Notes from HJL:

There are a number of things about the Fed’s handling of the events in Nevada that are absolutely repugnant. First and foremost among them is the idea that in the middle of the desert, they feel they can put up a few fenced off areas for the people to express their First Amendment rights. The BLM thugs would do well to remember that there is already a First Amendment area in place– it’s called the United States of America!

In today’s video, you will see unarmed citizens protesting the actions and movements of the BLM. You will also see the BLM use uncalled for force in an attempt to disperse the lawfully-assembled people. Protesting government action is a right of Americans, and it appears that the BLM was the first to escalate the conflict to the use of non-lethal force. How much longer before some hot-head gets an itchy trigger finger?

The BLM law enforcement cannot expect the protection of the law if they are only operating under the color of the law. They must respect the constitutional rights of those assembled against them.

JWR suspects that law enforcement officers will attempt to shut down the cell phone coverage in the area in an attempt to hide their actions.

o o o

Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P .),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepperis providing a $500 gift certificate.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208.

Round 52 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.

Survivalist or Prepper, First and Foremost It Is a State of Mind, by SCL

This is my first time to submit anything to a blog. Since I found survivalblog.com about a year ago, I have become a daily reader. In my opinion, it is the most worthwhile site on the Internet. I do browse a lot of the other sites but not on a daily basis. I have considered myself a survivalist since I was a teenager, some 40 years now. I grew up in a very small town on a small farm. We raised animals and always had a garden. The animals we raised were chickens, pigs, goats, rabbits, horses, and cows. The smallest garden we ever had was about a half an acre, and the largest I remember was four acres. My grandfather and father trapped most of their lives, with me tagging along sometimes. Everybody in my family hunted, including my mother and aunts. We would hunt rabbits, squirrels, deer, ducks, bear, and elk. I spent time fishing with polls, what we called trot lines, Yoyo’s, traps, and nets. I guess that this gave me a head start on most people in the preparedness department. I learned job skills through my work with fabricated steel as a fitter’s helper, fitter, and welder. My side jobs were as an electrician’s helper on residential buildings. After that, I spent eight and half years in the U.S. Navy as an aircraft electrician and flight deck troubleshooter, during which time I managed to get in some jungle survival training. Then I moved back to the private sector as an aircraft electrician, aircraft technician (sheet metal and mechanical), and machinist. After years of school, I then worked my way up to become a Senior Manufacturing Engineer in the aircraft industry. My last job was as a Process Improver.

As for the title of this article “State of Mind” is where all Preppers should start, and from there they should try to improve. What I believe is the biggest part of prepping is situational awareness, which means paying attention to your surroundings. Your surroundings include everything– your home, your neighborhood, your community, all the way out to your solar system and beyond. I’ve always liked to observe people in public, and you can tell which ones are not aware of their surroundings. It’s the people who go to the shopping mall, park the car, go in shopping, and then come out and cannot remember where they parked their car. One of the best examples of someone unaware of their surroundings was a lady at the mall; she was walking while texting and fell into a pool. How do you know when to bugout, if you don’t pay attention to what’s going on around you? I believe your mind is your best weapon, but like any gun the more ammunition you have, the more useful it is for long-term use. Knowledge is your ammunition. There are many sources of knowledge– the public library, the Internet, family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and personal observation.

Security can come in many forms and should be personalized to every individual. Operational security (OPSEC) is first on my list. Without this you become a target. Next is a large area that I call passive security. If you think of security as layers of security, this would be most of the outer layers.

First of all, you want people to decide to go the other direction. How is this possible? Say you live some distance outside a large city. People fleeing the city come to a road that splits off from the one they’re on, and they see a sign that points in your direction naming the city they just left. They do not want to go back where they just came from, so unless they know the area, they will not take that road. During World War II the retreating Germans often changed the road signs. This misdirected and slowed the advancing armies, in many cases.

Second, people are like animals; they followed the paths of least resistance. Downed trees would make a lot of people choose a clearer path. For the best effect, the trees need to look like they have fallen naturally. A tree that has been cut down would make smart people wonder what is being protected that direction, but a tree that has been partially dug up on its far side and then had its roots cut would not be as obvious. The same goes for a burned bridge. A burned bridge does not look natural, but if there are also a few burned vehicles or trucks that look like they may have caught fire and burned the bridge, it looks more believable. In an area with hills or mountains, rock and landslides may look natural.

A third item could be signs that look like a gang has moved in and that the fleeing people are entering their territory where signs say, “Keep Out”. There could be a lot of dead animals along the roads with no obvious signs of what killed them. I believe either of these would work far better than official looking signs from the government telling people to keep out. The one exception to this would probably be a set of yellow and black sawhorse type “Road Closed” and “Bridge Out” signs. These can always be made ahead of time and set out fairly quickly. The road really does not even need a bridge. One important point here is to make sure none of these items point directly to your location. It would be best if they point to the location a few miles away from your hideout that you can observe from a distance.

Now we move on to what I call active security. Get to know as many people in your area as possible. Join the local church. Join other local organizations, such as the ham radio community, volunteer search and rescue, volunteer fire department, and/or the local book club at the library. All these people could be a good resource for knowledge or serve as an extra layer of security. The towns around where I live hold emergency preparedness fairs. These are a great source of information and connection with people. See if people that live around you would consider joining an emergency assistance group. This could mean a lot of different things to different people. This group could be formed to help during storms, just look out for each other, form a neighborhood watch, or maybe just be someone close by to call for a helping hand. I have read that some people in communities start and run a tool-lending group. This is a group of people, who each has a certain dollar amount worth of tools (or chips in a certain amount of dollars for buying tools) that anyone in the group can use. This is a great cost-saving way to possess access to a large number of tools. This would be even better for you if you happen to have a large detached garage or building that could be used as storage and for checking out all of the tools. All members would have a key and would be able to use the tools at any time, as long as they checked them out on a logbook or some other way. I have joined groups in the past that had a woodworking shop set up and another that had a mechanical shop set up similar to this. Anything that gets the community working with you gives you more security. Of all the people you meet, make notes where they live, what do they do, what they like to do, what skills they have, and how to contact them. Are they elderly or do they have needs that you could help with in a disaster? Do they have skills that could help you in a disaster?

Security closer to home would be a subject for many more articles. There are many out there already. That is because it needs to be detailed to each individual’s location and situation.

One of my highest preps on my list is knowledge of my surrounding area. By this, I mean knowing the location of all water sources within about 20 miles, as well as access points and other resources. This means identifying all creeks, rivers, ponds, and any town or city water storage facilities. Learn all the roads in and out of the area, noting the location of any bridges or structures that could block or be a choke point on the roads. This includes trees, rock formations, and areas that could be flooded. Terrain features are very important. Large-scale maps of the area are handy for note keeping. I also like to note all the other resources that are in the area. These would include any solar panels, even the small ones on polls or equipment. Mark locations of private and commercial fuel storage (gas, diesel, propane and kerosene). Note all businesses as to type and what materials they utilize or keep on hand. Just visit any of the businesses, introduce yourself, and tell them you have an interest in learning what they do. Most would be happy to give you a tour. Learn what waste products the businesses produce and how they dispose of them. This might be a good supply of prepping material. Find out how many local farms are producing certain goods, such as local dairy, chicken houses, and grain farms just to name a few. Every bit of knowledge you can gain by observation could be useful in one scenario or another. It could be very useful to know all about these resources after a large percentage of the population dies off or when you need to trade for certain items. An old saying says, “Knowledge is power”.

Now that you have the basics down, let’s fill in all of the details. How many, what kind, and what is the location of the fruit trees, nut trees, and citrus trees in your area? Who grows a garden every year, and where do they live? The county I live in and surrounding counties all have county-owned canning facilities. Do you have any near you? Where are all the greenhouses in your area? Are there gardening or tree nurseries in your area? Where are all of the libraries and bookstores in your areas?

So, it’s a state of mind. I think a lot; it’s free. The right question is more useful than a book of irrelevant facts! Some say that wisdom is “knowing how little you do know”. I have lots of questions. Does that qualify? If you have all of this figured out already, I don’t really want to talk to you because I don’t believe I would understand you. For me, I still have a long way to go, and hopefully we all have a long time to get there! Thank you for your effort and good luck.

Four Letters Re: A Primer on Handgun Holsters

HJL.

I am a long time reader of survival blog and find the info very helpful. I noticed the comment on Thunderwear holsters and thought I would pass on my take on it. I am a large guy. Concealment of even a large frame handgun is relatively easy for me, but that limits me to only certain modes of dress. So, I tried thunderwear over 10 years ago and never looked back. I every day carry a ruger sp101 in .357 mag and did carry a 41mag for a few years, both stainless. I also carried a .45 1911 briefly. Corrosion is an issue if you do not clean your piece daily without fail and oil it liberally. While it is not the perfect holster, it makes it easy to have your gun close at hand in most occasions, and it makes it very difficult if not impossible for others to know you are packing heat unless they physically grope you. That alone could be hazardous to their heath, as my wife is the only one allowed such close contact and not in public. God bless – M.S.

o o o

Hugh,

Walking/running shorts or bathing suit and a t-shirt are typical South Florida dress. Using the SmartCarry holster, I have never had any corrosion issues with my firearms. I’ll leave the handgun out of the holster at night so the holster will thoroughly dry but give it no other special treatment. – Florida Native

o o o

Hugh,

While I have not used the Thunderwear brand holster, I have carried using a SmartCarry for about a year. The SmartCarry uses a special material that isolates the metal parts of the gun from moisture created from sweat in that area, and I never saw any corrosion or even wear on the gun itself after carrying in this method. Granted, I am in Colorado rather than Florida, but I frequently wear it with shorts while performing physical activities. It is great for this, but for everyday carry with jeans, I find an Old Faithful IWB holster more practical and comfortable for me. In fact, my Kydex/leather IWB holster I use now is more apt to produce wear marks on the weapon itself. Thanks, E.M.

o o o

Hi HJL,

I am responding to your request about ThunderWear (now called SmartCarry) holsters. I have three holsters that I use for daily carry, and ThunderWear is my go-to favorite. In Texas, I normally wear shorts (either athletic or cargo) and a t-shirt, nearly year round. I’ve tried lots of holsters, but none concealed well with light clothing. I’ve never had an issue with sweat causing rust or corrosion. If I do sweat a lot on a really hot day, I just give it a quick wipe down in the evening. I also learned long ago to wear an undershirt. It may seem counter intuitive to wear an undershirt when it’s hot, but it does help soak up sweat, keep you cool, and helps keep the grip of the handgun off your skin. I would say that there are two downsides of the ThunderWear holster: 1) If you are in a hurry to go out the door, it takes a bit more time to put on than just slipping on an IWB holster, and 2) You can’t just use a standup urinal when going to the men’s room, or the next guy may see it.

Since I am writing in about concealed carry holsters, I’d also like to mention the other two I use: Uncle Mile’s IWB and Kangaroo. The Uncle Mike’s only costs about $10. I can put it on or take it off in seconds, and the material comes all the way up to keep your gun from contacting skin. The material is sweat proof, and it stays put when drawing. The Kangaroo is a bit more pricey, but it is also very comfortable. It’s very adjustable and conceals well, but you need a bit heavier shirt than a thin t-shirt. A Polo of Oxford works well. They also have absolutely outstanding customer service. – Jeff in Texas

Odds ‘n Sods:

A Snip-Snip here, A Snip-Snip there… LAPD officers tampered with in-car recording equipment, records show – T.P.

o o o

Video: Violence Breaking Out Between Protesters and BLM Officers over Cattle Dispute. – H.L.

Wagging fingers and camera/phones vs. dogs and tazers. Definite “man points” for the guy who got tazed three times and was still standing.

o o o

Why a drone called Cupid is fitted with a stun gun – S.Y.

o o o

Armed Protesters Gather at Texas Open-Carry Rally After Tasing, Arrest of Man Walking with Loaded Rifle – T.Y.

o o o

23+ Items You Need to Retool for Self-Reliance

Notes from HJL:

Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P .),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepperis providing a $500 gift certificate.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208.

Round 52 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.

Tornado Survival and Recovery, by J.M.

You’d think an old lady would learn. Going through old papers and files the other day in my attempt to clear out clutter and be organized, I came across the file containing receipts and all sorts of paperwork that reflected our experience with the May 3rd, 1999 tornado that went through southwest Oklahoma City and Moore, Oklahoma. I shook my head thinking, “What did I learn from this?”

Allow me to provide some detail of that experience. First of all, I was home alone with four dogs….big dogs. These were dogs that didn’t get along well with each other. Two had kennels outdoors, while two lived indoors. My husband was at work. I’d gotten home from work, started laundry, and prepared a simple dinner for myself. I sat down to watch TV and keep up with the local weather, as it had been predicted that we were to have severe storms that evening. I ate a bit while the weather dominated the TV. I became concerned and started thinking about what I should do. I stopped my meal and went outside to move the two dogs from the back yard to their crates in the garage. Once inside the garage, I thought, “This isn’t enough protection for these guys.” So I piled plywood on top and around their crates. Then I piled carpet pieces on top of that.

Back inside the house, I started looking around while I listened to the weatherman. “What do I do now?” “Where do we go?” I called my husband at work. He told me, “Ah Honey, these things always peter out. Give it a rest. I got to get back to work.” Off the phone, I started walking quickly around the house, closing blinds and closing doors. Then I took the other two dogs into my bed room. I pulled the mattress off the bed toward the wall to make a cover for us. I gathered my purse and cell phone. Then I climbed under the mattress and pulled the two dogs in with me. I heard the weatherman say, “You cannot survive this tornado above ground.” The TV stopped and the lights went out. I called my daughter just to hear her voice as the tornado approached. I could hear the “train” coming. It’s just like I have always heard people say– a big freight train coming right at you. But the sound of all the debris flying and hitting our house muffled the “train” sound. It was deafening. And then it all stopped. Quiet. Eerie. I was afraid to see and know what had happened, but I crawled out from under the mattress and was happy to see the ceiling was still intact above me. I went to the bedroom window and raised the blinds. Total devastation. All the neighbors behind us were gone. All I saw was piles of debris. Our backyard was heaped high with debris.

I opened the bedroom door and walked slowly through the house looking and amazed that all was intact. As I got to the dining room, I could see the blinds were damaged and some glass was on the floor with brick pieces and some splintered wood. I tried to open the back door, but the debris pile stopped the door from opening. I walked through the living room to the front hall. I tried to open the front door, but once again the debris pile had it closed tight. So I went through the hall to the garage where I saw the ceiling collapsing, but the dogs were okay. I opened the side door and got outside. Then I push and shoved open the gate and started climbing over the debris making my way to the front yard. Total devastation is all I saw. It was like a bomb had gone off. Neighbors were coming out of their houses and some were coming out of the rubble of what was left of their houses. We checked on each other, and then we just stood there looking at the spectacle of it all.

I looked down the street, and I saw my daughter climbing over debris and making her way toward the house. She was living about 30 minutes away while going to college. Shortly after she arrived my husband came driving and bouncing up over the piles of timber and debris in his old 1976 Chevy pickup. He came to a stop on what had been our lovely green front lawn, now covered with debris. When he got out of the truck, all four tires on the old truck finally went flat from all the nails they’d encountered. I said, “I told you.” Words a husband never enjoys hearing from his wife but gave me great pleasure at that moment.

It took us months and months to repair our house, and it was not damaged nearly as badly as some around us. We had opinions about what spared our home, while the houses on both sides of ours were totaled by their insurance companies. We had replaced our windows the year before with very good windows and had them insulated well all around. We had a fairly new garage door that was insulated and tight. I don’t know if closing all the blinds and the interior doors made a difference but I like to think so.

Within the few months following that tornado, we had a flat top cellar put in our garage floor. I wouldn’t like to be in Oklahoma without one.

Fast forward to May 20 of 2013. I went to the cellar, while my husband watched that tornado move east to Moore, Oklahoma. Even neighbors joined me this time. Then later in May we had another close call, and the neighbors came again. We spent more time in the cellar that night but not before I handed my husband my large pasta pot as I went to the garage. I asked him to please put it on his head if he went outside.

This year, we’re getting prepared. In 1999 we were without electricity and gas for about 10 days. Last year we were without electricity for about four days. I have a gas grill and a gas burner. I can cook. We have plenty of food, water, candles, flashlights, and we always stay ahead on pet food and toilet paper. I still go through my ritual of closing blinds and doors. I’ve added to that ritual: moving the pets to the cellar, grabbing the BOB, and stacking up the outdoor furniture but not necessarily in that order.

My biggest fear is this when we come out of the cellar (I use “we” hoping to get the husband into the cellar), it’s all gone or worse we are trapped in the cellar for many hours. Now we have the means to work our way out, and our cellar is registered with the city. So, one way or the other we will get out, but it could take time. The kids better come looking for us or their inheritance might be reconsidered.

Recently, I took photos of everything in and out of our house– all of our personal property. I put all those photos on a CD, and I put that CD in our safe deposit box. Along with that are all important papers and all the receipts for everything we own. I’ve learned from the experience of others that insurance companies are sticklers for proof of ownership when a claim is made.

So, I’ve been putting together my “survival in the cellar” provisions. We have two cats and one dog now. Yes, they go to the cellar with me. Here is my list of provisions: pillow, blanket, extra clothes, first aid kit, some toiletries, snacks, water, potty bucket, toilet paper, cat food, dog food, kitty litter and pan, weather radio, batteries, flashlights, more batteries, leather gloves, a tarp, bungee cords, a crow bar, and some tools. I also have a map of Oklahoma. Sometimes the weatherman calls out names of towns that either I have never heard of or I have no idea of where they are in relation to where I am in my cozy cellar. I’ve also thrown in a couple of towels for the husband who might decide he’s had enough of looking at the tornado and wants to be sure he keeps his head.

These will stay in the cellar throughout the storm season, which in Oklahoma is year round. I have a BOB by the garage door and ready to grab in addition. I sing in the choir now “Be prepared.” I am a firm believer in being ready and having a mindset that anything can happen and probably is more likely to happen when one is not prepared. If my husband says, “Ah Honey, it will peter out” I will hope he’s put that pasta pot on his head, while I’m snug in my cellar.

Please be safe as the spring storms approach. Take precautions. Don’t try to outrun tornadoes in a vehicle. Assess your surroundings, and do not wait until the last minute to seek shelter. The weatherman on your local TV channel usually knows what he or she is talking about, and they give you ample warning. Last minute precautions are not usually successful with tornadoes. Be ready.

Letter Re: A Primer on Handgun Holsters

Hugh,

Although B.D. doesn’t like Thunderwear, from my personal experience, it is a must have for those of us that live in warm climates where clothing can be a big issue. When you’re wearing a bathing suit and tee-shirt (like many of us do here in Florida), it is a super way to carry a weapon concealed. Otherwise, the weight of a typical carry weapon will have your trunks around your ankles, and there are typically no belts with a pair of swim trunks. Thunderwear is great for the tropics. – S.V.

HJL Replies: I would be interested in hearing from those who have used Thunderwear: Is corrosion an issue with your firearm? Especially if it isn’t stainless?

Letter Re: Preparing Now For Good Sanitation After The SHTF

HJL,

The author should include a bidet bottle in his/her supplies, as well as all preppers. In fact I recommend getting one and start using it right away. I believe you will find, as I have, that once you start using a bidet, you will wonder how you ever did without. It will save great amounts of toilet paper, as now you will only use a few sheets to pat yourself dry. There are places to buy one, but you can also easily make one out of a 1-liter water/soda bottle. Once you get the hang of it, it will only take a cup of water (usually less) and will leave you feeling and actually being so much cleaner, that you won’t have the need for as many showers, thereby saving more water and fuel. Here is a link telling how it works: https://obbproducts.com/HowToUse.htm This also is the site where one type can be purchased. I am not a spokesman for OBB. There are several other places you can find bidet bottles using a search engine. – J.P.

HJL Replies: We’ve covered this subject before, but it is worth repeating. Toilet paper always makes the list in shortages. Don’t get caught without it. A couple of bidet bottles store a whole lot easier than a year’s worth of toilet paper and is much less flammable.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Not sure I’d call these MREs, but they are good ideas for field rations. Homemade MREs. – Mike Williamson (SurvivalBlog Editor At Large)

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This is an older video but one worth reviewing: Chinese Crossing Mexican Border Into USA . – RBS

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Make a 55-Gallon Compost Tumbler Fast, Cheap and Easy. – F.J.

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Not many of us are actually affected by poison Ivy, but when you need it, you really need it: How to Treat Poison Ivy Naturally. – R.J.

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Oregon criminalizes permaculture; claims state ownership over all rainwater – ponds and swales restricted – jail time for violators . – P.M.

Notes from HJL:

There is a developing story that has not been reported by the mainstream media yet, and its effects are far reaching. In 1992, federal agents squared off against Randy Weaver and his family/friends in an incident known as “Ruby Ridge”. While the merits of Mr. Weaver’s case can be and has been argued, the bottom line is the Federal Government used inappropriate, overwhelming force and tactics in dealing with the situation. (We might also mention that there was no real disciplinarian action taken against those who were guilty of taking innocent American lives either.)

We now have, what appears to be, another similar incident shaping up in Nevada. The Moapa Valley Progress reports that one of the rancher’s sons has been arrested in what is clearly inappropriate restriction of First Amendment rights.

When Ruby Ridge occurred, and again when Waco occurred, citizens were incensed and promised that that would never happen again. Now, the excesses are occurring again. We need to pay attention and support those who are inappropriately targeted by government.

G.S. wrote into us with the following:

“I’d like for you to re-read the entry of 11-12-13. American Liberty at the Crossroads. Especially JWR’s comments at the end. We now are faced with another Waco/Ruby Ridge style standoff in Northwestern Clark County, Nevada. The ranchers name is Cliven Bundy and the Feds on Saturday have already stolen his cattle. They (the Feds) even have the gall to put up “First Amendment Zones” for those who want to protest!!!!!. I thought 99% of this country was a 1A zone. Mr. Bundy has the support of the community, and I also think it’s time for local Patriots to act like Jim outlined in his comments.”

Each of us should prayerfully consider what the right thing to do is. If you are led to support Mr. Bundy in any way, you should do so. Who knows, the perimeter that the jack-booted thugs set up around Mr. Bundy may end up having a perimeter of freedom-loving patriots around it. We should also note that Nevada is an open carry state. At minimum, I think all Patriots should include Mr. Bundy and this situation in their prayers.

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Today we present another entry for Round 52 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $11,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. A $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear,
  5. A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value),
  6. A $300 Gift Certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  7. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  8. A roll of $10 face value in pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarters, courtesy of GoldAndSilverOnline.com, (currently valued at around $180 postpaid),
  9. Both VPN tunnel and DigitalSafe annual subscriptions from Privacy Abroad (a combined value of $195),
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit, and
  12. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate.

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100 foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. Acorn Supplies is donating a Deluxe Food Storage Survival Kit with a retail value of $350,
  4. The Ark Instituteis donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  5. $300 worth of ammo from Patriot Firearms and Munitions. (They also offer a 10% discount for all SurvivalBlog readers with coupon code SVB10P .),
  6. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  7. A full set of all 26 books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  8. Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value),
  9. Autrey’s Armory – specialists in AR-15, M4s, parts, and accessories is donating a $250 gift certificate,
  10. Dri-Harvestfoods.com in Bozeman, Montana is providing a prize bundle with Beans, Buttermilk Powder, Montana Hard Red Wheat, Drink Mixes, and White Rice, valued at $333,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  12. Organized Prepperis providing a $500 gift certificate.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. 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,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security,
  5. A MURS Dakota Alert Base Station Kit with a retail value of $240 from JRH Enterprises,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances, and
  7. Ambra Le Roy Medical Products in North Carolina is donating a bundle of their traditional wound care and first aid supplies, with a value of $208.

Round 52 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.

Introduction to Prudent Food & Health: by KM in Ohio

Disclaimer: I am not a “medical professional”, and this article is not to be considered “medical advice.”

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Isaiah 40:29

Healthy Living is Hard Work! We, Americans, have been increasingly dependent on other people for our welfare, food, and lifestyles for a couple of generations. A company far away provides electricity to illuminate and heat our homes, pump our wells, or run the security system. City dwellers get their essential of life– water– from a city-owned pump facility. Most of us get the majority of our food from businesses called grocery stores. Everyday health maintenance is purchased from a health food or drug store business in the form of pills or elixirs. Our Creator never intended for us to be so dependent on others that if something were to happen to our suppliers or our income, we’d be dangerously vulnerable to things like famine, illness, or homelessness. Food is the biggest expense in the household, next to the mortgage or rent. If our food doesn’t keep us healthy, our bodies aren’t properly nourished. Therefore, we’ll spend even more money on healthcare. There are many money-saving skills we can employ to maintain good health that Americans have forgotten to pass on to their children and grandchildren in the last few generations. Thankfully, that trend is beginning to change with increasing speed as many are turning to “prepping,” taking time with our elders, and learning traditional skills. I hope to pique your interest in learning more of those valuable things.

First, You Are What You Eat: “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29. The current American idea of what healthiness is tends to be distorted largely by the vast number of businesses manufacturing products made for health-conscious consumers. Skilled advertising makes these items look like what we think we need. Unfortunately, the average American eats only a handful of natural and plant-sourced foods. There are thousands of nutritious, natural foods having more nutrition that are available and that would provide a greater nutrient base for healthy bodies. In recent years, trends have begun to change as more folks discover natural lifestyles and traditional food practices. The Internet has connected people in the sharing of knowledge more than the inventor of the printing press could have ever imagined.

In most other countries you would be hard-pressed to find breakfast cereal in a brightly colored box or cake mixes and “Egg Replacer”. For some examples, the French tend to think we’re crazy about our idea of what tastes good or is good for us. They pride themselves in making everything from scratch in the kitchen and taking time to have proper meals and savor them by eating slowly. In Thailand, they rarely take a pill for anything. They instead use herbal preparations and teas. In parts of the Russian countryside, one is considered ignorant if there isn’t an ample supply of garlic for cooking and medicinal use in the home. Many Russian families have crocks of lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, and beverages (like Kvass) fermenting in cool corners of their homes. Recently, many American commercial seeds are scientifically modified in a genetics lab for large-scale factory farming to endure pesticide chemicals or make non-viable seed. This not only influences other nearby plants but also meats and dairy. These designer life forms are called “Genetically Modified Organisms” or (G.M.O.s), which become things that are nothing like what God originally created. GMO foods are not very nutritious because they’re grown in industrially damaged soils, and most carry varying amounts of toxins as GMO foods always require some kind of chemical maintenance while growing. They are hard to digest, and toxins are released into our bodies in the process. A majority of food products on store shelves these days are made from GMO wheat flour, soy, or corn. Some of us older people remember Jack LaLanne who started the fitness culture and invented many of the exercise machines we are familiar with. He said, “The more things you do to help your health, the more you’ll be able to do. That is why a lot of people are sick and tired.” Jack lived an active healthy life to the age of 96. He also advocated natural foods. Many current health advisors teach that exercise, natural meats, raw naturally raised dairy, organic produce, and medicinal herbs as the best choices to recover and maintain true health. I want to grow old like Jack! (www.JackLalanne.com)

Naturally-raised, whole grains are basic nutrition sources in most cultures, with the exception being Asia’s preference for white rice. The colorful outer coverings on them contain nourishing vitamins, minerals, and fats. Grains that have had the germ removed and bleached, like our common white bromated baking flour, are stripped of the vitamins and fatty acids contained in those coverings, leaving the carbohydrates with some gluten proteins for fluff. Natural sugar cane sap is brown and full of minerals and essential fatty acids. In the factory it is spun in a centrifuge so that minerals and fatty acids are removed in the form of molasses. The resulting lightly amber liquid is dried to become turbinado sugar. It is then baked at high heat to bleach it and evaporate the so-called impurities out and further ground to become the white table sugar we are familiar with. White sugar is a substance now shown in many medical studies to be just as addictive as cocaine. Bleached grains are addictive as well. If you don’t believe me, do a two week fast of sugar and white flour foods, but warn your family first. Corn syrup and high-fructose-corn syrup, the later being 30 times sweeter than regular white sugar, can only be produced at the factory level with powerful machine processes. These corn products are so addictive that some health professionals say eliminating them from a person’s diet causes withdrawal symptoms similar to those addicted to street drugs. (Think cocaine.) Alternatively, an extremely valuable sweetener is raw honey. Grocery store honey is usually pasteurized and filtered, making it just as bad as white sugar. Raw honey from a neighborhood beekeeper is nutritious, antibiotic, and anti-fungal with enzymes that support and help digestion. You can put it in cuts or burns, and it will help heal, not harm. It’s also an immune booster. Note that it is not good for children under one year old.

Speaking of pasteurizing, our family has been using unpasteurized milk, cream, cheeses, and butter for the last 10 years. We buy our dairy from a local farmer who only grazes his cows, does not inject them with “rBght” (a synthetic hormone), and only supplements their diet with herbs. Unpasteurized, pastured dairy is a versatile healing food. Pasteurized milk, on the other hand, is an enigma, causing allergic reactions in many people who are regularly misdiagnosed. Conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, asthma, frequent ear infections, and recurrent tonsillitis or frequent diarrhea are a few symptoms of dairy allergy. There is more to the story of why milk is pasteurized than we were led to believe. You can read about it in the book called “The Untold Story of Milk” by Ron Schmid, N.D.

Naturally-raised food has lots of vitamins and minerals; industrial food does not. Pill type vitamins and minerals are so expensive they have become a multi-billion dollar industry in this country. While they can be a quick way to begin restoring health for you and your family, you must be careful with them. Most cheap vitamins aren’t digestible (or only partially so) and contain cheap fillers and ingredients, which our bodies can’t process. Look for vitamins that have plants as the main sourced ingredients or have “plant sourced” on the label. Avoid those containing Methylcellulose, names with “-dexter-” (corn) or petrolatum in the ingredient list. Many use binders made from coal, GMO corn, and fuel oil. Why spend all that money on vitamins you’ll end up not digesting and flushing down the toilet? The Internet is a great tool for research.

A Little on Beverages: Clean water is essential to life. Your body is 60% water. The body makes a quart of fresh saliva daily. That’s why you swallow spit between meals. Saliva is the main ingredient for all the other body fluids. This includes blood plasma and various other fluids and lubricants, which it helps manufacture fresh every few days. Sodas, bottled fruit juices, and sugary beverages like Kool-Aid interfere with this production process, the immune system, and also liver and kidney functions. Protect your kidneys and liver! Their main jobs are to eliminate toxins from the body and support your other body functions. Filtered water that is slightly mineralized is your best beverage. If you have city water, filter it as much as possible. City water with fluoride is awful for the body. In nature it occurs as calcium-fluoride, but what is used in public water processing is sodium fluoride– an extremely toxic mix of hexafluorosilicic acid and sodium silicofluoride, which is a by-product of processing aluminum ore. Ingesting sodium-fluoride dulls and suppresses nerve and brain function and the immune system. Filters to remove fluoride and other toxins are available from these vendors: http://directive21.com, http://aquarain.com. “Table salt” is refined sodium (Na) mixed with cornstarch and sugar to keep the sodium from exploding when put into water. Unrefined mined salt, sodium chloride (NaCl a.k.a. “real salt”), already has iodine and minerals that your body wants, and it won’t explode in water either. Your body uses sodium-chloride and water to make saliva. See how they go together?

Natural beverages we can enjoy that support health are: herbal teas; unflavored fresh roasted coffee; white, green, and black teas; lacto-fermented beverages; raw vinegar; and naturally fermented wines and beers, on occasion. Get to know these quality beverages, and add some to your life.

Here’s the Battle– Real food vs. Faux Food: People in most other cultures make meals from scratch, which is cost effective, more physically satisfying, and healthier. Packaged industrial foods leave you feeling hungry, due to a lack of nutrients. So, you feel the need for more “helpings” and buy much more of them to satisfy. Then you gain weight, because your body is still craving nutrients and not receiving what it needs, and so you eat more. What about all that hype over eating fat? Actually, nutritious healthy fats keep you thin! The body burns fat as fuel. Good fats are olive oil, natural butters, cream, coconut and palm oil, lard, tallow, egg yolks, avocado, and more. If it is a fat that comes from a natural source that God made, minimally processed and unadulterated by man, it is a good fat. Your body breaks these down easily and uses them in many ways, like making fuel for tissues, joint lubricants, or cholesterol, which is the primary food for brain and nerve tissue. Yes, your body needs cholesterol! The fad-food called “canola” oil is a GMO, originally designed to be engine lubricant in WWII aircraft but is now marketed as healthy cooking oil. It’s actually a tissue irritant and can cause various forms of inflammation. “Crisco” style shortening is a hydrogenated flax oil (linseed). The recipe was originally intended to be a replacement for candle wax in WWI. It starts to burn at 107F. When does a human body get that hot? This, too, becomes a tissue irritant in the body. Margarine was developed by a French scientist to replace butter for their troops in WWII. It was considered unfit for human consumption and trashed. Some American thought it was a great idea and marketed it as healthy.

If your body is getting enough healthy fats, you don’t gain excess weight. If your body is getting too many carbohydrates and sugars, you will get fat. Consider what the typical farmers do to prepare animals for market. The general practice is for cattle to be fed lots of grain for three months or so to gain weight, which increases profit when the animal is sold and increases the taste of sweetness in the meat. (I may offend some good hard-working people with the following statement, but please forgive me.) This practice causes the animal to be less energetic, so the meat is softer from lack of exercise. Herbivores, like cows, were not designed by God to eat seed-based feed. These animals need leafy plant food to be truly healthy. Grain interferes with the function of their digestive organs, nervous system, and immune system by fermenting in the rumen and producing alcohol, which is bad for the animals. Small farmers have begun to return to natural animal husbandry practices, thanks to educators, like Joel Salatin from Polyface Farms,VA (www.polyfacefarms.com ) and others. Quality meat costs more, but we can be creative to make it a part of a nourishing lifestyle. You are what your food eats.

Produce Your Own Food in A Veggie Garden: Really, this isn’t as hard as you think. Even a neglected garden produces food. Plants are very forgiving. A food garden is an excellent money saver! The food in superstores tends to be flown in from other countries or driven over great distances from other states by truck. Fresh produce must be picked unripe to be shipped great distances. So, scientists have come up with ways of chemically ripening them during the trip in the aircraft or trucks to give the appearance of “fresh off the tree” ripeness. Unripe fruit doesn’t have the complete compliment of nutrients, flavor, or enzymes of truly ripe fruit. Buying local from farms and locally-owned grocery stores is the best way to acquire ripe, nutritious produce.

If a grocery item comes in a box with a pretty picture of what it is supposed to look like on the front, but when you read the ingredients list on the back it doesn’t appear to be English (or looks like a list from a university science lab), it’s a “product” rather than a food. You’ll also pay much more when buying boxed items than you will for the ingredients to prepare that same item in your kitchen. Be careful even with storage foods. Not every MRE is made from nutritious ingredients. Most food made from scratch will in no way harm or kill you. Commercial food products on the other hand have nastier effects. The average American living in 1900 to the 1950’s was exposed to about 20 toxic chemicals per year. In the 21st century, Americans are now exposed to an average of 200+ toxic chemicals per DAY. Many of these are food additives, artificial flavorings, cosmetics, and household chemicals. Most consumer chemicals are neurotoxins and carcinogens. These toxins accumulate in body tissues. With the increases of convenience products we’ve become increasingly unhealthy as a nation. Taste a locally grown tomato or fresh off the tree fruit from your neighborhood orchard and suddenly the produce in the superstores just can’t compare. A fresh egg from your neighbor’s happy little flock of laying hens, which have been out catching bugs and eating a variety of plant life in the yard, will taste so incredible you won’t want industrial eggs. A mind-opening book: “The Fat Fallacy” by Dr. Will Clower can explain these concepts in better detail.

Good, healthy foods begin with good healthy soil. Organic gardeners and natural, small farmers tend to maintain their dirt better than factory farms by putting compost, lime, sandstone, gypsum, manure, and such on their plots to restore and maintain healthy soil along with crop and grazing rotations. This means the produce from the animals and plants raised there will be full of nutrition, minerals, and vitamins. The better your food quality, the better the chances are that you won’t need vitamin supplements or extra helpings at meal times. Healthy food also makes a strong immune system, and, on the occasion you do encounter illness, homemade herbal remedies prepared in the tradition of generations past are easy to make and store.

If all this information is overwhelming for you, listen to Jesus Christ who said, “Don’t worry” (Matthew 6:25-34). Lifestyle changes and new habits are made one step at a time and one day at a time. No one can possibly put all this information into practice by the end of next week or next month. It takes time to develop new skills, habits, and knowledge. I’ve been learning and studying these particular topics for years upon the shoulders of my mother and many others. I didn’t get to where I am today without work. There’s still more for me to learn, more people to learn from, and more skills to gain and improve upon. Learning is so much fun!

I think this is God’s design for us: to always be learning about HIM and Creation, discovering what skills He put within us, pursuing things that interest us, improving our skills and discovering treasures in nature (Psalm 96), and sharing what we know with others by being part of a community that helps each other (John 13:14) and influences our larger society (Matt 5:16). I hope this article has inspired new thoughts and goals for you. Cheers to JWR for bringing us together with Survivalblog! Keep learning and growing.

Recommended resources:

  • “What the Bible Says About Healthy Living” by Dr. Rex Russell,
  • “Nutritional Healing” by Dr. James F. Balch,
  • “Know Your Fats” by Mary G. Enig, Ph.D.,
  • “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon,
  • “The Fat Fallacy” by Dr .Will Clower,
  • “The Cholesterol Myth” by Dr. Uffe Ravnskov,
  • “The Untold Story of Milk” by Ron Schmid, N.D.,
  • “Wild Fermentation” by Sandor Katz,
  • www.WestonAPrice.org,
  • www.RealMilk.com ,
  • www.RadiantLightNutrition.com ,
  • http://directive21.com ,
  • http://aquarain.com ,
  • www.BackToEdenFilm.com ,
  • http://www.youtube.com/user/L2Survive,
  • www.Permies.com