Two Letters Re: Urban Trash

Hugh, This article is a good start to a problem solving dilemma. It definitely requires a mindset change, but that’s achievable for everyone. The best book I ever read, back in the late 80s, on this subject is Re/Uses: 2133 Ways to Recycle and Reuse the Things You Ordinarily Throw Away by Carolyn Jabs, published in 1985. – T.S. o o o Hugh, When I have plenty of scraps, I do just as the author suggests (and as Julia Child had suggested in her book!) and make soup stock with them, canning them for later use. It makes for wonderful, …


Urban Trash: Why and How to Minimize Your Garbage- Part 2, by K.S.

3. Compost/Animal Food Technically you could differentiate between these two, as some items that you can compost you shouldn’t feed to certain animals. So scrounge two plastic buckets of a size you’ll actually use, carry, and empty, and make sure they have well-sealing lids since you’ll probably keep these in the kitchen. Then, label one Compost and the other Chicken Food (or whatever). Keep them under the sink or somewhere where you’ll actually use them. I’ve heard that compost “rules” have changed and you might be able to compost meat and dairy products now. I probably wouldn’t feed old meat …


Letter Re: Two Things Old-Timers Knew, That You Must Know About Wound Care

There are two things old timers knew that you must know about wound care, if the patient is outside. The wounds of a person or animal all will be affected greatly be these two things. If you are not able to see a doctor or get to an air-conditioned facility, such as a hospital, these two things could save your life. You need to know them. Two days ago my daughter was riding her beloved pony and our cows were a bit scared by the dog who was faithfully looking out for our daughter. She usually doesn’t ride near the …


Urban Trash: Why and How to Minimize Your Garbage- Part 1, by KS

“Political upheaval. Threats of nuclear war. Violent protests. Imminent economic collapse. And you think it’s important to talk about sorting my trash? Let’s get real. I’ve got bigger things to deal with, and I don’t have time to go all eco-friendly here.” Sound familiar? Sound like… you, maybe? I get it. I really do. Why spend time doing hippy-dippy stuff, like reducing, reusing, and recycling when you could be going to the range, running tactical drills, deep-stocking your pantry, or armoring your BOV? Well, you need money for ammo, armor, food supplies, firearms, and medical gear, right? And unless you’re …


Letter: Check Yourself for Readiness

Readers, Are you prepared to handle BIG change? What if China invades the U.S. tomorrow, or Russia drops a nuke on NYC, or global warming causes the U.S. to become the poorest country in the world, or really any other life changing event occurs? Have you thought about what you will do differently? Many people gear up for that catastrophe by storing gear and food in the basement and buying weapons. While that is important, it is not nearly enough. Nothing will make you invincible, but as Curly said, “The One Thing” is your attitude. I own and run a …


Recipe of the Week: Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 (1lb) cans of tomatoes, cut up 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce 1 (12oz) can tomato paste 1 cup beef bouillon 2 tbs minced parsley 1 tbs brown sugar 1 tsp dried oregano leaves 1 tsp dired basil leaves 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper Directions: In a large skillet or slow-cooking pot with a browning unit, crumble the meat with onion and garlic. Break up pieces of meat with fork and cook until it loses its red color, then drain off excess fat. In a …


Letter Re: Taurus Judge

Pat, Hello. I just read your info about the problem with Taurus Model 85 and have a quick note about a Judge I bought from a nice dealer. I tried shooting it several times, and it worked well with no failures. I disassembled the firearm safely, then had it color-coated by a finisher. I did the disassembly and apparently lost a small spring, and when I reassembled it I didn’t find it. I then contacted Taurus and sent the firearm to them. I received a call from a service tech that the coating had to be removed, and they returned …


Letter Re: So Tell Me Again…

HJL, The writer stated that he doesn’t typically blanch so that he doesn’t destroy the enzymes. However, acid in the stomach will do the same thing as blanching. So it really doesn’t matter whether he does or not, at least as far as “destroying” the enzymes. If he eats the food, the enzymes will naturally break down as the second step of digestion. An enzyme is simply a type of protein, a molecule that is too big for our bodies to absorb intact. (An very simplistic example: Insulin is an enzyme. If eaten, it will break down and not be …


The Times They Are A Changin’ , by ShepherdFarmerGeek

Last night, the Dogs of Doom and I were out for our after-dinner hike when we heard what sounded like voices. But it was coming from the treetops, and soon a crow flew into sight, pursued by an angry sparrow. The crow was smarter, stronger, faster, and much bigger than the little bird, but he was being driven away because the sparrow was out-maneuvering it. I knew exactly how that crow felt! Nine hours earlier I had been the only customer at the local copy shop, and the owner was helping me find some colored paper, when this sour-looking elderly …


Letter: Remote Versus Truly Remote Rural Retreats

Dear Editor:I’ve been reading SurvivalBlog for a few weeks now, and while I admit that isn’t remotely enough time to wade through all the data present, I’m an old school (former) U.S. Marine that has long had a survialist mindset; I see one particular issue that jumps out at me. The standard advice, for looking for a bugout location or retreat, whether inside or outside of the ‘Redoubt’ seems to be this… 1) Find a plot of 20 acres or more that is, (2) off the beaten path BUT (3) has a well established road access, (4) with a good …


“So Tell Me Again…”- Part 4, by M.D.

Test Batches Whatever you decide to begin with or whenever you switch to a new item, do a small test batch first. This is a bigger deal than you might think, for a number of reasons. Let me give you a couple of personal examples where I did this step right and where I ran amuck. I have been dehydrating for years now and recently decided to add bananas to my repertoire, even though I don’t eat a lot of them; you know the think when the grid’s down and there is the need for potassium. Bananas should be pretty …


Letter Re: Christian Healthcare Ministries

Hugh, Please be aware that if you must cancel membership that all claims must have been paid out first. They say that it takes 60 to 90 days to pay. If membership is canceled prior to payout, they do not pay. I was left with a $1200 bill when I canceled membership. There is one obscure sentence in their booklet that supports them not paying. – M.N.


“So Tell Me Again…”- Part 3, by M.P.

What Dehydrated Foods Can Be Stored in a Single Half-Gallon Jar Below I’ve listed some of the quantities of dehydrated foods you can expect to store in a single half-gallon jar. Some may really surprise you, as it did me. Also, I don’t use Mylar for any dehydrated items, because I want to extract the most air possible for the longest shelf-life. With only a couple of exceptions, I use one-half gallon jars exclusively. So here we go: Mixed Veggies— Frozen from the store, 10 lbs. That’s ten packages of the old 16-ounce bags! Carrots— Frozen from the store or …


Letter Re: Christian Health Care

JWR: I am not a spokesman for any health care provider, but I have had experience with one! Regarding the postings on Christian Health Care sharing programs, I have to weigh in. My wife is a member of the Christian Health Care Ministries program and has been for about three years. She selected a mid-level program and we just bite the bullet and make the monthly payments without fail, as hard as it sometimes is. Living in the Pacific Northwest/American Redoubt, we were not sure of available providers that would accept CHM, but we were in for a surprise! About …


“So Tell Me Again…”- Part 2, by M.P.

After a year-and-a-half using the mason jars and oxygen absorbers I did another test. In every category it was like I had dehydrated yesterday. The food had good flavor, nice texture, and little to no recognizable difference between fresh, so the system was clearly working. Take-away #4. Another valuable lesson was in the rehydrating process. I found that none of the typical recommendations of two, three, or four hours soaking was sufficient to bring vegetables back up to full hydration. Twelve to twenty–four hours gave an almost undetectable difference to their original state. Broccoli oddly enough took the longest, coming …