Following two previously-mentioned Self-Reliance Expos [1] in Denver, Colorado [2] (September 16-17, 2011 (see the SurvivalBlog review here [3]) and Salt Lake City, Utah [4] (October 7-8, 2011), the National Self Reliance Organization (NSRO [5]) began it’s 2012 season with another weekend expo in Colorado Springs, Colorado [6].
Returning Vendors
This expo again showcased a variety of enthusiastic and friendly survival, self-reliance and preparedness vendors and presenters. Many of the companies there are loyal SurvivalBlog advertisers. I enjoyed meeting many new vendors in person for the first time as well as those who had been at the September expo [3] as well.
Among vendors returning to the expo with new offerings, Pantry Paratus [7] added a new cheesemaking line to their existing product roster. Chelsea Green Publishing [8] added several new titles to their books on sustainable living, including The Art of Fermentation [9], The Natural Building Companion [10], The Holistic Orchard [11]
Other returning vendors included: American Preppers Network [14] (self-reliance education), AquaPail [15] (gravity-fed portable water treatment systems), Daily Bread [16] (food storage, including freeze dried), DoTerra [17] (d?TERRA essential oils), Emergency and Disaster Prep [18] (food storage products for all types of personal crisis & disasters, backup & emergency power systems), EnerHealth Botanicals [19] (cocoa, coconut milk, meal powder, etc.), FalloutX [20] (radioactivity mitigation), Forge Survival Supply [21] (Survival Cache gear), G & R Foods Inc. [22] (nutritional powders, storable/canned foods, shredded cheeses), Humless [23] (compact portable pure sine inverters with a generous assortment of output connectors), Life Sprouts [23] (sprouters with a diverse assortment of sprouting seeds), LPC Survival [24] (water filtration, storage and many other survival products), National Geographic [25] (film crew for ‘Doomsday Preppers’ episode interviewing exhibitors and presenters), New Millennium Concepts [26] (water purifiers), Project Appleseed [27] (Revolutionary War Veterans Association, marksmanship clinics), School of Natural Healing [28] (herbalist education, courseware), Shelf Reliance [29] (food storage, racks, emergency kits), Solar Gadgets [30] (solar phone chargers, flashlights), Sun Oven [31] (solar cooking appliances), Ullrich Insurance [32] (broker for various insurance companies), and UV Paqlite [33] (reusable glow sticks).
New Vendors
I counted 39 new vendors, compared with 24 returning ones, so the NSRO [5] expo venue is definitely growing and gaining momentum. In the arena of Alternate Energy, Lighting and Fuel, new vendors included ARC Solar Systems [34] (compact portable power systems with a flexible PV component that rolls up into a storage cylinder slightly larger than a sleeping bag), InstaFire [35] (storage fire starter/fuel), GO Solar [36] (portable solar power systems), SoCal Flashlights LLC [37] (Olight Brand Flashlights), and Survival Bottle [38] (Instafire, flashlights, Legacy food storage, water bottles).
Currency and Exchange exhibitors included Ann Haney Ministries [39] (Living In Abundance Couponing and Swiss America [40] (precious metals).
In the Education, books and media category, we saw new exhibitors Colorado Springs Preppers [41] (a local prepper network; also see American Preppers Network [14] for more self-reliance education), Doom And Bloom [42] (medical preparedness; Survival Medicine Handbook), The Survival Mom [43] (book, a variety of survival products, online classes), Equip 2 Endure [44] (Survival training courses, books), Richard Two Elk – Digital Video [45] (Recording, editing, DVD authoring), Sea Cadets [46] (Naval cadet programs), and Survival Quarterly [47] Magazine [47] (Survival magazine and DVDs. The magazine is edited by Karen Hood, the widow of the late Ron Hood [48]).
Food, Food storage, stores, and distributors were represented by Everest Mountain Foods [49] (freeze-dried and other foods), Freeze Dry Guy [50] (Emergency Prep, Survival Food, Dehydrated Food, Camping Food, MREs), Grandma’s Country Foods [51] (foods, spices, milk, preparedness, storage containers, kitchen appliances, contract packaging), JarBOX [52] (canning jar storage systems), Mace Enterprises, LLC – Legacy Premium – Lindon Farms (long-term emergency food storage; 801-369-8887. This brand is carried by several SurvivalBlog advertisers.), My Patriot Supply [53] – Matt Redhawk (heirloom seeds/seed vaults, water, fire, food, survival gear, canning, books), Nova Chocolate [54] (long term storage chocolate), Nutriom [55] (Ova Easy storage eggs – low temperature process), The Pikes Peak Beekeepers Association [56] (local, regional and national apiculture resources), Ready Reserve Foods [57] (emergency preparedness products, disaster survival food and water supplies, ammo. Author’s note: these folks have a long track record; their “squirrel logo” cans have been part of our family food storage for decades), Texas Ready [58] (Liberty seed banks), and Tower Garden/Juice Plus [59] (aeroponic vertical gardening system).
The new Health and Medicine vendors were AED Everywhere [60] – Cardiac Science (Automated External Defibrillators), Austere Medical & Practical Preparedness Project [61] (AMP-3 Medical kits & specialty gear), and Washington Homeopathic [62] (Homeopathic remedies).
Shelter and Real Estate entries expanded with Cedar Log Systems [63] (custom designed cedar log homes), Crazy Woman Realty [64] (Buyer’s Real Estate Agent), Growing Spaces [65] (Geodesign Greenhouse kits – Author’s note: I helped assemble one of these well-made kits for a friend many years ago who knew of my previous experience as an owner-builder of a (now-defunct brand, Cathedralite) dome home kit, in the 1970s. In addition to these and the monolithic domes noted below, (permanent and temporary) geodesic shelter companies such as Pacific Domes [66] and DomeGuys International [67] are worthy of consideration), Monolithic Domes [68] (dome homes), Security Disaster Shelters [69] (Single and Multi Unit Disaster Shelters), and The Shed Yard [70] (Storage sheds, gazebos, garages).
In the Weapons and Defense department, there was OD Green Ammo Supply (303-941-8233), Hickman Rifles [71] LLC (handguns, rifles, shotguns, custom weapons), and Snake Blocker [45] (knives, clothing, DVDs).
The next scheduled Self-Reliance Expo [1] will be in Dallas, Texas, July 27-28, 2012; a worthy pilgrimage for anyone within driving distance. Other expos will held be Hickory, North Carolina [72] (September 14-15) and Mesa, Arizona [73] (October 26-27.) The upcoming Dallas expo is featured here [1].
– L.K.O. (SurvivalBlog’s Central Rockies Regional Editor [74])