alleys of pasture to create the best fits for our needs.

Another school of thought – especially in areas heavy on buildings and trees – is to group tall things together and slope mature heights to create either a peak effect (tallest in a central area) or a valley effect (tallest things on the rims sloping down to the center).

All three have their pro’s and con’s, and the slope of land, amount of irrigation, soil types, and purposes or function of the land play a big role in deciding which works best for us.

If you are building a survival homestead, take advantage of the sun’s natural path to position your home most effectively.

Something to remember is that sunlight changes through the year and by location, with summer and winter, extreme elevations, and distance from the equator affecting not only the track the sun takes in our skies, but also the intensity of the light – light quality, compared to light quantity. Even quantity comes with some wiggle room. “Full” sun is about 6-8 hours of direct light, but 8-10 hours of diffused light works too, unless the quality of light is low the way it is during winter in the middle and upper latitudes.

Water for your homestead

Water is one of the basic necessities of life. Manually hauling water sucks big time, and so does hand pumping water if mechanical systems fail. Ideally we plan our site so that things with the greatest volume needs are nearest the pumps and catchment systems.

When we’re accounting for high-volume needs we need to take into account our own varied uses such as laundry, cooking, and cleaning our homes as well as direct consumption. Livestock, young trees, and crops also require water. The closer they are to a water source, the less time and labor (of any kind, manual or mechanical) is needed to provide that water for them. We also want to bear in mind year-round needs, as opposed to seasonal like a garden with three months of growing season.

There are two types of water catchment systems that can decrease the need for pumping water – passive and active. Studying the sheep and cattle stations of the Australian outback, especially at the turn of the century, can provide a number of examples of how people survive near-desert conditions using active and passive water catchment systems.

Active catchment includes things like water barrels and buckets, which can be highly complex or pretty darn simple, or rain-filled water catchment on towers and roofs – both of which then disperse water through lines via gravity. Another example of an active catchment includes old-style towers that are filled by pumping, but then provide a gravity-fed reservoir for use during dry periods.

There are all kinds of passive water systems, some of them overlapping with the sunlight and wind vectors that we take into account as incoming and outgoing factors on a site. Some of the most common passive water-catchment and water-conservation systems include:

Simple low spots or dug swales that increase the infiltration of water by slowing its loss, making water available longer after a rain.
Ponds
Hugel-type, lasagna-type and Eden Gardening style growing beds with layers of material that absorb water and release it slowly
Gabion-style and stacked stone walls and fences that create drip-back microclimates by condensing evaporation on the underside and lee of the stone
Trees and shrubs planted to block and filter drying winds from the north and west or block sunlight and provide shade during the hottest hours (usually 1-4 p.m.)

Access

Arranging things for ready access is arguably the most important of the three factors, depending on the primary focus of site planning. At the simplest, we have to be able to reach things to use them. With some foresight and planning, we’re able to reach them in the most efficient and economical way(s) available to us. In the best case, things are conveniently near each other as well as just being accessible, saving time and work transferring them.

We can increase efficiency by locating things that need regular care close to our daily paths, like putting greenhouses and veggies near our homes. Alternatively, they could go near water sources, or be located beside chickens and pigs that till, turn compost, provide manure, and will be helping with garden clean-up. We don’t want to have to cross a yard to get tools and hoses and come all the way back to a garden plot, though.

When we plan the space we want to leave to facilitate access, we want to take into account our methods of reaching our targets:

walking with hand tools, with hay bales on hooks, with forks or bags of feed or seed or fertilizer, or with buckets, blickeys and crates
wheelbarrows, push or pull carts
tractor or ATV and attachments
truck or gators/field carts
tree pruning tools, branch removal or chipping (and chipper size and type)
firewood harvest methods
distance between storage and harvests of hay, straw or crops
type of brush control and access for it
longevity/sustainability of methods chosen for all phases (we all get old unless we die young, and what we can manage by now may become impossible due to age, illness or injury)

Tall hugelkultur beds increase our efficiency not only by decreasing water and fertilizer needs but also by increasing by 3-5 times the amount of growing space we have. Tall beds also eliminate some of the stooping involved with veggie gardens, creating longevity in our growing systems.

We also want to leave space for things like sorting, curing, drying, and curing harvests of various types, running our chipper-shredders, PM’g and repairing our equipment, and to get out of sight of nosy neighbors for livestock culling and harvest. Ideally, that space is conveniently located to the origin or destination, to water, and to where we collect and leave our tools for the tasks. Leaving room for living space and accounting for where we’re creating shadows, damper areas, windbreaks, open sight lines, and cover or concealment for thieves and worse as we plot out our sites is also important.

Something I’ve seen lower harvests in both small-scale and large-scale is somebody cutting a corner with a wagon or tractor a little too close and wrecking the end of a row, or having room when everything is small and new or just seeded, but having no room to maneuver once perennials or large crops grow in. Paying mind to the turning radius of our chosen methods can help save those. (So can practicing when a field is still empty.)

The general rule of thumb when planning for access is that things that need the least care go farthest away and off beaten paths, while things that need the most care and attention go nearest the living space(s) and along walkways.

Our own needs and desires and our infrastructure plays into where we might stick things. I may not use my shop much, but it may be easier to run power to it if it’s close to the house and since my trucks are near the house, I may not want to cross an acre or two for my air pump. Fruit and nut trees traditionally go further away from my home since they don’t need daily care, but if I’m using them for passive heating and cooling or am stacking the productivity of the space by keeping birds or rabbits under them, I may want them closer. My soil type and spring bog might also lead me to avoid an area that would be considered prime, or I might choose to locate things further away so I have a yard space where I can see my young kids easily from a window. Everyone’s situation is different.

Convenience factors into access – The easier it is to reach and see something, the more likely we are to deal with it. There’s no reason not to put veggie beds near the house even in a large yard, or to incorporate herbs and veggies into traditional flowers and landscaping along our driveway and footpaths.

Convenience should also play a role when it comes to access, and for some people the convenience is more important than for others. If it’s difficult to get to something, most of us are less likely to deal with it. It’s up to us to accurately judge ourselves and decide how likely we are to ignore or procrastinate with chores and checks.

Likewise, the “out of sight, out of mind” factor plays a role. Not only are we more likely to remember that something needs dealt with if we’re seeing it every morning on the way out, we can also arrange things to serve as canaries in a mineshaft for us.

Planning & Efficiency

Planning is a big part of efficiency – with anything, military excursion to home to garden to daily tasks. As a permaculturist, efficiency is basically my Holy Grail. The interactions of biotic and abiotic factors get manipulated to death to allow nature to do a lot of our work for us and to limit the time and effort of our labors.

It’s helpful to start with sketches of what already exists on a site, what is staying and what can go, and the inputs from the surrounding area when planning for an efficient site. Permaculture zones and sectors are excellent research points for anyone just starting out.

Wasted steps are wasted time and wasted energy, no matter what scale we’re living and growing in, just like allowing runoff, sunlight, and wind to enter and exit a space without ever harnessing them. In some cases, poor site planning ends up costing us extra money when we upgrade, downsize, or need a repair.

We can limit some of our inefficiency just by making lists.

Lists start as big, general goals of our wants and needs. We can make other lists of our potential resources, challenges, and capabilities. In the case of our homestead – urban balcony to 5-50 acre farm – knowing our long-term goals lets us start accounting for them from the get-go. Lists also help us streamline and prioritize, which allows us to stay focused.

We can refer back to our lists as we approach each step in making our goal a reality. Likewise, sketching a plan and making lists of the pro’s and con’s of placing various components where we have can give us a guideline to refer back to as we move forward over months and years. Lists and a sketch can keep us from feeling hemmed in to a decision we made five years ago because we didn’t realize what a pain it was going to be to haul water 500 yards because the hose pressure won’t reach the spot where we put in our annuals.

Increasing efficiency can be as fast and simple as putting coops and hutches over compost and worm bins to decrease some of the back-and-forth steps of moving manure to those systems and being able to check levels and moisture and harvest worms at the same time we care for other livestock.

Planning for Efficiency for your Survival Homestead

Water, sun and access are just the tip of the iceberg for site planning. There are dozens and dozens of things that can factor into creating an efficient self-sustaining homestead. People have written books on the subject, and placement considerations – from the things we’re possibly going to want on location to how we decide where to put them – occupy week-long lectures. Particularly when it comes to access.

Another aspect of efficiency we don’t regularly want to consider is old age, if not a Seventh Generation outlook. How much annual care does what we’re putting in need? Will it start spreading beyond our control when we hit cane and walker age? Will that oak destroy the lawn between the house and “yard” in 10 years, leaving dogs and people ginger stepping 8-12 times a day and washing away good soils? Will those coppiced trees start wrecking fences if we’re injured or busy standing watch?

Most of us just can’t plan for everything, but at least being aware of goals, of some of the factors that affect our efficiency and the long-term effects of inefficiency, and of the priority we’re willing to assign components in and around our homes, we can be better prepared for smooth transitions and limit some of our wasted labor. Being aware of site planning and efficiency as something to research allows us to let the environment around us and that we build do some of our work for us.

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A great deal can go into site planning for your survival homestead, even when the infrastructure is already in place and funds don’t exist to renovate lines or move buildings.

Emergency Survival Gear for Students

The dangers in this modern century require survival basics from all of us. This article provides some essential information on a few prepping basics of emergency survival gear which may be especially useful for older students. Learning some of given rules and tips may save time in a dangerous situation or to keep you alive in case your life is threatened.

Every Day Carry

EDC is a basic of the basics if you want to be prepared for something out of the norm. It is a misconception that such a gear is a large bag of stuff which most of the people would never use. Firstly, if you think about the critical situation which may occur ‘you never know when’ having it already guarantees some feeling of security. Secondly, EDC should consist of small light tools which make the whole gear comfortable to carry around.

The specialists advise some obvious tools like some sort of small knife, multi-tool, watch, and flashlight as well as things not everyone could figure out as survival kit: spare cash, flash drive with copies of necessary documents or handkerchief which can be used as a dust mask, sling or tourniquet. The pro-gear will also include something to make fire with, firearm, paracord, and other tools which are better to learn before carrying around. You can fit each of these pieces together to make your own variant of EDC that works for you.

“Big Three” Rule

You just can’t predict when a critical situation occurs; this is the reason to keep your emergency kit in three places: car-home-university. By doing that you are able to reach some necessary tools in a limited amount of time and increase your chance to save your or somebody else life. Don’t forget to organize your ‘Get Home Plan’ if getting an emergency kit from your class is impossible.

Get Home Plan

Our natural instincts force us to get home in a disaster and it is reasonable as usually at home we have supplies designed especially for survival, we know where they lie and how to use them. For those students living in their family’s house, it is also important to reach their parents and make sure the rest of the family is safety. But what about getting home? Specialists advise thinking about a Get Home Bag for students studying more than few miles from their home. It has to contain basic supplies you might need to reach home: water, some food, gloves, lighter, multi-tool, headlamp, dust mask, and some medical tools. A number of supplies depend on whether you’ll drive home or walk in case car is damaged. Make several plans of getting home for alternative situations, for example, “roads are blocked” or “impossible to reach the car” and plan about 5-6 routes home through different areas. It is very useful to have a communication plan with your family: remember that in a disaster it is difficult to rely on cell phone communication.

Plan multiple routes you can take away from school back to safety and a communication plan with family.

Reacting to Active Terrorists’ Attacks

One of the most extreme situations possible to happen in your university building is a terrorist attack in which your aim should be not to get shot. Dealing with the hostile situation is all about reaction: when every second counts it is better to have already planned actions in mind. Consider the plan of building, possible paths, means of communication in the building, and the safest zones. Panic can be fatal during hostile and avoiding it is only possible through good prepping. If there is an accessible escape route, attempt to leave the premises; don’t try to hide under the desk in case there is still an unblocked emergency path.

If you’re locked in the building and attacks have begun, think about the cover. Look for positions you may use as a cover from the view (bush, tabletop, door, rubbish bin, shadow), and from the fire (concrete wall, dead ground, car, heavy furniture, thick tree, curbstone). While using a cover as a shield always look around it, not over the cover. If you need to move while staying in cover, look around and select a piece of cover you will fast move to but stay low.Be careful with light-colored walls and lights as you may silhouette yourself. Camouflage yourself using light colors: black is always easy to notice even at night as there is quite a little black in nature and interior.

Moving Through a Building and Evacuation during Terrorists’ Attack

It may be dangerous to go through the doorway: always consider that there are no threats in the room or corridor you enter any possible way. If you have to evacuate from the building – do it as fast and quiet as possible: plan your path and don’t use obvious routes which could be already blocked or trapped. Always keep low while walking down corridors staying a couple of feet off the wall: that may prevent ricocheting part of the wall if you get under fire. Also use the door as a cover in the corridor while moving. It should be noticed it is important to check behind you constantly but not to stand up: stay on knees if you want to check what is happening behind your back and be aware of possible shadows you cast. Don’t stay behind the door for too long: if terrorists use rifles, they may shoot through the door easily.

It should be mentioned that even in such a critical situation it is vital to keep a cool head: avoiding panicking may save not only your life but lives of many people. If you’ll manage to escape the building – leave the dangerous area and summon support.

On the Run

It is very important to get familiar with the basic instructions on how to escape from terrorists or kidnappers. In planning your actions, you should consider having good knowledge of the area where you study and live: learn all the safe areas in your locations and possible paths as long as your goal in such situation is to reach a safer place. Download the app which enables to track you in case you need to escape quickly and make sure needed maps are downloaded so they may be opened without network or Internet access. Be very attentive with booking tickets in case you escape from the unfamiliar city: some programs show your current location. It’s useful to remember that equipment which helps you to survive and escape has to be small, light and nondescript, like a thin wire, small lock pick set, razor blades or whistle.

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The dangers in this modern century require survival basics from all of us. This article provides some essential information on a few prepping basics of emergency survival gear which may

Field Weapon: Constructing a Bow & Arrows Using a Knife

Being a successful survivalist means being able to handle any situation life throws your way and come out on top. Training and preparation are key, but what happens if you find yourself without any of the tools you’ve relied on? Could you still surmount any odds using only your skills and perhaps a knife?

Let’s jump into the worst-case scenario of finding yourself in a SHTF situation without any tools but the clothes on your back and a trusty knife. Using only what is available to from the natural surroundings and what small amount of belongings you have, it’s time to construct one of the oldest tools used by hunters, the bow and arrow.

Gathering Your Bow Making Supplies

European Yew is suggested as the best material for making bows, but good old Hickory is great also.

It is important before you even begin shaping or sharpening your arrowheads to find the proper materials for creating a bow. Look around to find any dry, dead pieces of wood to use as the basis for your bow. The perfect piece of wood will be dry and hard but not cracked or damaged in any way that may render your bow inefficient. Find a piece that is

Around six feet in length
Free of any noticeable cracks or knots that will weaken the wood
Suitably thick enough to withstand the force of pulling back on the bowstring but still maintains a level of flexibility
If at all possible stay away from using freshly cut pieces as the wood lacks the strength of dried wood and will be less effective

Once you’ve found a suitable piece of wood for your bow, begin looking for pieces to construct into arrows. The ideal wood should be about half the length of your bow and as straight as possible. Avoid using freshly cut saplings if you can.

Assess and Determine the Key Points of Your Bow

After locating a suitable log for your bow, it is time to determine the natural curvature of the wood so you can know in which direction to begin shaving the limbs.

Place the wood on a flat piece of ground and apply pressure to the center with one hand while keeping your other firmly against the top. The wood should swing to show you which in which direction it curves, the side that is facing you after the swivel will become the belly, the piece that faces you, of the bow. Find and mark the center of the bow on the side opposite the belly, the side which will face away from you.

Begin Shaping Your Bow

Using the mark on the center as a guide begin shaping your bow by gradually shaving away wood from either side, it is important though to shave wood only from the belly side of your bow. Leave about three to four inches extending from the center on both the top and bottom untouched, this will be your handhold.

As you begin to shape the bow, pay close attention to which portions bend and which remain stiff. You’ll want the bow to bend evenly across the bottom limb and upper limb so as you shape, flex the bow slightly to ensure it is indeed bending correctly. Continue flexing and shaping the bow until you have a consistent and strong bend.

Begin Notching and Preparing Your Bow for a String

Cut into either end of your bow, notching both sides deep enough to hold a bowstring but shallow enough to not compromise the integrity of the wood. As with before only cut wood away from the belly side, any damage or cuts to the back-end of the bow can render it inefficient or at worst cause it to break when under pressure.

Stringing Your Bow

Now hopefully you paid attention to our 7 Survival Skills You Should Know post and learned the importance always carrying paracord. Using the paracord you’ve fashioned into a survival necklace or boot laces measure out a sufficient length to create a bow-string. Your string should be able to reach both ends of the bow while remaining taut enough to resist pulling. Once you’ve cut the proper length, tie a solid loop knot at each end and knot the cord around the bow at its notches.

Check Your Bow’s Strength and Construction

Now that you have a properly shaped and strung bow, it’s time to check its strength. Firmly hold your bow in hand with your lead arm extended fully while pulling back on the bowstring with your other hand. The bowstring should be able to be pulled into your draw hand is almost in line with your chin. Pay close attention to the bend in the bow to ensure it is bending evenly and does not need to be shaped further.

Bows & Arrows of the Native Americans: A Step-By-Step Guide To Wooden Bows, Sinew-Backed Bows, Composite Bows, Strings, Arrows & Quivers

Making Your Arrows

The most simple form of an arrow consists of a thin shaft of wood shaved into a point on one side and notched for the bowstring on the other.

Begin by shaving away pieces of your arrow shaft until the entire length of the wood is smooth and rounded.

If you will be opting for a simple pointed arrow without an arrowhead, just simply shave one side into a sharp point and notch the opposite side. You can harden the arrow tip by heating it above a fire but pay close attention to not burning the arrow at all.

Optional Arrow Features

If you find suitable materials in the field you can also add:

An Arrowhead by notching the wood and attaching the arrowhead securely to the shaft with a small bit of twine or paracord
Add fletching to the bottom your arrow shaft by splitting the back-end of the shaft and inserting a feather. Use your remaining paracord to tie the split pieces back together

Now just gather your hunting camouflage and use your bow to catch dinner.

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Being a successful survivalist means being able to handle any situation life throws your way and come out on top. Training and preparation are key, but what happens if you

Planning Your Homestead Orchard: Benefits of Dwarf Trees

Dwarf Trees – When Less is More

We spend a lot of time looking at annual crops and gardens, but perennials have their places. When it comes to fruit trees, we have many options in sizes. There’s little more majestic than a full-sized cherry tree, and not much will match a standard apple for yield. However, there are a lot of times when we’d be equally or better served with a smaller tree, and lots reasons to consider dwarf trees or semi-dwarf instead of a standard, even when there aren’t space constraints that affect the ability to get pollination partners. I’m starting with a primer on size and expected yields by size and species, then hitting considerations such as maintenance, resiliency, harvest size, and more.

Tree Sizes

There are some generally accepted sizes for dwarf, semi-dwarf, and standard-sized fruit trees.

A lot of fruit trees have about the same spread (circular footprint) as they do height. Dwarfs are usually 8-12’ (also regularly seen as 8-10’), semi-dwarfs tend to range 10-16’, and standard fruit varieties are usually considered to be 18-25’.

There are exceptions, such as peaches that are naturally already fairly compact at 12-15’ and cone-shaped pears with a spread of just 10-12’ but a height upwards of 20’ for mature standard varieties. Some standard trees are also just smaller, such as plums and figs.

Part of planning the size we want is planning for space around a tree or shrub where we can work. As a permaculturist, I love stacking spaces and full canopies. However, there’s not much room to maneuver underneath a dwarf or semi-dwarf tree – their canopies tend to start around thigh and shoulder height – and it’s not like all standards are roomy below the canopies. I can create a planting plan that allows me to maximize the space I have without encircling each and every single tree with a path, but somewhere through there, I do have to give myself room to harvest and rake and prune.

Dwarf and semi-dwarf trees produce the same type and size fruit as standards, just less per tree.

Yield By Size

A nice lady who ran a blog once went through and compiled yield ranges from the information Stark Bros. puts out. I turned it into a single-page printable for clients (with citations). As with any, this information should be taken with a grain of salt. Climate, soils, care, and disease can all affect yield, and yield can vary greatly by variety within a species. Still, it makes a nice printable to use for a ratio comparison between dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard trees.

Be aware: Yields vary depending on soil types, nutrients, water, pests, pruning and variety of tree within each species. I halve the numbers from Harried Homemaker and Stark Bros. when presenting estimated to clients.

Remember, locally produced trees and shrubs, even grafted, will have more success than shipped-in specimens most of the time.

Specialty Types

There are all sorts of even smaller fruit trees and ways to tailor fruits to our needs. Espalier can be done against walls and fences, or grape style in the middle of a yard. Some fruits that are commonly produced on trees have a bush variety, such as the bush nectarine or some of the bush cherries. There are also potted varieties of a lot of fruits now, trees to shrubs and brambles, specimens specifically bred and designed to thrive in a container and be more compact.

Cordon or columnar fruit is available in several species, and while expensive, it can save space to increase diversity and allow homeowners variety and resilience.

Columnar or colonnade trees are extremely narrow and small. They can be potted or directly planted. Their yield suffers due to their size, but they can be excellent as canary varieties for us and they excel at providing some backup pollinators, especially for folks in small spaces or who want edible beautification. However, they are pretty darn pricey.

Container fruit needs a lot of water and nutrients over the seasons, but if we stick them on rolling casters, it lets us maneuver our fruit into protected areas. Those minis can allow us a sustainable source of things like citrus, tea, figs, and peaches. Likewise, an espalier against a wall will typically be warmer as well as easier to protect and keep damp than a freestanding tree in a yard.

Dwarf, container, trellis and espalier fruit can transform a compound into a more pleasant space, allow perennial production in urban and suburban environments, and let us take our fruit trees and shrubs with us when we move.

Yard-planting container-intended columnar, bush and espalier fruit has particular application not only for those who are spacially challenged in their yards but for those with compounds. There’s no reason our castle has to look industrial. In fact, back when castles were in vogue, they typically made use of every inch with plantings, which were tailored both for form and function.

Benefits of Smaller Specimens

Increases harvest season – One benefit to smaller trees is that we can spread out the harvest season. The common standard tree yields of 10-20 bushels is a lot to deal with inside the 1-3 weeks of the harvest season for each variety, and once it’s in and processed, there’s no more fresh fruit. Instead, we can tailor our home orchard for 3-6 months of fresh produce by selecting varieties from late, mid and early seasons within their species and having a couple of other species with them.

Spreads out the workload – Avoiding a single-type glut such as can come from even just 1-2 large trees (or species) by tailoring our home orchards by harvest period can let us select varieties that go straight to storage to complete the sweetening and softening process, while still having some fresh fruit now. Since summer and autumn are already hectic seasons for a lot of us and will be more so if we’re producing our own food, it’s nice to have that option. Even without storage fruit, smaller amounts harvested over 1-3 weeks per species lets us process fruit at a slower, steadier, more manageable rate.

Easier Management – The workload from processing harvest isn’t the only thing that goes down. Smaller trees allow us to work around them with less use of overhead tools. They’re easier to harvest and prune with only a step stool, and it’s easier to see what’s going on in the canopies. That alone can help us spot problems early.

Increase variety and species within a space – Instead of having three apples in standard sizes, we may be able to fit 5-9 dwarf and semi-dwarf trees, in addition to any wall-hugging espaliers and the super-compact minis or potted varieties. Sometimes that means we can get two pollinators for a primary semi-dwarf, and sometimes that means we can have a pair of small apples with a plum and a peach. Other times it means we can have a fruit tree or five, and still have sunlight and space for other perennials or an annual garden.

Smaller trees can allow us to increase variety and resilience in the same space. If one species, variety, or specimen is lost or damaged by pests or weather, others may survive.

Fresh eating is always healthiest, and having multiple harvest seasons from a variety of trees helps increase the periods of fresh produce, especially if we’re not gardening yet or a drought or the power/labor supply is making us choose between livestock and gardens for water. A variety in fruit types also provides a wider array of nutrients than having just 1-2 trees that produce all at once.

Increases resilience to varying weather conditions, climatic change and pests – Diversity is always a benefit in many ways, but in this case, it’s tangible. A lot of our fruit trees share pests and diseases with each other and other plants, and many require pollination.

If there are only two varieties of apple (or other species), and one is sensitive to something around us, the other has lost its pollinator. We won’t get any more fruit. If we get a semi-dwarf or a single standard for the tree we want most, then 3 smaller trees that cross pollinate, losing one of them to a pest/disease and one of them to weather (drought to storm) still leaves us with a pollinator. We still get our fruit harvest from our target tree. If we had 5-7 smaller trees and lose 2-4, we increase our chances of good harvest in harsh conditions even further.

Graphic: Using a mix of semi-dwarf and dwarf trees can increase the total fruit yield in a space as well as create resiliency. *Yield estimates taken from Harried Homemaker Preps’ compilation of Stark Bros. estimates.

The resiliency benefits extend beyond pollination partners. An early-season fruit tree stands more chance of having late frosts and freezes or false springs kill off the buds. Summer storms, bug/pest seasons, and late storms and frosts can all become risks as well. With 3 smaller trees instead of one large tree, we can still get a harvest if one fails or if we lose a tree entirely, inside a species or by planting a variety of species.

Whether they’re small or not, having multiple varieties and species can help avoid total losses and it can help us spot problems early enough to save a harvest. Even if we don’t catch something for the first variety or species, because so many pests are common within domestic fruits, we may be able to treat later-blooming and later-fruiting specimens.

Faster Maturation – Most dwarfs and semi-dwarfs will begin production and hit average, mature rates in less time than standards. Their ultimate total yields are lower, although that can be mitigated with multiple trees.

Future Moves – Dwarf and mini fruit that can handle containers is also beneficial for those who plan to move to a new, larger space or compound. Some of us just can’t justify putting fruit into our small spaces, then leaving it. We can also go ahead and get our fruit trees the day we move, with the plan to transplant once we study and develop our plan for our homestead. That way we’re a little (or a lot) closer to our mature production rates when we hit our new locations.

Small Trees for Big Spaces

Small fruit trees can also be used as “canaries” a la mine-shaft mode, especially on large spreads. We can tuck a sampling of dwarf and super-dwarf compacts in similar light, water and soil conditions along our driveways and near our homes. Doing so lets us keep better track of flowering, health, and fruit development, especially in our busy daily lives, since we see them right there, all the time.

Dwarf and espalier fruit can be trained to hedges, serving multiple functions on our property as well as producing food.

We still need to check on orchards – especially if they’re planted in blocks of the same species or close cousins. Differing microclimates may (will) produce fluctuation even within members of the same species. The diversity of fruit species and other landscaping and gardening can protect our canaries, and lower compaction might be leading to better soil health in one spot or another. Then there are things like chickens, goats, pigs, deer and porcupines that can be affecting outlying trees but not the ones where our dogs and people run most frequently.

Still, over a few seasons, we’ll pick up on the trends and be able to use our canaries to tell us what’s going on in an orchard or even just a few trees that are out of sight-line.

Small Trees for Home Orchards

A small fruit tree isn’t always the solution. For larger families and groups, and anyone interested in silvopasture or sticking crated/kenneled livestock under trees, standard varieties may be a better choice. For those who are looking at age, physical ability, resilience, and small spaces for an edible orchard, smaller trees and container fruits may be a major boost to our capabilities. Smaller trees can also just be faster and easier to care for than large trees, and provide a variety of fruits sooner and a longer harvest period for a busy working family, which may better serve some people.

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