Category: Food Storage & Cooking

Convince Your Loved Ones To Prepare–Even When They’re Kicking and Screaming, by Patriot Chick

Becoming self-sufficient during a financial meltdown is difficult enough, but trying to convince reluctant loved ones to prepare can be doubly frustrating. It’s hard to understand how anyone wouldn’t want to start stockpiling their pantries after watching the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti, and more recently the devastating floods in Pakistan. We all watched the newsreels; millions of homeless and hungry fighting for a spot in breadlines. If that isn’t reason enough, the U.S. continues to be threatened with nuclear attack. Meanwhile, most of us are hanging by a gossamer thread between solvency and financial ruin. We …


My Family Preparing for TEOTWAWKI, by Peter B.

Five years ago I really started watching the economy and the way the whole world was going. I started preparing then. I recently purchased two of JWR’s books. Both are great resources for those who have no idea of how to do things in a back to basic scenario. Being a former Eagle Scout, military man and a current Law Enforcement Officer (LEO), I already have skills to rely on. I never thought that being high tech was good, so I have centered on a low tech plan. “KISS” (keep it simple, stupid) is my motto. The easier the better …


The Second Wave: Survivalist Turned MZBs, by Dave in Florida

For many years I have been working towards self-reliance. I like to use the older term self-reliant simply because I feel “survivalist” doesn’t describe the lifestyle properly. I don’t intend to just “survive” but “thrive” – would that make me a “thrivalist?” Yes, I know that was a bit corny. In all seriousness, let’s assume you are an average Joe living in perilous times. What I have to say is speaking to a revelation I have had over the recent years based on my over confidence and belief that somehow I was different than the average Joe just because I …


Letter Re: Calories and Cross-Country Travel

Traveling in the aftermath of a societal collapse will become more difficult without the use of a motor vehicle, which is why you hopefully live near a water source. It is easy to visualize how after a collapse how one could move around locally. Whether or not what one is planning on doing locally is energy efficient or not, to some degree, will not matter as there is not very much distance that needs to be covered. If however you need to move over long distance how efficient the travel is becomes much more important. Lets look with some detail …


The P6 Preparedness Matrix, by L2L

The P6 Preparedness Matrix (priorities + planning + products + provisions + practices + perspective = preparedness) is at the core of success in life. Each of these aspects are essential if we are to be prepared for what ever may befall us in any area of life; both the normal dailies as well as situations unique or unusual to us including long term survival. Think of a six sided cube. These six aspects frame the P6 Preparedness Matrix and thereby define and appropriately constrain our actions (our preparedness if you will) in any situation. These six aspects, for the …


Letter Re: Survival Tips From a Sarajevo Siege Survivor

Jim: The following is one of those anonymously penned items that keeps getting passed around the Internet. It dates back to the Siege of Sarajevo in the ethnic civil war in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s: Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war – death of parents and friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing, fear, sniper attacks. To prepare… 1. Stockpiling helps, but you never know how long trouble will last, so locate near renewable food sources. 2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden. 3. After awhile, even gold …


How I “Woke Up”, by Lew B.

The biggest reason most of the folks we come across in our daily lives have no idea what is coming (the basic collapse of the American infrastructure) is the fact that they are “still sleeping.”  The iPods, Lady Gaga, American Idol, and You Tube silliness all work well to keep the masses sleeping.  This might be a good thing, in a way.  If nothing else, it buys the rest of us time to continue to prepare.  And if enough people do wake up, it will actually accelerate the inevitable.  But that is okay, since it is going to happen anyway.  …


Planning for Extra Mouths to Feed, by D.V.

As a regular reader of SurvivalBlog, I have found a fountain of information to be gleaned from the many great writings posted on here and wanted to quickly say thank you to all those who write in with their thoughts and experiences.  What I wanted to share was something that I experienced recently.  I found in all my prepping and plans something I had not realistically considered.  I have considered the possibility of many scenarios for a long time but I think it has been in just the past few years that I have felt that things are rather precarious.   …


Lessons from Eastern Siberia, by S.P.

Lessons from Eastern Siberia, by S.P. When I was 18, I spent six weeks in the Sakha Republic (or Yakutia) of Siberia. It is roughly three times the size of Alaska yet has a population of less than 1 million. With the Arctic Circle bordering the north of the Sakha Republic and the Lena River winding its way through it is a largely rural population of self sufficient farmers, fishermen, and reindeer herders. My time there was spent living in a soviet era apartment in either Yakutsk (its capital) or Moxogolloch (a small port town along the Lena River) or …


Two Letters Re: Food for Long-Term Survival

Hi Jim, Sheila’s article [“Food for Long-Term Survival”] contains a lot of good information, but seems to me to take the safety consideration of canning low acidic foods a little lightly. I’ve been canning for more than 30 years and even if you follow all of the rules, you occasionally get a bad jar of food. Low acid food, which include most vegetables, and all meats must be either pressure canned, or have their pH lowered (made more acid) below 4.6 by adding an acid like vinegar or citric acid. I’ve had good luck using a boiling water bath with …


Food for Long-Term Survival, by Sheila C.

Many food strategies have been discussed in preparation for a TEOTWAWKI scenario: beans, rice, MREs, coupon-based purchases and heirloom vegetable seeds, just to name a few. However, there are certain limitations to a food-storage-only strategy. MREs, for instance, are quite expensive and only provide one meal at a time. They would be great for an emergency G.O.O.D. situation, but not long-term sustainable when you are packing everything you have in the world on your back. And beans and rice are wonderful staple foods, but what do you do when you run out of them… or worst case scenario happens and …


Temperate Climate Famine, by William V.

There has only been one famine in the last twenty years in a country with a temperate climate that is similar to the northern part of the United States.  That country was North Korea.  Many of the observations offered below are taken from the book Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick, a very gifted reporter. Most of us think of North Korea as a poor, underdeveloped country controlled by a dictator that lags far behind its South Korean neighbor economically.  However, until about 1980, North Korea had a higher GDP than South Korea.  It has …


Budgeting for Family Preparedness, by Allen C.

Having been a wilderness survival and firearms instructor for many years, I never considered the need for a survival retreat until I got married and moved from the country to a small city of about 30,000.  My minimalist lifestyle had allowed me a certain level of financial freedom.  Driving used cars and fixing up a home that had been previously condemned meant I had not made a car payment or house payment in years.  I spent summers running a high adventure camp for the Boy Scouts of America and worked for city the rest of the year as a firefighter …


Practical and Affordable Prepping, by Steve G.

The purpose of this submission is to establish that we all have real lives to lead while we remain vigilant about all possibilities, most of which others choose to pretend away.  Money is not unlimited, and we have families and a life to lead.   These things should not be sacrificed or squandered  because we’re too captivated by a single, or favorite, survival scenario.  We need to be building happy lives and memories with our families, children, and their children, even as we remain ready for what we hope won’t happen, and may not happen. The rank and file among us …


Letter Re: Wheat Germ: Forgotten Super Food for GOOD and Long-Term Storage

Dear Editor, I am writing because I am also a beloved fan of wheat germ. Kitchen Maven already mentioned the longevity of such a food, but also the cost. I would suggest buying in bulk online. Sites like http://www.bulkfoods.com/ sell massive quantities of…well…bulk foods. A prepper can stock up on large portions of wheat germ. And for thirty-two dollars you can get twenty-five pounds of the good stuff. That translates out to a hair over 8.5 cents per serving. Sure beats out the seventy cent servings you can get from the store. The one and five pound bags are packed …