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43 Comments

  1. Ordered 5 sets of US “Jerry” can fuel gaskets and 55 gallon drum bung caps. I’ve been looking for replacement Jerry can caps and the ones I found were $15 each. Discovered that the 55 gallon drum bung caps work so for $3 I got them.

    Took the family shooting at our home range. My son got to shoot his AR for the first time.

    Went to the auction and got a 26 foot aluminum extension ladder, fruit picker and 3 box lots with Turnbuckles, Lap links, Cold shuts, US made files , File handles, Funnels, Small metal oiler, Spring links, Steel rings, Thimbles, grommet kit, 2lbs of lead, a 12 volt DC chainsaw sharpener, a set of very nice older Craftsman spade bits, hooks, eye hooks, hitch pins, and a bunch more hardware for around $100.

  2. Thanks for sharing this weekly segment. I enjoy reading about everyone’s experiences (readers and JWR/AL).
    Lily’s comment about dairy got me thinking: are there any means of preserving dairy (milk, cheese, butter?) In a shelf-stable format (aka canning/jarring)?

    I would like to see an article with some of your canning/preserving, especially lower-tech methods employed (I can’t afford a food dehydrator). Likewise a summation of any changes to your cooking/eating habits, in order to better utilize your own products.
    I’ve taken to dicing garden produce (bell peppers, garlic) and freezing them in thin layers in sealable plastic freezer bags (Ziploc). When I need some for cooking, I just break a chunk off and toss it in the sauce. You don’t get the texture you do from fresh (I love that crunch when putting sweet bell peppers in my omlette!), but its how I have been able to incorporate preserving my own food into our existing lifestyle.

    1. Joe Blow, canning is fuel, time, and labor intensive. Good food dehydrators are readily available online for twenty or so dollars. Storage takes less space than freezing or canning and I simply repurpose 32oz yogurt containers. Keep them airtight, in a cool place.

      Carry on

      1. Exactly, Once a Marine…although I found my dehydrator for even less at the thrift shop and store the dehydrated food in washed out and sterilized glass jars from food we’ve eaten.

        Dehydrated foods last a long time as long as you fully dehydrate it and store it away from humidity. Much lighter and more compact.

        Blessings

  3. Comments on the Prepping Progress from our family. Well, we are back in Florida after evacuating for a hurricane which thankfully missed us. We try to view anything that comes our way as a test the plan opportunity. For this one, we used our radio system to relay back and forth with friends on the other side of the state, as well as to offer their family a place to stay as Hurricane Dorian kept changing paths. September is the month when I try to do a major inventory, my husband owns the gear side which gets compiled into a master list and then I take the entire gamut of food and food supplies. My guess estimate is we are good for a year here and then a year at our cabin up North but we can always do better.

    My latest “project” has been to have a larger portion of our meal planning run true to form (or at least more aligned with) how we might live in a more challenging crisis. That definitely means less meat centric and we are headed that way. Agree with Avalanche Lilly that less refrigeration is in our future too and similarly less dairy for us as well.

    It’s so nice to read how others view things and reflect on how we can do better.

    Take care.

    T.R.

  4. My back went into muscle spasms this week and though I tried everything I knew about to stop the spasms, I wimped out and went in for a steroid shot in the muscle. Took about 36 hours to take effect. If anyone has a home remedy for muscles spasms, I sure would like to hear it!! This week I mainly worked in the kitchen but hope to be outside tomorrow. I did take the time to email our useless senators and house reps to stop red flag laws and the “Equity Law”. Also asked all my family to send emails to their useless federal reps.

    This summer we had to severely prune back two trees and lost a third tree to fire blight, but we did salvage pears from one tree before we cut it back. I put up 10 pints of pear jelly, 8 pints of cinnamon pear sauce (yummy) and froze six 20-oz bottles of juice.

    Also canned some button mushrooms which I got on sale and dehydrated curly kale and ground them into powder for soups and vege drinks.

    Flushed the oil in the Freeze Dryer and did trays of carrots and brussel sprouts. Had left over shredded pork so it is now FDing, along with a chuck roast I cut into 1” chunks. Harvested more hot peppers; put the cayenne peppers in to dry and making fresh jalapeno relish today. Put more herbs in to dry: cilantro, basil, rosemary, sweet mint, thyme and lavender.

    Received the 25 pd bag of jasmine rice (my favorite type) and 25 pds of steel-cut oats and put them into mylar bags in buckets to store. Bought 25 pds of warehouse store rice to share and for my animals. Received orders of #10 cans of honey powder, stew veges and more clear plastic storage containers.

    I think we all are feeling the need to intensify gathering our survival supplies. Have a productive week!

    1. Dear Animal House,

      Muscle spasms are often caused by a lack of Magnesium in your body. Our agricultural fields have become Magnesium depleted, therefore many foods no-longer have the optimum amounts in them. Most people have a Magnesium deficiency, though if their blood were tested, the amount of Magnesium in the blood would be at optimum levels. Over a thousand of our body processes use Magnesium. If we don’t have enough, our body steals the Magnesium from the less important processes, our muscles in our backs, and legs for example, to use in the most important processes, like maintaining our heart rhythm. Many of us must supplement Magnesium. Folks have been known to take 250-800 mg per day. Taking supplements by mouth, Epsom salt baths, Magnesium sprays that you spray on your skin, and eating foods which traditionally contain large amounts of Magnesium, are all methods in which to obtain the needed levels. Foods with lots of Magnesium are potatoes, tree nuts, chocolate, and many others. Natural Health News has many articles that talk about supplementation with Magnesium which helps heal many ills. Please go and take a look. I hope you are feeling better soon.

      Blessings,

      Lily

    2. Dear Animal House,

      While I do not have published studies to give you, I will share personal experience.
      Drinking a large gulp or two of dill pickle juice has stopped muscle spasms within minutes for both my mother and I too many times to count over the years. I thought she was crazy to suggest such a thing. Of course, when I was in agony, I willingly tried it out of desperation. It worked! Over and over again, it works. It is the funniest thing… Who cares if there are no double blind studies with uniquivical scientific proof. I didn’t. Just give me the juice so the cramping stops!

      1. Miss Lilly, JBH, Krissy; Thank you all for sharing!

        I do take magnesium daily but had to lower the dosage as 1000 mg got my colon revved up. Now I take 400 mg daily but increase it to 800 when the ache turns to spasms. I did change brands to a combo of magnesium and potassium; doesn’t seem to help so going back to straight magnesium.

        Krissy; Like you said, when you hurt badly enough, you’ll try almost anything. I’ll try my home-made pickle brine.

    3. “useless senators, etc…” I agree. I have written and received some really inane responses. If they were honest people they would quit and do something else.

  5. This week has been quite busy in our neck of the woods. We had family visit from the Midwest and took advantage of the visit to have a large family gathering of extended family who live nearby as well. It was great to see everyone.

    We started processing our apples and pears from the property. Apple and pear butter, apple pie filling, jam and (still processing) applesauce. Applesauce is a good substitute for oil in baking so we try to put up several cases. Still have our crab apples to gather.

    We are in the midst of experimenting with dehydrating applesauce using our Harvest Right freeze dryer. I am taking some of our previously canned applesauce and freeze drying it while making fresh to put on the shelves. Will report out next week on how this experiment turned out.

    We’ve also been canning tomatoes. We make juice that we use for drinking, cold gazpacho soup and the base for other soups. Salsa, tomato sauce, and ketchup are next.

    I’m on the way to our farmer’s market this morning for peppers. I hope to try canning peppercinis using banana peppers. And lastly, I got a big bag of garlic from Costco and have been using it in everything we cook but need more ideas for preserving it.

    I am also trying to simulate our diet without the luxuries we enjoy of some of our refrigerated items. Since we have the freeze dryer, I have processed various cheeses, sour cream and yogurt. Our grandchildren eat lots of yogurt! We also use alternative milk such as coconut milk. I’ve slowly been buying powdered coconut milk but it is very expensive so I am still searching for alternatives.

    1. I dice garlic tiny and freeze it in thin layers (0.5-1″) in zipper-style freezer bags. When I need some to cook I just snap a piece off and put the rest back in the freezer.

    2. Cal, i received a quanity of garlic(#20+) and found the best way to keep it was to dry and granulate(grind to powder). It all fit into several pint jars and stored very well with vacuum seal.

  6. Mrs. Rawles comments bring up a subject I am a bit sensitive about. Eschatology.

    By her comment I would take her to be a Mid-Trib Premillenialist. I have not criticism of this belief, however I do feel that American Protestant Christians are frequently exposed to only Premillenialist theology with only debate about if Christians will suffer the Tribulation or not. Catholics I know sometimes are have some vague notions about the subject that loosely follow American Protestant teaching.

    I recommend that American Christians study the full spectrum of Eschatology including Preterism (partial and full), Amillenialism and Post-Millenialism to round out what is usually not taught from the pulpit now but have been viable church doctrines for 2000 years.

    I was raised firmly Pre-Millenialist. I even attended a major seminar in the mid 70s laying out specifically the quite compelling Biblical argument that the world would end in 1984. It did not. I am now a firmly I-Don’t-Know-Millenialist which from my reading puts me in pretty good company with some of the major Reformation Theologians.

    I am sensitive to this subject for two reasons. Historically many groups have thought Jesus was coming at a particular time. Often during great times of turbulence. He did not and they had to suffer through the turbulence any way. (Russian history has some notable incidences.) Secondly on a more personal note I have known not a few people who became so convinced of Jesus return in the short term that they behaved foolishly and sometimes unethically in the present.

    I will not say we are not in the end times but I would also say that we may have some real problems to live through and Jesus will not bail us out yet. We may have to suffer, fight, rebuild and continue on without his return yet.

    1. Hello JBH,

      We are Pre-Wrath, which means we are going to live through the 6 years of the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation which is Satan’s wrath against mankind and God’s Creation. But as Believers in Christ, we are not destined for God’s Wrath, therefore, we will be raptured/caught up into the sky at His Second coming, and before He punishes the unrepentant world with his Wrath judgments. We ARE going to suffer/be persecuted for the Word of God and for holding to the testimony of Jesus Christ, unless God chooses to hide and protect some of us, until HE returns. He tells us plainly in His Word that this is what awaits us in the books of Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation. In fact, God will allow Satan to PREVAIL over the saints for a season. We need to be patient and faithful in our suffering for Him. He tells us to prepare our hearts and our homes for the days that are coming. Some of us will have to give up our lives for Him in death, and others He will keep safe through the whole Tribulation. We don’t know what He has in store for each of us, individually, so therefore we must prepare our hearts Spiritually and our homes physically and be ready for anything that God allows for our testing and salvation. You can already see the persecution of Christians and Conservatives through the censorship in the media and in the lawsuits against Christians in certain businesses, who were exercising their rights to honor their beliefs by not allowing their services to promote immoral practices. This is only going to get worse. The way the nations are aligning with each other, the way that men travel to and fro over the whole earth, the exponential explosion and speed of information and knowledge flow/exchanges and the ability with the internet and chipping technologies, social credit scoring, to control every single persons financial transactions, the incredible deceptions and practices that have entered our christian churches, are all indications of us living in the VERY LAST days of this age. Please, I ask every one of you to beg God to reveal the exact time in history that we are living in. Beg Him for discernment every day. Repent daily of wrong thoughts and actions. Read the prophets and ask God to give you eyes to see and a heart to understand what you are reading. He will do so. He is faithful to answer all who call upon Him with sincere hearts.

      A hint to understanding the prophets, is that all of the prophets are speaking of the same events. And some of the biblical events have several historical and future full-fillments. Remember that “history doesn’t repeat, but often Rhymes”. An old Hebrew method of writing is called Parallelism/Circular Telling. That is, that the same events are repeated three or more times with certain parts being highlighted or viewed from a different perspective/given more detail with each telling. In the book of Revelation the same events are repeated/told three times, with different sections given more details on each telling. Also, in the book of Revelation, we are given two perspective views: one view is how God sees the events from heaven, and the other view is how John sees the very same events from the earth.

      Briefly in the book of Revelation Chapter 6:1-8 are the first 4 seals of Revelation. These indicate the first 3.5 years of Tribulation.

      Chapter 6:9-11, the 5th Seal, is the Abomination of Desolation- The Great Tribulation begins and represent the final 3.5 years.

      Chapters 6:12-20:3 are THREE retellings of the events of the 6th and 7th seal events. The 7th Seal represents God’s Wrath on Unrepentant Mankind. The 6th seal is the Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture of all who are in Christ both dead and alive at His coming.

      These are the chapters talking about the 6th seal: 6:12-17 and 7:1-17, 11:18-15:12, and 16:18-19:3

      These are the chapters talking about the 7th seal 8:1-11:17, 15:7-16:17, and 19:20-20:3

      Chapters 11:18-19 return to talking about the 6th seal, Chapter16:18-21 returns to talking about the 6th seal.

      I hope this hint helps all of you who are interested in understanding the End Time events. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them from what understandings I do have. I do believe that God is revealing His prophetic events for all who are sincerely asking to understand. As the days get draw closer God will reveal the events with clearer and clearer understanding. Amos 3:7 says “Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets.” The prophets then tell God’s people what God is going to do, so that they are without excuse for understanding and doing/preparing for what is to come in our hearts and in our homes.

      Blessings to all,

      Lily

    2. Good grief people. Stop fretting about the second coming, you’ll know when it happens. Important thing is, are you a disciple of Christ? If you are, no matter the time, you will be a guest at the banquet. In the meantime, stop worrying so much about yourselves and your preparedness. I strive to be prepared for the ultimate question at the last judgement, “what have you done for the least of those among you?” I’m not particularly concerned about myself. But I will indeed need to answer that ultimate question regarding my love for those around me. What have I done for the poor?

  7. Concerning the fifth installment of J.M.’s fine article, “Elements of a Security System” where he says, “The simplest solution would be to add some lighting to cover the areas where your sensors are located. One good option is a solar-powered motion sensing light – you can install these anywhere you can position the solar collector in the sun (the model I linked to comes with a 15’ foot cable),” I believe that it is useful to point out that these solar-powered lights can also be placed in areas where daily solar re-charging is not possible.

    One could simply place the solar-powered light on a detachable mount and remove it and place it in the sun on a daily basis, returning it to its mount as sunset approaches. While some might consider this to be labor intensive, if the threat environment is high enough, no one is likely to be complaining about the chore.

    A solar light usually works on rechargeable NiCad and NiMH batteries, but one could also power a solar light with alkaline and zinc chloride heavy duty batteries. Consider that these lights would see very little use. (Hopefully, there won’t be THAT many intruders!) They would be resting on standby and most of them turn on and turn off within a few seconds, thereby reducing the actual battery drainage. For these lights to remain illuminated for a lengthy period is not particularly useful to a defender. As a fully illuminated target, no intruder is going to remain in the spotlight for long . Every few days, the batteries could be checked if there were concerns about their status. If round the clock security was in place, say, at a retreat, the defender would know whether the lights had been illuminated on the previous night. If not, there would be no particular reason to check them daily because there would be no drainage.

    I have a couple of solar lights here at my home, and I have two more that I will install soon. One thing for sure is that they will not only helpful in alerting me to an intruder, they will also quickly destroy the intruder’s night vision, a very useful quality if that intruder is coming to visit with bad intentions.

    1. Survivorman99: Thanks for the comments on solar lights. I live in the country and it is dark; while we do have a farm light near the front of the house, we use solar powered motion lights on our front and back gates, on the out-buildings and the back of the house facing the barn. I had to remove the motion alarms as the animals kept triggering them but when the lights are triggered our LSG dogs go after the critters.

  8. I have dehydrated using cleaned window screens in unused vehicles. It works quite well although I haven’t done meat that way. I try and keep plenty of jars and canning lids on hand in case I need to go on a canning marathon if we’re unable to keep our freezers running. I have canned butter and cheese. It’s quite possible to do it. But it does store better if you can keep it in a cool place. We currently have a cool cellar. As to canning lids. Forget Wal-Mart s canning lids and stick to the bell/kerr brands. I save them and have reused them on jellies and pickled foods. It’s very easy to see if they have spoiled. In a crisis I would consider reusing them on other foods making sure they were well sealed when opening them. (They make a psst sound when opening if the are well sealed).

  9. Joe Blow
    A cheap dehydrator is a car with the windows up in the summer time, also works as a clothes dryer.

    There is a book called the 4th Turning,(by Strauss and Howe) of which we are now in the middle of. ( the turnings occur about every 80 years) they will result in economic problems or collapse and always end in war. Our first 4th Turning was our revolutionary war(external) 2nd the civil war(internal) the 3rd depression and WW-2(external) the 4th now will be internal whether a hot or a cold civil war is unknown. So be prepared! There are 3 valuable metals, gold, silver and lead, lots of the latter! My guess is if Trump wins in 2020, the collapse and war will be in 2026, if he loses then in 2022 when they try and take firearms away, which also triggered the revolutionary war.

  10. I like JBH’s comment, and I am also an “I-don’t-know”. Scripture clearly says that no man knows the hour, so I think attempts to figure it out are necessarily futile, and indeed a distraction, so beloved of the Devil, from the work God put us here to do. If we take care of His work, God will take care of our souls, so I think we are to be working on good work until the moment He takes us out of here. Of course, planning to care for our families is a part of our good work, but planning an end point is, I think, misguided.

    I lived and raised a family for twenty years with no electricity and no refrigeration. We canned. Canning is sustainable only as long as you have lids that seal. I like best the old wire-clamp-top jars that use thick rubber rings, that can be re-used several times. But not indefinitely, and I have neither rubber trees nor sulphur deposits. Drying is IMO the safest and most sustainable method of of food preservation.

    We now have a capable off-grid solar power system, and a big freezer, the convenience of which we greatly enjoy, but we have no illusions that it is sustainable. We have no freon-well, nor electronic-doohickey trees from which to pick ripe replacement parts for the inverter.

    For real sustainability, you have to think preindustrial peasant farming, diligent seed-saving, a number of livestock for which you can cut hay with a scythe, to provide human food from grass AND fertilizer for the garden. It is surely not the way most people want to live. It is not a way of life you can begin on short notice “when you have to”. But it is the least unreliable and least insecure long-term sustainable independent option.

  11. Animal House,
    I used to suffer from muscle spasms in my legs and arms and hands. I worked construction my whole life. I got this from a Dr.
    Vitamins
    1) Calcium 1500 mg
    2) Magnesium 750 mg
    3) Vitamin E 400-1000 IU
    4) Folic Acid
    5) Potassium 99 mg
    6) Zinc 50
    7 Vitamin C 3000mg
    8) Vitamin D 400 IU
    Take daily until you are not suffering from muscle cramps. then slack off and take a few times a week.
    It works. it was the only things that stopped severe cramping for me.

  12. Staying on the dehydrating and canning. On my most recent Walmart run this morning the flour shelf was bare for about 6′. That was surprising and I’ve been reading about the vegetables. I also bought the last can of our favorite sardines for the stash. Got some more lids and a case of jars for the stock. I am cleaning out old work stuff and checking food dates to make room for whatever else I’ll be bringing in soon. Just received a battery-powered hair trimmer – whee! Any volunteers? I think I could do a fair job in a pinch. I just saw a barter group notice up on the bulletin board at the P.O. I’ll be checking it out and report back. It looks like it’s for all different chores. I’m quite interested in how they peg the value of different services. Now is the time so I’m excited to see how it works. I’m trying to be helpful to those who are struggling because I think our future will be all about relationships and a bit late to say then, hello, I’m your neighbor.
    Dehydrating in a car, especially on the dash is very efficient. Probably a good idea for all of us to try now if we don’t have power someday.

  13. @ Camper,
    I’m operating on the assumption that the 2020 election will be the kick off point for strife. If Trump wins his opponents will freak out and turn violent; if he loses they’ll feel empowered and act out in self-righteous violence. Just my $.02 and if nothing comes of it, I won’t have to grocery shop for a while.

  14. Now, Sis, I appreciate the practicality of this: I have dehydrated using cleaned window screens in unused vehicles. Unused vehicles also make good impromptu greenhouses and wood-drying kilns.

    Carry on

  15. Another busy week during a busy time of year. Dehydrated and froze produce this week. Secured 3 large bags of gluten free baking mix so that I have my daughter covered. I’ll keep one out for use and put the other two into mylar bags.

    Added 5 more reps to my core workout. Slow and steady. Gone are the days of fast and furious in the home gym!

    Today I practiced my HAM skills as support for a lengthy bike race. Doing a good thing and keeping sharp on the radio. Win win!

    Blessings

  16. 5 part article on security was excellent. One point I disagree with on remote alarms. Stated preference is a Normally Open switch that closes when tripped, completing the circuit and triggering the alarm system. A Normally Closed switch that closes when tripped provides an additional benefit, if the wire is broken or some other part fails, it will result in an alarm. If a Normally Open switch system has a part failure, you will not know it unless it is tested.
    From my career in control system design and implementation, Normally Closed is the better of the two methods to use.

  17. In ref. to the tribulation talk, I do not believe according to what I read in God’s Word that the church, the body of Christ with Christ as its head will go thru the trib. Paul tells us that when Jesus is manifest in Glory there will the church His body will be also. All prophecies pertain to Israel and Israel alone. The Church is not a kingdom, a bride, a nation or spiritual Israel. The Church is the Body of Christ with Christ as its head.

  18. Have you considered a root cellar? A little underground, you don’t get frost nor does it get too warm. It isn’t true refrigeration but can keep things cool and that is what they used before.

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