Letter Re: Demographic Shifts in The American Redoubt

Hello Mr. Rawles:
I noticed in your answer about demographic changes in the “American Redoubt,” you only dealt with political notions. The question, as I read it, asked about immigration and the American Redoubt and the demographic changes as a result of that. Can you talk about some other issues? Thanks for your blog. – A Virginia RN

JWR Replies: I’ll be happy to address the demographics in more broad terms. My apologies for only addressing political aspects in my initial reply.

Religion: The religious demographics of the American Redoubt generally parallel the rest of the nation (with an overall decline in regular church attendance, a shift toward neo-evangelicalism and toward charismatic churches, and a decline in Catholicism.) One noteworthy exception is southern Idaho, which has a higher percentage of LDS Church members. There are generally more Catholics than Baptists in the Redoubt. Small congregations and home churches (or “house churches“) seem to be on the upswing throughout the Redoubt. Although the Jewish population is relatively small, the Messianic congregations seem to be rapidly growing in popularity in the Inland Northwest. Another difference is the absence of Islam. The advent of Moslem mosques appears to be a mostly coastal phenomenon, leaving the Redoubt virtually untouched.

Population Density: As mentioned many times in SurvivalBlog, the entire American Redoubt has one of the lowest population densities of the 48 Conterminous States (CONUS.) Newly-arrived easterners are amazed at the very light vehicular traffic and the almost open “frontier” feel of the Redoubt states. But the population is generally rising faster than much of the country, especially the decaying big cities, which are depopulating.

Age: Just like the rest of the country, the population is aging in the Redoubt, but the median age is lower then the national average. The exceptional areas are those with a higher percentage of Amish, Hutterite, Mennonite, Catholic and LDS Church members, since they all tend toward large families.

Procreation: The percentage of homosexuals is quite low, and not encouraged. The teen birth rate is low. The number of unmarried couples living in sin is about average for the United States. (The Bible Belt has a much more admirable rate.)

Crime Rates: The violent crime rate is very low except for in a few counties in Eastern Washington. The murder rate is quite low. The number of terrorist acts and groups is very low. Open carry of guns is generally legal and commonplace.

Immigration and Ethnicity: Foreign immigration has impacted the Redoubt far less than the rest of the country. The American Indian population is relatively high, of course especially in the Reservations. The White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) population and culture still predominates. The only significant inroads of Mexican in- migration (some legal, some illegal) are in southern Idaho and southeastern Washington (primarily the Tri-Cities.) But the general impression that newcomers get when they arrive here is: “Gosh! Where are all of the immigrants and minorities?” Their profound absence seems almost shocking to folks who are accustomed to the more ethnically diverse and heavily populous coastal states. (One of my new neighbors who was originally from the Midwest attended a local high school basketball game for the first time, and was amazed how overwhelmingly “WASPy” both the team and the attending fans were. He said that “it felt like going to a Lutheran picnic.” FWIW, I personally consider race a non-issue and in fact a specious issue. (There is only one race: the human race and God’s Elect come in all skin colors.) In my experience, people who move to the Redoubt are judged by their politics, their religious persuasion, and whether or not they are hunters far more than they are for their skin pigmentation.

Wealth and Taxation: Variation of wealth is quite pronounced in the Redoubt. Wages are generally lower than most of the nation, yet the per capita number of millionaires is high, particularly in southern Idaho and Wyoming. (Just a few people have made lot of money, mostly in farming, ranching, mining, and petroleum drilling.) Generally people live closer to the land in the Redoubt that they do on the coasts. The norm is to hunt deer, have a large garden and to cut your own firewood. Barter is commonplace. Sales taxes are low or non-existent. Likewise, state income taxes are moderate to non-existent.

News From The American Redoubt:

Despite the recent buying frenzy, Freedom Arms (in Freedom, Wyoming) has been able to keep pace. They make some big stainless steel revolvers that are capable bear stoppers.

   o o o

Idaho’s growth slows, but the shift from rural to urban areas continues. (Thanks to R.B.S. for the link.)

   o o o

Mountain States Ammo (in Missoula, Montana) has been logging huge sales, but has managed to keep some ammo in stock.

   o o o

After a huge run of sales that depleted their inventory, Lone Wolf (in Priest River, Idaho) now has many Glock magazines and magazine extensions back in stock.

   o o o

Montana Rifle Company (in Kalispell, Montana) is looking for three experienced gunsmiths.

   o o o

Idaho Supports Fourth Amendment, Enacts Drone Restrictions.

Economics and Investing:

Switzerland Revises 1934 Banking- Act to Allow Bail In Deposit Confiscations

Getting physical: Refiners Can’t Keep Up With Massive Global Gold Demand. (Thanks to Jim W. for the link.)

Gold Price Attack First US Response In Currency War Escalation

Items from The Economatrix:

For Every Job Opening, There Are Three Unemployed Americans

Explaining The Disappointing Jobs Report

Maguire — LBMA Default Triggered Gold & Silver Takedown

Odds ‘n Sods:

Attention Carolinians: Spring 2013 North Carolina PATCON and 2nd Amendment Rally: Thursday May 2nd to Monday May 6th

   o o o

The 40th Annual East Coast Rally will be held May 9, 10, & 11, 2013 at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland. This is an annual all-weather militaria flea market, held at the Ripken Stadium Complex parking lot, with 650+ vendor spaces. The event features vehicles, tents, militaria, insignia, collectibles, knives, bayonets, gun parts, electronics, surplus, uniforms, BDUs, models, parts, books, et cetera. (Thanks to F.G. for the link.)

   o o o

Kevin Reeve of onPoint Tactical describes: How to be Safe in Crowds

   o o o

New Jersey gun laws may get even worse: Chris Christie Unveils Sweeping Gun Control Plans

   o o o

Gun maker Mossberg mulls exit over Conn. governor’s ‘slanderous’ remarks

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.” – Thomas Jefferson

Note from JWR:

I learned about the planned Internet Blackout for today at the 11th Hour, after I had already assembled and edited all of the posts. So instead of blacking out my blog site, I’m merely delaying posting a feature article that I had written. I have also specially selected a quote of the day. Granted, these are just token protests, but I believe that the CISPA Bill is bad legislation, and that it should be stopped. The bill is on its way to the Senate, so please add it to your list of topics for the next time that you contact your U.S. Senators. (Also of concern: The pending immigration bill, taxation of Internet sales (S. 743), any further gun legislation and the collectivist Common Core school curriculum.)

Pat’s Product Review: Speedy Sharp

1

I’ve been around knives since I was about five years old. For a time, I collected custom made knives, but that “hobby” got too expensive for me. For close to 20 years I was the West Coast Field Editor for Knives Illustrated magazine. I believe I wrote for them longer than anyone else did. During that time, I wrote numerous magazine articles, and had at least a thousand different knife samples pass through my hands. When I first started writing about knives, there were a lot of knives that came across my desk that weren’t very sharp – I’m glad to report, that isn’t the case any longer. If a knife company wants to sell their knives today – even cheaply made knives – they had better have a useable edge on there.
 
It has never ceased to amaze me, the number of people who are afraid – yes – afraid of a sharp knife. They are ill-informed, in believing that a sharp knife is more dangerous than a dull knife is. A dull knife means you have to apply more pressure  to do the cutting for you – and if you happen to slip, while applying more pressure, you can seriously injure yourself. A sharp knife is a much safer knife – it takes less effort and pressure to cut something, so there is less chance of you slipping an injuring yourself. But try to convince a lot of people of this, and you’d might as well talk to the wall.
 
I have never claimed any sort of magical skill when it comes to re-sharpening a knife, it takes a little work and some skill to put a razor-sharp edge on a knife, especially one that you allowed to get too dull in the first place. I’ve always found it easier to just touch-up a knife blade when it first starts to show signs of getting dull, instead of waiting until the edge is really dull – which means a lot more work to get that fine edge restored on a knife. Over the years, I have experimented with just about every type of knife sharpener out there – some are mere gimmicks, while others can put a decent edge on a blade, and some others can put a really sharp edge on a knife. Still, they all require some skill and effort – and time!
 
I carry a small sharpening stone in my military butt pack, as well as one in my main BOB. I don’t want to have to make a feeble attempt at sharpening a dull knife on a river stone. Let me tell you about Speedy Sharp. They have one of the best and quickest little knife and tool sharpeners I’ve run across in a long, long time. What we have with the Speedy Sharp is a small, flat-ish sharpener, that is made out of Micro 100 Super Carbide that never wears out – and it is only a couple inches long. Yes, you read that right – this sharpener will never wear out on you. The sharpener is housed in a plastic handle, with the sharpener end exposed, and it comes with a cap to cover the sharpener end – because it is so blasted good at doing it’s job of “cutting” steel, you don’t want it cutting through your pockets or pack. Check out their web site for photos – that illustrate the Speedy Sharp easier than I can describe it.
 
Speedy Sharp has been in business since 1994, and last year alone, sold over 160,000 Speedy Sharps. They also come in different handle colors – 7 different colors to be exact, and you can use them as a promotional item for your business – they will emboss the name of your business on the handle of the Speedy Sharp.
 
Needless to say, the Speedy Sharp is useful for sharpening knives. However, you can also sharpen axes, lawn mower blades, hatchets, scissors and anything else that you can possibly think of that takes an edge to make it a cutting tool. Heck, you can even re-sharpen a razor blade if you had a mind too.
 
I keep all my using knives sharp all the time, so I was looking for a knife to put a good edge on. I remembered I received some free knives in an order I placed from some company, and they are cheaply made knives, that did not come with any sort of an edge – you might be able to cut soft butter with one – that’s how dull they came right out of the package. I took a Speedy Sharp out of the package, read the instructions on how to use it and I set about trying to put an edge on a cheap knife. (BTW, and you can even find them being used on You Tube sharpening different things.)
 
Okay, Speedy Sharp lives up to it’s name – it is probably the fastest knife sharpener I’ve every used – it took a little bit of practice to get the angle just right, but in no time at all, I had a hair-popping edge on several cheap imported knives, that didn’t have an edge to start with. I then tackled a small hatchet that I’ve used around the homestead, that had gotten dull – and it no time at all again, I had a very sharp edge on the hatchet – you don’t want a hair-popping edge on a hatchet – just a working edge – a thin edge will quickly dull and you don’t want that on an axe or hatchet.
 
So what we have here, is a product that is called Speedy Sharp – and that is also the name of the company – and their product lives up to their claim and their name – it is a neat little sharpener that you can carry in your pocket, your BOB, fishing tackle box or any place, and in no time at all, you can put a razor’s edge on a knife, and the product will never wear out. I will be replacing my sharpening stones in my butt pack and my BOB and putting Speedy Sharp sharpeners in these packs. During a SHTF scenario, you want the very best products you can get – products that won’t fail you – and a product that is priced right, too.
 
Now, for the good news, the Speedy Sharp sharpeners retail for only $9.95 and if you purchase more, you get a lower price – check out the web site for complete information and pricing. I was totally blown-away by the speed in which I could sharpen knives, knives that didn’t come with an edge to start with. And, if you’ve ever tried to re-sharpen an axe or hatchet, you will really appreciate the Speedy Sharp. When things you bad, really bad, and you can’t resupply – you want products that will last and last – the Speedy Sharp is just such a product.
 
I could go on and on about the merits of the Speedy Sharp, but I don’t want to bore SurvivalBlog readers, by telling you about all the edge tools that I used the Speedy Sharp on – the darn product does exactly as advertised, and at a price that is below what you would expect for a tool that will last forever. If you are serious about keeping a keen edge on all your knives and tools, you need to get several Speedy Sharp sharpeners – they make wonderful gifts for everyone – and under ten bucks each – that’s one of the best bargains going in my book. I have several, and plan on getting several more for my family for their BOB and packs. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: A Privacy Lesson From the Boston Bombing Investigation

Jim.
I learned something from the recent Boston terrorist incident….though it passed very quickly in a reporter’s interview – and even though the reporter was interrupted and didn’t get to finish her thought.

In regards to one of the bombers, the reporter said something like  “We can tell from the contents of his “Wish List” online, that he”  ……..(not exact quote).

so…

I was aware that Amazon.com had a “Wish List” that shoppers can create.  I had NOT been aware that you can search for anyone’s “Wish Lists”, but you can.

So everybody needs to know that any Wish List they have at these online sites which can be accessed by others, CAN BE ACCESSED BY JOURNALISTS OR POLCE INVESTIGATORS, simply by searching for a name or an e-mail address.

MORAL OF THE STORY:  If you don’t want others to know your preferences, then don’t leave anything on your Wish Lists .- O.H.

JWR Replies: Reader Papa in Mississippi mentioned: “Wish List settings can be changed to ‘Public’ (anyone can see), ‘Shared’ (invited people can see), or ‘Private’ (only you can see – which sorta defeats the purpose of a wish list.) The default is ‘Public’ which the vast majority of people probably never think to adjust.”

Letter Re: A New Pandemic Threat On the Horizon: H7N9

Dear Editor,
I am an emergency physician practicing in Southern Californistan. I share TXNurse’s concern about influenza in general, and especially new variants of Avian Influenza, like H7N9.   Her information is current and valuable.  I would urge standard OPSEC on this information if you are a nurse or physician or other health worker.

Many of my colleagues pooh-pooh my concerns about Influenza.  They just don’t believe it.  And these are educated physicians!  Given many of them are liberal and believe FEMA will protect them and all that, but even so you would expect a nod from other physicians about the threat, given the history of the Great Pandemic of 1916-1918.   

Our family knows the value of OPSEC.  We just don’t discuss our preparations, especially as to Influenza.  My wife, a Nurse by the way, and I already monitor world influenza cases, and have email alerts regarding influenza.  

One thing we have done that others may find helpful is to have pre-determined sentinel events for keeping our children home from school and implementing quarantine.  Our quarantine triggers involve cases in adjoining states, a pattern of progressive number of cases, and so on.  Our triggers may not fit yours, so research the data as to your local situation and prayerfully make a decision.

One more note regarding OPSEC.  Two months ago our doorbell rang about 9PM.  Odd.  While I went to the door, our son stood by at the ready.  It was a previous ER patient who wanted me to loan him money for rent.  I expressed my concern, but told him I couldn’t loan him money and suggested some alternatives.  I don’t know how he made my address, but nowadays your address is all over the Web.   This rattled me, and I told one of my few Prepper ER doc friends about it.  He reminded me to drive home by different routes when I get off shift.  

FWIW, I am not an epidemiologist.  I’m just an ER Doc.  – Doc C.J.

Recipe of the Week:

Wayne B.’s Homemade Ranch Dressing

Dry Ranch Mix
1/2 cup instant minced onion
1/4 cup onion salt
1/4 cup garlic salt
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 cups dry parsley flakes
2 tablespoons dry dill weed

Measure first five ingredients, minced onion, onion salt, garlic salt, onion powder and garlic powder, into a blender or food processor and blend until combined. Stir in parsley and dill. Store and keep mix dry. A Mason jar or freezer bag work well. Label and include instructions for dressing or dip. Label it. You think you will remember, but you won’t.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
1 cup plain yogurt (or mayonnaise)
1 cup of buttermilk
juice of ½ lemon
2 Tablespoons Dry Ranch Mix

Combine 2 Tablespoons dry mix, one cup plain Greek yogurt, lemon and one cup buttermilk. Allow flavors to blend for at least an hour in the fridge before using.

Chef’s Notes:

If you use only plain yogurt, the whole jar of dressing is just 200 calories.

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

Dressings and Vinaigrettes

Olive Oil Dressings

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? Please send it via e-mail. Thanks!

Odds ‘n Sods:

I fail to see how the capture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a great victory for law enforcement. That fact is that he was captured outside of their much-vaunted perimeter, and he wasn’t ferreted out by The Donut Eaters. Rather, some blood stains were found on a shrink-wrapped boat by its owner, and he summoned the police. These was a failure of law enforcement of epic proportions. Furthermore, kicking in doors on several streets in Watertown, Massachusetts without benefit of search warrants didn’t exactly make make friends and influence people. It was more like a dress rehearsal for martial law. Next came a parade of self-congratulation for the Boys in Black that was vaguely sickening. And to add insult to our collective injury, we are told that a witness who could have been in on the plot is about to be conveniently deported.

   o o o

Tim J. sent: Swimming car collectors enjoy unique rides. OBTW, the Mt. Dora/Tavares region in Florida is one of the locales in my upcoming novel titled Expatriates. It should be released by E.P. Dutton in October, 2013. It is now available for pre-order, but please wait until the Book Bomb Day to order your copies. That way you’ll get it at the lowest possible price. Thanks!

   o o o

I’ve had several readers forward me this: North Korean EMP Attack ‘Unstoppable.’ No, not any time in the near future! To produce high field strength EMP that could blanket the US would require a high yield FUSION (hydrogen) bomb–not a fission bomb detonated in space. To date, North Korea has thusfar developed only fission bombs.  They are probably 10+ years away from full hydrogen bomb technology, and perhaps as long as 20 years away from having compact hydrogen bombs. (That is, one that would fit in a long range missile payload.) Their latest-generation bombs are estimated to weigh around 2,000 pounds–and that is after a slight fusion boost, to reduce their weight. So, lacking high yield hydrogen bombs and a way to put them up in space, they would be limited to localized EMP–perhaps an 80 mile radius.

   o o o

And How Many Bullets Do You Need?

   o o o

A great first-hand account, from Mexico: Real Life Perspective: How To Survive When Danger Is Right Outside Of Your Front Door

   o o o

How did your senator vote? Manchin-Toomey Amendment No.715 to S.649 Roll Call Vote

Notes from JWR:

This year April 21st is Aggie Muster Day, for all Texas A&M Corps of Cadets graduates. Aggie Muster celebrations and meetings are held as far away as Japan, Germany, and Afghanistan. I should mention that my maternal grandfather (U.S. Army Cavalry Corps) was an Aggie–something mentioned so often that everyone in our family also felt like de facto Aggies. Other than the officers that matriculate though West Point, the three institutions that seem to have the greatest ongoing esprit de corps for their graduates are Texas A&M, The Citadel, and VMI. I felt almost obliged to include an Aggie character in my novels Survivors and Founders, even though my connection to Texas A&M is two generations removed.

—

Speaking of Texas, today is also the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto.

—

Today we present another entry for Round 46 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com. The current value of this roll is at least $225.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300 and 10 TAPCO polymer magazines (5 AR and 5 AK) courtesy of Armageddon Armory, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value. E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 46 ends on May 31st so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

A Military Wife’s Perspective on Preparedness, by Laura M.

I take a different approach, but one that may prove useful for other ladies. My husband is military, so that would make me the military spouse. However, I can tell you from experience that there SHOULD be a survival guide to being a military spouse. Now, I don’t plan on making this some betty home maker guide; Because in my opinion there is so many other survival aspects that us ladies should be aware of when our husbands are away. Unfortunately, we are not aware of these survival tactics until some misfortune is staring us in the face and we are left to handle it by ourselves.

First off ladies, you should ALWAYS make sure you have a survival travel pack in your vehicle. (Mind you it doesn’t need to be a pack so to speak, just a tidy area with survival things handy.) In this “pack” there should be jumper cables, fluids for your car, a jug of water, road flares, a jack, tire rod, first aid kit, fix a flat, MREs (or some sort of compact food, protein bars are nice to.) A knife/and or multi tool, a fire starter (rather it be a good name brand lighter, matches, or an actual fire starter), tinder shavings, rope, extra set of clothes and shoes, and an emergency radio/flashlight (I, personally have a 2-in-1) with extra batteries. I also HIGHLY recommend a book called,“SAS Survival Guide Handbook”, They sell this in a pocket size version which you can easily put in that survival pack. This book not only shows you what plants to eat, but which one too not eat. It has great first aid advice, talks of poisonous animals, insects,etc….it truly is an all-around lifesaving book. (You can purchase it on Amazon for about $8.)

Since, I am on the subject of jacks and tire rods; one should become familiar with how to use these tools. (Have your husband show you before he leaves and YouTube is great as well.) You should also know how to change your own oil/fluids, jump your battery, and you should become familiar with your engine. I recommend a short mechanical course on the weekends, or again YouTube can be useful or Google. When packing MREs or food related items, keep track of your expiration dates, and make sure there is enough for each person (in my case I have two children.) The same goes for the water. I keep bottled water in my car; The jug of water is good in case your vehicle over heats or you just need extra water.  When it comes to the knife, learn how to sharpen your knife and learn its different uses. (Same with the multi-tool.) Also, make sure to Google and/or YouTube ropes and knots…it may make a real difference on day. For the clothes/shoes make sure you change them out with the season. If its winter you will need good insulated boots and wool socks, gloves, hat and long johns. (Remember Wool is the better choice as cotton will keep you cold and wet.)

Since I have mentioned water, I want to take a minute to go over some important factors on water. We all know its vitally important, more so than food. If you ever get in a situation where you are out of water and need to find more water then follow some of this advice. First off, NEVER, drink unsterilized water. If you are prepared for an emergency (such as your survival pack in the car.) you should have your jug that had your water, tinder shavings and fire starter. You can collect the water and boil it before you drink it. Un-boiled water can have dangerous pathogens in it. If you are in a cold climate and think you’re going to eat snow…DON’T! Eating snow can bring down your core body temperature. Again, you can boil the snow down to water…kills pathogens and in turn heats up the water. If this sounds like too much work you can buy filtrated straws that will filter the water your ingesting.(Make sure to buy one for each person or even two for each person, as the straws only filter about 20 gallons of water and you never know how long it will take to get rescued.)

And with water is food. Now, I will touch base with you on food preservation and proper storage. Canning food is a rather simple task and it can not only be useful, but even lifesaving in case of an emergency.  I will start by informing you of the importance of proper canning, to help prevent illness due to improper storage. Fresh foods, like those out of your garden, consist of a high percentage of water.
The high percentage of water in most fresh foods makes them VERY perishable. They spoil or lose their quality for several reasons:

  • growth of undesirable microorganisms-bacteria, molds, and yeasts,
  • activity of food enzymes,
  • reactions with oxygen,
  • Moisture loss.

Microorganisms live and multiply quickly on the surfaces of fresh food and on the inside of bruised, insect-damaged, and diseased food. Oxygen and enzymes are present throughout fresh food tissues.
Proper canning practices include:

  • carefully selecting and washing fresh food,
  • peeling some fresh foods,
  • hot packing many foods,
  • adding acids (lemon juice or vinegar) to some foods,
  • using acceptable jars and self-sealing lids,
  • Processing jars in a boiling-water or pressure canner for the correct period of time.

Collectively, these practices remove oxygen; destroy enzymes; prevent the growth of undesirable bacteria, yeasts, and molds; and help form a high vacuum in jars. You can purchase a good vacuum for roughly $100-$200 to make sure a tight seal forms, which will keep liquid in and air and microorganisms out.
The “canning” world is full of excitement, and great potential in all aspects of daily living. I would HIGHLY suggest one par take in this living experience; And even pass it on to children and grandchildren.  Its can save money, and is can be a healthy way of eating.

Another, more far out idea is if your stranded outside, one can eat off the land (plants, insects, Etc.). (Remember that awesome book; I said to buy off Amazon? “SAS Survival Handbook”…yes that $8 book MIGHT help save your life.)

I would also like to touch on the importance of taking a defensive driving course. Being military you never know where you will be and each place has different climates (I went from Florida to Alaska, and learning to drive on ice has been a challenge)

Next, I want to talk with you about protection. When our husbands are home, we rely on them to protect the home front. However, when they are way it is OUR job to protect and defend our home front.  I want to advise you to take a shooting class. Research guns, their specific uses (as each gun has a different use/specs) then take a safety course and learn how to properly defend yourself, family and home.  I would also recommend getting a carry permit if your state allows it. Again research the gun, and your state laws. If you do not like guns, learn to self-defend with a knife or even take a self-defense course.

I also want to stress the importance of Always being familiar with your surroundings. It is one of the most lifesaving things a person can do. Research your surroundings, take trips and learn it like the back of your hand.  When or if you work, learn to take different ways home. You never know if you have a stalker and this way you keep people guessing which way you might go.  This also comes into play within your home. If a stranger is to break into your home…DO NOT, I REPEAT…DO NOT go an try to find the intruder…remain calm, and quiet. You know your home better than they do. Lay low and wait for them to come to you and then take action.

As for more home front survival; learn and familiarize yourself with the more laid back task such as: power tools, fire extinguishers, and your breaker box.  If a fire breaks out, you need to have an escape plan and know how to use that fire extinguisher. If you need to fix something you will need to learn how to properly and safely use the power tools. The breaker box is great to be familiar with as you never know when you might trip a breaker.

I know this is not your everyday…stuck out in the wild survival things. However, Ever since my husband has joined the Military, I have come across a lot of women who truly have no idea what to do in case of an emergency or they depend on others to save them.  Even if I only reach out to one person, maybe that one person will survive, become stronger and pass along this vital information to another.  I hope you all have enjoyed my brief ideas and knowledge and happy, safe living to you all.