From Rainwater to Drinking Water, by Former Echo Trooper

Thanks for what SurvivalBlog done for the prepper community. I just had a feeling weighing on my heart to share this information. So here it is.

In any survival situation, water is in the top two things that must be had in order to survive if not at the top of the list. What I’m going to describe is how to set up a rainwater catchment system. The first thing to do is decide how much water you want to harvest. Then you need to decide how to hold that amount. Whether it is a couple food grade 55 gallon drums linked together or an underground AquaBox system that can hold thousands of gallons. Next you need to set up your structure, be it your home, shop building, barn, or animal housing, you will need to have guttering with a down spout. A steel roof is preferred by most for this, but any roof will work. At this point you need to know how you are going to use the water that is collected. If you are just going to use it to water your garden or your livestock, it doesn’t need to be filtered. If you are planning on using it for drinking water, then it will need to be filtered or purified in some fashion. This essay will go through the steps for drinking water.

For every square foot of roof that you can harvest, you will get a half gallon of rainwater for every inch of rain. [JWR Adds: To be precise, multiply .623 gallons by the number of square feet of your roof.]

Read more at eHow: How to Calculate Rainfall for Harvesting

So you can figure how big of tank you need by multiplying the square feet by the average rainfall for your location and that will give you an rough figure of how much water you can expect from that roof.

Let’s start at the top of the water system. You have your roof with its guttering attached. Does it have a leaf guard mounted on it to filter out the leaf litter? If not you can install a Invisaflow Flex Gate Downspout Filter on the downspout and install a stainless steel mosquito screen on the bottom where it connects to a First Flush Diverter to keep the little suckers out of the tank. They will find their way into your tank otherwise. In some locations, these are required by code.

After the water passes through the Downspout Filter, you will want to install what a First Flush Diverter. There are several styles of these, but the basic design is this. The water comes into the Diverter and fills it up, doing so causes a rubber ball to float up to a tee connection. The first water off the roof is in the bottom of the Diverter with all the bird droppings, dirt and small bits that the Basket Filter missed. Once the ball goes up to the tee connection, the rain water is diverted to a second pipe and sent on its way to the tank of your choice.

Now for the tank. Is it light or dark in color? If sunlight can penetrate, it will grow beautiful green algae. Now, unless you like the taste of algae in your ice water, you will want to paint your tank a dark, opaque color. The actual color does not matter as long as light cannot get to the water. After the tank is painted, you will need to attach the pipe from the Diverter. Use a hole saw the same size as your pipe, you want as tight a fit as possible. After inserting the pipe, seal all around it with a silicone caulking. Next you will want to put in an overflow pipe of the same size as your inlet pipe. Place it as high on the side of the tank as possible for the maximum amount of water harvest. This pipe will also need a mosquito screen as well. Attach as above. Lastly on the tank you will need to attach your water line. Depending on location and use will determine the size of line or lines that you want.

Running your water line from tank to destination, you have a choice of running it above ground or trenching it in. In some locations you may have to run it under the frost line to prevent freezing and to meet code requirements.

The following is one scenario that could be used for hilly terrain in an off grid situation:

Up-slope from your cabin you have a small barn/wood shed/chicken coop and you decide that you want a gravity fed water system that could also be used for fighting fires if the need arises. First thing you do is attach the correct length of guttering to the lower eave of the building. You lucked out in the fact that it already has a steel roof. After installing the leaf guard and down spout, you attach a Basket Filter that you picked up at a local home improvement superstore. You then install a First Flush Diverter you built from plans you found on YouTube. You run the diverter line to the 275 gallon poly tank that you picked up at the farm and ranch store. (You painted it the same color as the barn/wood shed/ chicken coop.) You then dug a trench from the tank to the cabin and ran a 2 inch water line to within 75 feet of the cabin. Here you plan on installing a freeze proof faucet for fire fighting. You then ran a 3/4 inch line that you attached to the 2 inch line the rest of the way to the cabin. Once at the cabin, you run the line inside to a small holding tank with a spigot or to an in line filter then to the holding tank. After back filling the trench, you run the overflow pipe in another direction. You just happen to have some 4 inch flex landscaping pipe and run the overflow pipe into it and run it towards your pond. After trenching and back filling the overflow, you stack up firewood around your tank to better hide it from those you wish not to know about it and to protect it somewhat from possible gun fire from same. Not to mention it will keep more sunlight off of it and partially insulate it from winter temps. Another option is to bury the whole tank which will protect it from freezing, gunfire and sunlight.

Ideally, you would have some form of rain water harvest on every structure at your retreat. It can be used to water gardens and orchards, water all livestock, top off your fish pond with the overflow from the tanks, keep your hydroponic set up with fresh water, run a line to that outdoor shower house with the solar heated water system on the roof. You could run it to the automatic water system in the rabbit house or chicken coop.
Another type of rainwater catchment would to use a pond. You could use an existing pond but it would require draining in order to install the pipe line. The best bet would be to install the piping during construction. Before the dam is complete, take a 4 inch PVC pipe and run the non-flared end through a hole in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket that you cut with a hole saw. You did drill countless 1/4 inch holes all over the bucket first didn’t you? I thought so. Now replace the bucket’s lid that also is quite holey. If you haven’t removed the metal handle to the bucket, now would be a good time. This will be your filter to keep your fish stock from being sucked down the pipe. Now install the 4 inch PVC pipe, several feet up from the the bottom of the pond, through the dam. You want it up, off the bottom for two reasons. First, you want it up out of the muck that is on the bottom of all ponds. And second and most importantly, you don’t want to drain the pond if someone accidentally or purposefully leaves the line open.

After the pipe is installed and the dam finished, you will want to install a down sizer. Either a 4 inch to 3 inch or a 4 inch to 2 inch. Right behind the sizer, you need to install a valve so the line can be turned off at the source. Now is when you run the water line to you choice of location. End the line with a freeze-proof faucet. A pond with fish in it makes a great source of water for a garden or orchard. The fish fertilizer is loved by all vegetation. This set up will also give you the head needed for some firefighting applications also, depending on location of pond to fire. You could even plumb this into a drip irrigation system or soaker hose network. Just downsize the line from 2 inch to 1 inch or smaller so that you don’t flood the area too quickly.

Now these are not the only rainwater catchment methods out there, they are only two methods. I’m sure that there are several SurvivalBlog readers that know other ways and hope that they share them. Also any critiques or advice is welcomed.

Ninja Prepping: Learning from the Medieval Mystery Warriors of Japan, by Alex N.

Imagining guys running around in black pajamas and swords, disappearing in a puff of smoke? Well let’s start with a proper… non Hollywood idea of what the Ninja were… or are… and then see what we can learn from them.

Today we have this image of the Ninja as evil assassins sneaking around Japanese castles and killing under cover of night. What most people don’t know is that the Ninja were simple farmers, priests and shopkeepers who were forced out of Japanese society and hunted by their own government. They were the ultimate survivors. In fact the word Ninja in old fashioned Japanese translates to “the person who overcomes”.

Early in Japanese history a Samurai General named Daisuke Togakure lost a battle; and as was tradition in Japan his master ordered him to kill himself and ordered that his family be stripped of all title and land. Instead this Samurai General chose to survive. He fled his home with his family and went to live in the wilderness. Now an outcast being hunted by his own government he was forced to re-invent his understanding of combat. Togakure met up with some Chinese immigrants who had fled the massive wars going on in China. Their knowledge of battle tactics, medicine and technology from all over the Asian main continent helped Togakure form what would become one of the earliest and oldest traditions of the Ninja. (This is just a rough and quick version of the oral history of the founding if this tradition) There are many other traditions of Ninjutsu but they all are similar in that they contain a philosophy of life which values surviving and overcoming or “persevering” and which leads to a simple life style with a very alternative method of self defense. The philosophy of the Ninja stood in opposition of the Bushido code of the Samurai which contained a strong class structure, and espoused suicide as a noble and honorable ideal. To the Samurai the Ninja were dishonorable, evil creatures who had no right to live… the Ninja just wanted to be left alone to live their lives as they saw fit. Enough for my quick history lesson, for more information on the Ninja I recommend the book Ninjutsu: History and Tradition by Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi.

As a person who has studied and practiced this tradition for several years now I have found some great principles which are a guide I use in life and in my preparations to continue life. In all of my training and all of my study of the Ninja culture as it existed hundreds of years ago and as it exists today I have found five principles that seem to apply to the Ninjas secret to not only survive but to thrive. Here I plan to lay out a quick example of these five principles and how we may learn from them to protect us from things to come.

Principle #1: Strong and clean spirit
The Ninja were mostly followers of Shinto or Buddhism, however their traditions have strongly embraced members of many faiths and as a devout Christian I have found this to mean a strong relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Ninja speak of attaining an unfettered mind; that you should know who you are at your deepest core. Life should be spent learning, knowing and practicing what you are. This done in everyday life gives an unfettered mind and leads to good decision making under even the worst situations. With a strong foundation in Christ and a daily relationship with him, I find that when hard decisions come I have no trouble knowing how to proceed or at least knowing where to get my answers. This leaves me with a mind and heart which knows what is right and able to act upon it, not getting bogged down in the heat of the moment. When TSHTF it helps to already know in your body, mind, and soul what to do.

Principle #2: Utility.
While the Samurai prided themselves on beautiful swords passed down through their family for generations and body armor decorated with family crests and religious icons the Ninja often used little more than modified farming implements as weapons. This was in part because of the ban on civilians owning or carrying swords… (we can learn a lesson here) but also because of the principle of utility. To the Ninja they were not mere weapons, but rather everything was a tool. A Ninja didn’t pride himself on a fancy sword; instead he would make a sword which like all of his tools served more than one purpose. His other commonly used weapons were converted farming implements. One great example of a converted farm implement turned multi tool was the Kasuragama. It was essentially a small hand held sickle about 3 feet long used for harvesting grain. Sharpened with a rope or chain attached at the end, at the end of the rope was a heavy iron weight. This was used to tie up or entangle an enemy, and then the sickle blade would be used to finish them off. Most of the Ninjas weapons served many uses… sort of like an ancient Leatherman tool. Another example would be the Kunai. This tool started as a small shovel or trowel and was adapted to be used as a dagger, throwing blade and was even used to saw holes in walls for clandestine missions. Also for consideration were the Tekagi-Shuko which were iron bands with spikes on them worn on the hands and feet used for climbing trees and walls, but they were also used extensively as a hidden weapon which was both lethal and able to deflect or catch a sword. Sure the Ninja would have never turned down a fancy ray skin and ivory Katana, but he would usually be found with a much cruder instrument. Much as I am sure a Ninja would have loved to own a fancy piston driven AR-15 but would have likely found more use and value in an FN/FAL or AK.

Principle #3: Simplicity.
As I said earlier the Ninja were mostly farmers and merchants, but they could be found in all levels and aspects of life. There were even some Ninja amongst the ruling class of Japan at one time. What was common amongst them was that they strove to live a simple life. Both historic and modern Ninja rarely had lavish homes or castles. Rarely were known to frequent parties and social events. Instead they lived simple lives enjoying the things in life which were of true value. Simplicity permeated all aspect of their life. Often a diet of simple, healthy home grown food was eaten. With this simplicity in lifestyle one also becomes more in tuned to your own environment, able to notice small changes in weather and even understand nature on a closer level. Rarely did the Ninja draw attention to themselves. Instead of going off to become famous warriors and have grand adventures most Ninja lived quiet lives in their villages and trained diligently in their fighting arts; not for glory, but simply as a means to protect them and their families from the outside world. OPSEC was a large part of this simple life. When the majority of the country you live in wants you dead why would you want to announce your presence and tell the whole world that there is a village full of trained warriors living here? This shows that an entire community of people can live their lives every day just like everyone else, yet still prepare and train. The rest of the world didn’t know then and they don’t need to know now.

Principle #4: Community and Self-Reliance.
Contrary to what some may argue community and self reliance are not mutually exclusive ideas. The Ninja were experts at having a community OF self reliance. The Ninja often lived in very close nit villages and towns where they worked and trained together so as to provide everything they needed and thus insulate themselves from the rest of Japan. Today we have been trained to think that community means reliance upon others, but who decides where our community ends and who we are to be reliant on? If we were to think in terms of a community of self reliance, perhaps in our churches and neighborhoods we could go along way to change our nation in a better direction. Instead of thinking its all about me and my preparations we should look to find a group of like-minded people with similar moral values and help each other work and train to provide for our every need locally. (Mr. Rawles has expounded this idea for many years, and I say it’s a sound principle wherever it comes from and can be applied to far more than just a retreat group.) This could go along ways even in our own neighborhoods and churches to insulate us from the insanity which is happening to the rest of the world. Imagine you belonged to a church or lived in a town which took no federal subsidies, grew its own local food and had a strong tradition of tradesman and craftsman industry… how bad would a collapse of the dollar and international economy be for you then? Not good for sure but a lot better than what your looking at now.

Principle #5: Fluidity.
Absolutely essential to the fighting style and even day to day life of the Ninja is the principle of fluidity. The Ninja fighting style involves five principle ways or feelings of combat. Each one represents an element of existence and grants almost a personality to your movement and technique. Examples are fire, a strong hot burst of energy cutting through an opponent or earth, the stable and immovable feeling of power. The five elements (earth, wind, fire, water, and the void) are not in themselves all powerful; it is the Ninjas ability to transition from one to the other and combine them in response to any situation which is essential. This fluidity was not just expressed in the elemental forms of combat, but instead is the fundamental difference between the Samurai and the Ninja. The Samurai followed set in stone techniques and movements. Memorize enough movements and you will have one for every situation. The Ninja started when they had to adapt and abandon old ways; this flexibility allowed them to meet all situations and adapt their techniques to any situation. A fundamental idea in the Ninja philosophy is not to have expectations of what will happen, but instead to be ready for and deal with whatever comes. Work towards your goals but adapt to the outcomes as they happen, don’t get caught in a frustrating loop of things not going your way and reacting with the same effort every time. We prepare for a myriad of predicted situations, financial collapse, martial law, foreign invasion, civil unrest, tyrannical dictatorships or natural disasters. We should not have categories of tools and utensils for each scenario all stored in labeled lockers and sealed for that day. We should have basic tools which will work in any situation. Tools which serve multiple purposes and can be adapted to anything we need.

There are many things we need to be prepared and I pose we can learn from the Ninja just what we need. We can use the five elements to know what we need to have in order to flow from one situation to the next.

WATER: Just as water feeds life and contains a power in both its ability to draw away from and crash back onto anything, to slowly erode a mountain, feed the tallest tree; we need the essentials of life. Food and water, staples which will allow us to pull away from society in crazy times or from a disaster; then crash back into the world to effect proper change because we did not have to corrupt ourselves or compromise our morals to obtain the basic necessities of life. Having extras of the basic staples of life also can allow us to slowly erode the negative influences in the world around us by being able to help those in need. When a friend or neighbor loses a job or goes through a personal tragedy having extras allows us to help, possibly preventing them from becoming dependent on a corrupt system of entitlements and government dependency.

EARTH: Strong foundations in faith and community allow us to stand like a rock against the corruption and destruction around us. Drawing strength from our foundations in the lord and our ability to stand on our own can enable us to be the rock upon which the golden hordes can wash upon with no effect. Earth also is the principle in which our retreats and our property can give us strength. It is the foundation in this world from which we draw strength. Having our own land, untouched and uncontrolled by the outside world allows us to have a foundation which can not be corrupted; to remain in our communities and to hold our morals untouched by the rest of this corruption we see around us today.

FIRE: Fire is our arms, our brute force through firepower.
“Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any bands of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States” -Noah Webster
The Ninja as with all people of Japan were disarmed by the ruling elites, however the Ninja refused to comply, instead they fought back. There is a time in life when life can only continue to exist through the direct application of violence. Fire comes in a burst of violence, heat and action. It is emotional, but not un-controlled. Fire also represents our passion, the passion which makes us act. It is the burning sense of right and wrong which protects our very soul from the corruption of the world. When the world around us descends into chaos it is this passion for justice which will separate us from the looters, not just our stockpile of food.

WIND: Wind leaves us aloof, it represents the lighthearted sense of security preparedness gives us. Knowing that you can not be harmed by a grid down situation, or a food shortage; knowing that you are ready to take on armed bands of looters, or able to provide medical aid to a family member. This is the goal of every prepper, and with it comes a feeling that you can flit through life untouched like a leaf blowing in the wind. This feeling does not come from having stockpiles of dry beans, nor does it come from an arsenal of guns and bullets. This feeling comes from the training we seek. Having beans and bullets does you no good without the ability to use them and the confidence which comes from training. The feeling of being un-touchable effects your very movement and every aspect of life. Being self reliant, with your own business and self sustaining property gives you this confidence and allows you to take stands politically and economically without fear of losing your job or being evicted from your home if you oppose the powers at be.

THE VOID: This is often a difficult concept. In a sense the void is entirely what preparing is. The void is the sense that anything can and will happen. On one hand it is the knowledge of all potential dangers and the ability to handle them. On the other hand it is the ability to react with anything, having every tool in your toolbox so that you can react and adapt in any way necessary. Basically preppers have a stereotype, a reputation for being the crazy guy sitting in his basement full of food and guns with a frying pan for a helmet declaring the end is near. Where the void can help is in the idea of not being an idea. Not being anything in particular, be void of form. Don’t fit a stereotype; don’t buy tools or equipment because you are told it’s the cool prepper thing to do. Void means that your entire life is intertwined with the principles of survival preparation and you live the way you believe. Prepping isn’t just something you do, it is a part of who you are and in everything you do. You do not have the form of a prepper, you’re just prepared.

I have done my best in this article to both educate you about the medieval survivalists of Japan and to point out lessons we can learn from their approach to life. I am by no means an expert in the subject, but I have brought to you my understandings. I hope that this has been a great help for you. If you are interested in this subject and would like to pursue it further I strongly encourage you to do so. There is so much that the Ninja of our modern world can teach and can give you for your survival preparations. To learn more I suggest you seek a group called the Bujinkan.

Letter Re: Cold Steel Bushman Knives

Mr. Rawles,
I feel compelled to comment on Pat’s latest review for the Cold Steel “Bushman” line of knives. I have been a Cold Steel fan for years and like Pat, am completely sold on their products, and I have owned/own a lot of their line. I have owned approximately 15 Bushman knives over the years, some I gave away to friends and family and some I still own…and some I’ve broke. Yes, it broke.

Towards the end of Pat’s review, he talks about attaching the hollow handle of the Bushman to a good wood shaft.  I wanted to try this, and already knowing I needed more than a broomhandle to make myself a spear, I went ahead and ordered three spare shafts that usually are made for Cold Steels’ assegai spears. I know that the spear shafts are excellent shafts since I’ve owned several over the years and have used and abused them and only ever managed to break one…but that was more my fault than the product failure. Anyway, I attached two of my Bushman knives to these new spear shafts and began to throw. On the second throw of the first spear I made, it stuck into the target just fine, but the weight of the shaft pulling downward was to much for the Bushman and broke the blade completely in half. I was more than a little upset. The second spear I had made broke on the first throw! Once again, the weight of the shaft pulling down was too much, and broke about 3/4″ off the tip.

Now, is this product failure? I don’t think so. I highly doubt I would have broken them if I had used a shorter spear shaft. BTW, I had ordered the longer shafts that are about 6′ long. I was simply using these knives in the way they are not meant to be used. The Bushman knives do have a hollow handle to make a spear, but it doesn’t mean you should do it. In my opinion, if you make a long shaft Bushman spear, it should be made for thrusting only (not throwing), or to keep distance between yourself and a predator.

All this being said, I love my Bushman knives. They are solid products that are worth way more than you will pay for them. Just thought I’d share. – Joseph J.

Economics and Investing:

B.B. spotted this over at Zero Hedge: Sheila Bair’s Modest Proposal To Fix Everything: Hyperinflation

John Mauldin on the Greek default: There Will Be Contagion

Sue C. sent us this: Analysis: Investors run scared of Spain’s battered banks

Also from Sue: Meet Allan Hill, the man who lives In Detroit’s abandoned Packard Auto Plant

And from Diana V.: 43% Have Gone Through A Week Without Paying Cash

Items from The Economatrix:

Consumers Are Spending More, So Sales Are Up

US Michigan Consumer Sentiment Decreased 75.7 In April

Inflation Outpaces Earnings, Threatens Spending

Odds ‘n Sods:

Micah wrote to suggest a useful mapping resource for choosing retreat locales. With it, you can pinpoint upwind nuclear reactors, (planned, operating, and closed), coal-fired plants, and more. JWR Notes: I did note an error in the location of the decommissioned Trojan nuclear plant. (It is not east of Bend, Oregon, as shown on their map. It is actually near Ranier, Oregon, in the northwest corner of the state. Apparently, their maps default to plotting somewhere near the center of a state if no detailed location is provided.) I must also mention the politics of web site’s creators are quite apparent. They list hydroelectric plants as deleterious to the environment, citing the number of fish that they kill by blocking spawning routes. This is a mostly fair assessment. Yet they soft-pedal the conservatively estimated 440,000 birds that are killed annually by wind farms. They state (with no reference given) that: “Wind turbines kill an average of about two birds per turbine per year.” What optimists! (More realistic statistics on bird and bat kills are substantially higher.) And while they ever-so-briefly admit the toxic chemicals that are used in making photovoltaic panels, they don’t mention the chemicals released at the end of life of each panel, even if there is an attempt to recycle it, nor do they mention the amount of CO2 that is released in making them. Because of their politics, the Energy Justice folks seem to suffer from selective blindness. I gather that if they had it their way and if they applied their criteria uniformly, then anyone living above 45 degrees of latitude would freeze in the dark.

   o o o

The makers of Homestead Drying Racks are offering a free e-magazine called Homestead Community Post.  Their magazine has a nice layout and plenty of useful information. They plan to produce it quarterly. 

   o o o

New Mexico, with a French Accent: New Mexico firm applies for first horse meat slaughterhouse. (A hat tip to Lee M. for the link.)

   o o o

Timothy R. suggested this: Gardening Companion Planting Chart

   o o o

Safecastle (one of our loyal advertisers) has announced a big series of storage food sales: April 4 to June 30: Red Feather, Bega, Future Essentials, MREs, Honey, Ghee: 5% off (in addition to normal member discounts)
 April 8 to June 30: Grandma’s Country, Keystone, Yoders: 10% off (in addition to normal member discounts)
 April 15 to June 30: American Family Supply: 15% off (in addition to normal member discounts)
 April 22 to May 6: Mountain House cans: 25% off (in addition to normal member discounts)
 May 7 to June 30: Lindon Farms: 35% off (in addition to normal member discounts)

Rebates are also awarded. Safecastle Royal Buyers Club members earn the following on storage food purchases:
3% rebate gift certificate if their total member food purchases from April 1 – June 30, 2012 have not exceeded $2,499.
5% rebate gift certificate  if their total member food purchases from April 1 – June 30, 2012 have totaled between $2,500 – $7,000.
7 % rebate gift certificate if their total member food purchases from April 1 – June 30 exceed $7,000.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Those who create and issue money and credit direct the policies of government and hold in the hollow of their hands the destiny of the people." – Reginald McKenna, former Chancellor of Exchequer (in England)

Note from JWR:

Today we are posting another review by SurvivalBlog’s volunteer Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio. Pat’s main expertise is with knives and firearms, but he is open to reviewing all sorts of products that have applicability to self-sufficient families. If you are a manufacturer or importer with a product that you’d like to submit for Pat’s test and evaluation, please contact him via e-mail.

Pat’s Product Review: Cold Steel Bushman Series Knives

1

I have received many requests to test and evaluate the Cold Steel “Bushman” line of knives that Cold Steel is producing. I’ve been a big fan of Cold Steel products since the very beginning – I’m sold on their products. However, for some strange reason, I never requested anything from the Bushman series of knives.
 
My friend, Lynn Thompson, who owns and operates Cold Steel, isn’t afraid to back up his products, and does so, in a series of videos on his company web site. On the web site, you will see all manner of Cold Steel products being put through a variety of torture tests, that would make other knife makers shudder. Thompson isn’t afraid to show you how his knives are tested – sharpness is only one of the tests – and to be sure, Cold Steel set the standard in my humble opinion for super-sharp knives many years ago. Lynn puts all his cutlery through things that you and I wouldn’t even think of – to prove to his customers just how strong and well-built his cutlery is. You really need to watch the various videos on the web site to appreciate the torture Cold Steel knives go through – no one else in the cutlery field are doing this. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time on the computer watching all the videos – its worth it.
 
First up for test and evaluation is the Pocket Bushman – and right up front, I’ll tell you, this is a spartan-looking folder – it’s not going to win any beauty contests. Nor was it designed to. The 4116 German stainless steel blade, is razor-sharp out of the box, so be aware of that. Also, be sure to read the warning that comes with this knife before opening it. The blade length is 4-1/2″, so there’s plenty of blade to get most jobs done from survival to self-defense. Now, the handle is manufactured out of one piece of 420 stainless steel and it’s bead blasted to cut down on reflectivity. You have to closely examine the one piece handle to sincerely appreciate how it’s made – it’s one flat piece of stainless steel, that is cut to the right dimensions and then folded over onto itself, to form the handle. We are talking super strong. I tried bending it with my bare hands – didn’t happen.
 
The weight of the Pocket Bushman is 6.1 ounces, so it’s not exactly light – nor is it too heavy, either. overall length of the knife, in the open position is 10-1/4″ – it’s a handful, no doubt about it. The blade is of the clip point design, and hollow ground from top to bottom, with just enough belly to be useful for all sorts of tasks, too. A dual thumb stud is there for opening the knife one-handed – more on this in a moment. There is also a pocket/clothing clip, which can be moved from one side to the other for ambi pocket carry for right or left handed carry, too. There is a 550 Paracord lanyard in the butt of the handle as well.
 
The overall appearance of the Pocket Bushman is very sleek and smooth as well. Now, for the thumb studs for one-handed opening. Yeah, you can open the Pocket Bushman with one hand, but you can’t really open it “fast” – there is a lot of resistance from the locking mechanism. So, don’t think you are gonna whip the Pocket Bushman out of your pocket and flick it open fast with one hand. Now, that’s not a bad thing, either. The patented internal Ram-Safe locking mechanism is the strongest I’ve ever run across – this knife is a virtual fixed blade when fully opened and locked. On the Cold Steel video of the testing of this knife, they place 250 pounds of dead weight on the lock and it doesn’t fail – and I believe the lock can take even more weight before failing. That is very impressive.
 
Now comes the “trick” to closing the blade, once you open it. I showed the Pocket Bushman to several people, and they couldn’t figure it out – until I showed them. You must pull on the lanyard cord, which then releases the lock and you can close the blade. It takes quite a bit of effort to pull on the lanyard to get the lock to release, too. If you’re a petite woman, this folder probably isn’t for you – and I’m not a sexist, either – just being realistic about the strength and effort required to unlock the blade.
 
As a rule, I don’t recommend any folding knife for chopping chores. However, with the 4-1/2″ blade and long handle, you can actually do some light chopping chores with the Pocket Bushman. I chopped some fairly large branches off a dead apple tree in my front yard without a lot of effort. I was impressed, to say the least. The blade never loosened, nor did the lock show signs of giving way, either.
 
The Pocket Bushman isn’t gonna win any beauty contests, but it wasn’t designed to. This knife is designed to save your butt when the chips are down – using it for survival, or self-defense – this hummer won’t let you down. You would think that a folding knife that is this strong, and super-sharp, that can take anything you can throw at it, would cost a lot – it doesn’t! I was more than a little surprised to see that full-retail is only $42.99, and you can find it for less than that on the ‘net if you shop around. To be sure, if this knife were a hundred bucks, it would be worth the asking price. This may just be the last folding knife you’ll ever need – this baby isn’t gonna fail you, under the harshest of conditions. With that said, “beauty” is in the eye of the beholder, and I find the Pocket Bushman a real “beauty” in my book. There’s no reason this knife shouldn’t be high on your list of cutlery for survival purposes.
 
Next up are the Bushman and Bowie Bushman, fixed blade knives. The original Bushman has been around for a decade now – and that says a lot about the design and strengths of the knife. To underscore this: I was once told by the owner of a major knifemaking company that a really good knife design typically has about a three year market life. After that, the design doesn’t sell well any longer. Think about it…
 
Okay, we once again come to a knife that won’t win any beauty contests, and once again, it wasn’t designed to. It was mean to be a very affordable and nearly indestructible fixed blade do-it-all knife. There are a few differences between the two fixed blade Bushman knives, and needless to say, one has a Bowie-style blade and the other is more conventional. The original Bushman weighs in at 9.8-oz, and the Bowie 10.1-oz. both have a 7″ blade made out of SK-5 High Carbon steel, that has a protective black coating the help retard rust – and Carbon Steel knives will rust if you don’t take care of them. The overall length of both knives is 12 1/4″ from tip to butt.
 
Unlike conventional hollow handle knives – which the Bushman is – the hollow handle isn’t a separate part of the knife – the hollow handle and blade are all once piece. The blade and handle are expertly forged out of one piece of SK-5 Carbon Steel – as you will readily see once you handle a Bushman. There isn’t any screw-in cap on the hollow handle of the Bushman, instead you can pack whatever survival supplies you want in the handle and then close it off with some duct tape, or whatever you have on-hand – even stuffing it with clothing or mud would work.
 
Both fixed blade Bushman knives come complete with a Cor-Ex sheath as well, and there’s a pocket on the front of the sheath for carrying other things, like a multi-tool, sharpening stone or whatever you might feel you need – even fishing line and tackle. I was honestly surprised, that the Bushman came with a sheath, especially considering the full-retail price of only $37.99 for your choice of blade styles.
 
The Bushman have been torture-tested by Cold Steel. Be sure to watch their video. You’ll be amazed, by what these knives can do. One test included putting over two tons of weight at the handle/blade junction and it didn’t fail. Wow!
 
While not designed as a throwing knife, the fixed blade Bushman can be used for throwing. I don’t recommend you use the knife as a throwing knife in a self-defense situation, but you can have a lot of fun in your backyard just throwing the Bushman and watching ’em stick in the target. It doesn’t take a lot of practice to get the blades to stick in a target, either. And, like all Cold Steel cutlery, the Bushman were shaving sharp right out of the box, and held an edge a good long time – even after doing some serious chopping on some dead trees on my small homestead.
 
You can also attach a pole/shaft to the hollow handle, and use the knives for self-defense that way, or even use ’em for hunting small game by taking careful aim and launching the Bushman at your game. To be honest, it didn’t take a lot of practice to consistently hit a makeshift target I set up in my yard – but the old broomhandle I was using broke – it was already broke from the broom head – but it broke again after several throwing sessions. You can find a good wood shaft to attach to the Bushman, making it into a virtual spear – and it’s lots of fun, too.
 
So, once again, we have a couple Bushman knives that won’t win any beauty contests, and they weren’t designed for that. Lynn Thompson, designs his knives for hard use. That’s not to say Cold Steel doesn’t have some beautiful knives in their catalog – about 95% of their knives are a thing of beauty in my eye. But the Bushman series of fixed blade and the folder, weren’t designed as beauty queens, they were designed for the worst conditions you can submit any blade to, and they will hold-up to all you throw at ’em. What’s not to like here?
 
As already mentioned, either of the fixed blade Bushman knives retail for $37.99 each – and there is no reason you can’t get one or two of these babies and toss ’em in your e-box in your car, or your bug out bag. I can’t think of any other knives, in this price range, that can stand-up to the same torture – it’s just that simple in my book.
 
As I stated at the beginning of this article, I’ve received more requests for me to test and evaluate the Cold Steel Bushman series of knives, than any other products. I’ve got to admit, I’m sorry I didn’t request a Bushman many years ago. I kind of put it off, since the Bushman series are  inexpensive knives, assuming that they were more of a gimmick than anything. I hate admitting I’m wrong – but I was. The Bushman series are knives that won’t let you down, and you can certainly afford them on just about any budget. Get one or two, or all three – and you’ll thank me. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio

Letter Re: Home Security in Great Britain

Mr. Rawles:
First of all, I would just like to say a huge thank you for all the advice, expertise, and survival techniques that you have bought to my attention through your books and your blog. I never realised just how much of a risk our current climate is, and how likely we are to get to a state of “every man for himself” survival.

My name is Steve. I am a 21 year old living in the West Midlands county in the heart of Great Britain. I have always had survivalism in my blood, and have always liked to think that I am prepared for whatever the world can throw at me, but recently, the last four years or so, I have become increasingly worried with the state of my country and economical clime. My fears were confirmed last August when mass rioting and looting took control of many of my country’s cities, including our capital, London. The authorities and law enforcement were powerless to do a thing, and we were nearly in a state of “Northern Ireland law enforcement”, in that the armed forces were to patrol the streets, and we were to have riot shielded police with water cannons on every street corner. Thankfully, that situation has calmed down now, but I know it is only a matter of time before chaos breaks out again.

My main concern is that I, like many million other British residents, live in multi-story, “high rise” flat (apartment) which I see as near enough impossible to defend in the event of WTSHTF. Some “high rise” flats can have as many as 60-70 homes, with 200+ people living in them. It’s one thing to secure my front door from burglary and looters, but what’s the point when our housing options are so small that we barely have enough room to sleep a family, let alone store equipment and supplies for the inevitable. It’s impossible for me to keep a back up generator along with substantial food, water, and fuel supplies in a home that has the total floor space of around 30’x30′, including bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, living room and dining space. My home is just not a practical safe house for me, my fiancée, and our daughter. Let alone the fact that we are on the 5th floor, and would have almost zero chance of escape in the event of a fire or terror attack.

I know that the obvious thing to do would be to move house, somewhere out of the city with the space and freedom to properly prepare, but we simply can not afford to. I am currently out of work. I lost my job over a year ago and have been unable to find work since. The same goes for my fiancée, who lost her job nearly two years ago and has also been unable to find a new work placement. We both have to survive on[a combined unemployment insurance benefit of] just over £53 per week (about $84.50 USD), pay all our bills, rent, buy our food, and also bring up our young daughter. It’s outrageous. In the past two years alone I have witnessed more businesses and company’s both regionally, and nationally, collapse due to the economic state that my government has put the country in. I have recently applied to join the British Armed Forces Reserves (Territorial Army, or TA) in an attempt to earn more money to support my family, and also acquire any necessary tactical, survival, and combat, training and techniques that will undoubtedly prove vital WTSHTF.

Another concern I have, the laws and regulations in this country regarding owning and using firearms. Shotguns and shotgun licenses are fairly easy to obtain, if you own a farm or are a registered target/clay-pigeon/small-game shooter. But other than that, pistols, rifles, and semi-auto weapons are nearly impossible to obtain and get a licence for. A licence can be applied for, but are rarely granted. If you are lucky enough to obtain your licence and firearm, you can expect regular “knocks on your door” at 3 a.m. by the local armed police to check your ammo count and security cabinets for both weapon and ammunition. Then there is the fact of actually getting hold of ammunition for your gun(s). The only real stockist of rifle and pistol ammunition is local “gun clubs” where enthusiasts can go and fire a limited number of rounds from their weapon. But even then, only specific weapons are allowed to be fired. Mostly, some pistols and shotguns. We have no real facilities to accurately zero and test fire weapons that we will no doubt need for our own protection and survival in the case of TEOTWAWKI.

I know I may be thinking small in terms of what will happen, but these are real concerns that I deem as extremely important to the survival and order of my family and fellow country man in the near, inevitable, future.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback or advice that you could give me.

Thank you again, and keep yourself safe. – D.S.

JWR Replies: Joining the TA is a great way to get yourself training in marksmanship, land navigation, first aid, small unit tactics, and even NBC defense. The rigorous physical training will also get you in great shape. BTW, I recommend that you start running every-other day and doing dozens of sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups a day, months in advance of your enlistment.

The free SurvivalBlog archives are fully searchable for the many articles that we’ve posted on selecting and training with weapons for locales with draconian laws. The article topics include:

Recipe of the Week:

S.A.’s Hearty Bean Soups

First, if your family doesn’t feel that a hearty bowl of beans is a meal, you need to start down this path as soon as possible. In my childhood, even though coming from a comfortable, educated home, every single Saturday, while the house was being cleaned and weekly grocery shopping done, a big pot of pinto beans was on the stove simmering away. My parents, both raised during the Great Depression, descendants from Civil War families, had also lived through rationing during WWII. The pinto beans were served with cornbread slathered with butter. My father would crumble his cornbread into a tall glass and top it off with buttermilk. He had barely survived starvation as a teenager yet lived to be 88.

This is a survival recipe. It uses ham fat, which is critical, vital, and imperative for metabolism. Read James Michener’s novel Poland to see how hungry and deprived people feel about eating fat. If your diet is balanced, the fat in this recipe is just one more menu item that will not hurt you, but rather help keep your body well-functioning.

Onto the recipe: This works for any kind of bean, but my most favorite is black-eyed peas. You can use canned or dried. If dried, sort out the pebbles, rinse dirt off several times, soak overnight if you wish to hurry the cooking, cook until done. I always use a crock pot. Some people add a small amount of baking soda for gas. I don’t find it necessary.

·         1-3 cans of beans (use the beans, liquid, and rinse/swish with a little water to get everything from the can)
·         1 can Rotel Tomatoes and Chilis
·         Fat trimmed from a cooked ham

Buy a real ham, cook it, trim off the fat and save every fat scrap as you eat the ham. (Of course, leave on a little when you fry ham for breakfast as fat is tasty when caramelized.)
When you are ready for a pot of beans, dice the ham fat into a skillet. I use non-stick spray and a little olive oil to cut down on sticking to the pan. Brown the fat pieces and the ham bone and render the fat. When done, first allow it to cool and then gently pour the grease and fat pieces into the crock pot. Now put a can of Rotel into the skillet to de-glaze. Stir around until you get everything loosened.
Now pour the contents of the skillet (Rotel tomatoes, little brown bits scraped from the bottom of the skillet) and all the beans or peas or lentils or whatever with the liquid into a crock pot. No additional water is needed. Everything is well-cooked, but I let it go on low for a couple of hours to marry all the flavors. As the ham bone is in the crock pot, the last of the remaining meat and fat will loosen. Take out the bone and remove every last scrap bit and return to the pot. Some people think adding a tablespoon of vinegar releases some additional nutrients from the ham bone. I do this, but it doesn’t affect the flavor at all.

When done, serve with a dash of salt to taste, some chopped cilantro for green. Other optional toppings are fresh onion if you like, some sliced jalapeño or serrano pepper growing from your garden (right?) if you need more heat, or a trickle of Pepper Sauce, if desired. Commercial Pepper Sauce is simply small hot peppers bottled in vinegar, or you can make your own. As the vinegar gets used up, just continue to add more vinegar to refresh. A bottle lasts almost forever. You can choose to add nothing and this bowl of beans is still amazing and wonderful.    

Chef’s Notes:

If you must have some starch, artisan bread, cornbread, tortillas, flatbread all go along nicely. Remember, while beans are a protein substitute, they are still carbohydrates. So you are covered there.   
Some cases of your favorite beans and Rotel tomatoes are a cheap, nutritious, and delicious way to increase your stores.
I eat this almost everyday for lunch and eagerly look forward to it. Fat has more calories than meat, so you will not get hungry in the afternoon. It’s rib-sticking, as they used to say. 

Useful Recipe and Cooking Links:

19th Century Recipes

Selected Recipes from Colonial Williamsburg

Do you have a favorite recipe that you have tested extensively? Then please e-mail it to us for posting. Thanks!

Economics and Investing:

U.S. Mint production of Nickels (five cent pieces) is up 78%. (Also see this related article: US Mint Circulating Coin Production Shifts to Lower Denominations.) JWR’s Comment: That large an increase can’t be attributable just to collector demand. Obviously, a small but forward-thinking portion of the citizenry is anticipating a debasement, and these wise folks are stockpiling nickels. Methinks the next 18 months could turn out to be a bit of 1963 and 1964 deja vu. Mark my words: Congress will act. Debasement is coming. Get your nickels before the composition change. (That is, before you have to hand sort coins.)

27 Statistics About The European Economic Crisis That Are Almost Too Crazy to Believe. [JWR Asks: What will life be like in the U.S. when we go into a similar austerity mode?]

Joe M. mentioned this video rant: Foreclosure Dam Ready To Break

Jeff P. spotted this by John Grgurich of The Motley Fool: Is Another Banking Crisis Staring America in the Face?

Items from The Economatrix:

10 Signs That The Job Market Is Improving

Lenders Again Dealing Credit to Risky Clients.

Fed Prepared to Act, But Only if Economy Weakens [JWR Notes: Are we supposed to be impressed with their restraint at creating money out of thin air? Any bets about how long they stay on the “no debt monetization” sobriety wagon?]

Jobless Claims Cast Cloud On Labor Market

Odds ‘n Sods:

Patrice Lewis, the editor of the excellent Rural Revolution blog has authored a series succinct and concise e-books on practical topics: The Self-Sufficiency Series. These sell for just $1.50 each. They don’t sell hard copy editions, but since most of them are less than 20 pages each you can print out your own reference binder copies at home. (I recommend that you keep backup copies on the memory thumb drive in your Bugout Bag.)

   o o o

Washington state launches new disaster preparedness web site, campaign. (Our thanks to M.E.S. for the link.)

   o o o

Reader C.D.V. spotted this: Measuring Sin, Statistically

   o o o

K.S. suggested this resource: 37 Survival Downloads and Handbooks – Pioneering, SHTF, Engineering, Urban Gardening, Defense, and More

   o o o

Greg S. sent this: US Defense Department donating ‘hundreds’ of surplus military robots to police

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Paper money has had the effect in your state that it will ever have, to ruin commerce, oppress the honest, and open the door to every species of fraud and injustice." – President George Washington

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 40 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, 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 $275 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) 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, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 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.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 40 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Predator or Prey: The Single Parent Survival Guide, by Sarah B.

While the majority of single parents are women, men too can be found in this situation. Generally speaking, single women with children are usually on the lower end of the economic spectrum. Let’s face it, poorer young mothers (or fathers) with very young children need to learn survival skills as much as anyone else, and do not have the financial resources to buy all they need.  So what do you do if you are a single woman with a babe-in-arms and two toddlers and have no money?

I can tell you what you can’t do, you can’t sit around and wait for help or someone else to do it for you. You must seriously realize the life and death of your children can rest upon you and you alone.  Don’t look to the government, or your family/community, or anyone else. Look in the mirror, you brought them into the world, you are responsible for them. When you have children who are solely dependent upon what you do, what you pack and your decisions, it puts a weighty burden on the non-prepared.   

Little to nothing is written on the special resources for a single parent survival needs especially for lower income women with babies and toddlers.  As a single parent myself, I faced life-threatening events, and my survival skills helped keep my family well and strong. But much of what I learned was learned the hard way. I was lucky enough to have had grandparents who survived the Great Depression and they taught me lessons growing up that are deeply ingrained in me. These lessons include gardening, canning, food storage and self-defense along with hard work and strong faith. My mom’s first husband was military and being paid once each month she said her food never lasted the whole month and she learned how to scrimp and stretch. She taught me how to estimate food usage and how to make it last. My own fathers abusive temper and his drinking and drug problem, led mom to have to take the us as children several times to safe environments. We found women’s shelters, safe houses and remote camping sites until the law finally had the problem under control. So, I am not joking when I say I have seen my own mother face life-threatening emergency situations with children multiple times on a shoestring budget.  As you have read many disasters do not come from Mother Nature or governmental influences, some you can only prepare for with faith, knowledge and guidance.  

Some of the first hints I will give may make the hard-core well equipped preppers laugh and think this is a comedy show. But I guarantee you that young mothers need to be creative to meet their needs with a “$0” budget. Here are some hints for developing your Bug-out-bag (BOB). Of course, having some kind of a BOB with small children is better than no BOB. Always, always pack a BOB in something with wheels, a wheeled suitcase, a wheeled cooler, a wheeled cart or anything else on wheels that will hold your stuff. A single parent with small children needs a wheeled BOB, I cannot emphasize that enough. Remember the lessons we learned during Katrina, the agony on the parents face as they begged for help. Many did not have BOBs or did not have the time to grab them. Prepare yourself and your children now, don’t wait.

Some say they don’t know where to start. Start with what you have. Look at the needs of your children, and start there.  Pack clothing, blankets, copies of insurance cards, birth records and other important records. Get free info from the Red Cross on first aid and emergency medical info, go to health expos at churches or county fairs who often have free first aid kits. FEMA, the Internet and other organizations have info on what to include in your BOB. Get free road maps from state or local highway departments or tourist info stations. Use dryer lint [from drying cotton clothes] in a sandwich bag for fire starter; just remember to put your matches in a separate baggie. Use left-over utensils from past parties, like animal shaped plastic spoons, paper plates with animal faces or napkins with balloons. These things you would normally throw out can brighten little faces in emergency situations. Smaller plates or saucers come in handy if the food is scarce; small portions always looks like more if the plate is smaller.  Pack new (can be cheap from the dollar store) toys or unused new party favors, this will hold their attention longer. Pack both cloth and disposable diapers, cloth diapers can double for other necessities. Don’t forget to pack formula (preferably powdered), bottles, pacifiers or other major needs your child has. You know your child, their needs, their wants and behavior; you also know the items your family likes to cook and the tools to defend your family. Here I must say if you are a person of faith, then you need to prepare your family spiritually as well. If you are a spiritual person place a small set of your Scriptures or other spiritual items such as prayers or item in your BOB.  Do not forget to pack water. Water can be bottled in almost any empty, clean used plastic bottle or 2 liter, just remember to sterilize it with bleach or some other method. You can find instructions for sanitizing water with bleach on many sites on the internet, be sure to use regular bleach. Knowledge is key, look at your community you might be surprised what is available to you.

Hints for babies and toddlers: Being alone with a baby or toddler or both can put you in a very venerable situation when it comes to emergencies. It is critical to have a plan and have a well prepared BOB. I strongly suggest you find a support system, but not just anyone or any friend. Find someone who would love and treat your child like their own if you were not available. Look carefully and chose even more carefully.  Don’t let out of your arms the thing that is the most important to you, your baby, it is going to be hard to carry children in your arms and on your hips and also carry a bag. Keep your child close to your heart to keep them safe, use a sling or a baby carrier that fits like a back pack. Never let go of your children, keep them close at all times in an emergency situation. How many times in the news recently have we seen strollers roll into subway tracks or train tracks? If the baby had been in a snuggly or a sling, in the mother’s arms, that would not have happened. It would take an Amazon woman to carry both her children and a backpack; most women cannot do that, but just remember, unless you have direct contact with your child, you do not have control. Carry your child, wheel your supplies. Keep your most precious close to your heart. Always, always take a long blanket or sheet so that you can swaddle your child. Swaddle babies and insecure children any age to help them feel more comfortable and under control with the situation, the extra sheet you pack to do this can also come in handy in other ways, for shelter or a tent.

Hints for preschoolers and elementary ages: For toddlers and older children, have key words for specific things, words age appropriate. This can be a fun game, if my Daughter would start to sing the Star Spangled Banner; I knew to find a bathroom fast. Do not just use keywords for SHTF make key words for fun items such as the bathroom or for bedtime.  I learned that by adding some “fun words” this helps them learn the key words faster and not forget. For toddlers and preschooler, always pack a wrist-to-wrist strap. If you don’t have one, make one from elastic or an old belt or a purse strap. I made my children wear wrist straps that secured their wrist at one end to my wrist at the other end, especially when we were in danger. That way I always knew where they were and had some control over my toddlers.  They did not like it, but they were safe and that is more important.

Hints for middle school to teenagers: incorporating older children into family participation should be a natural outcome of a loving family relationship.  You can enroll them in programs to teach self-defense or other items, some at school.  Many Police and Fire departments and organization such as Boy and Girl Scouts and The American Red Cross have programs that are free to children or to the public. For middle and high school children who are old enough to understand, explain the gravity of the situation and be honest with them. They understand and can help, and will probably become more fearful if you do not talk to them. The older the child, the more stress they can help take off of you, by sharing the burden. Middle school aged children understand more than you know and are usually quieter about their feelings. When you can get to a safe spot, encourage your children to talk out their feelings.

Lastly, to find what you really need in a disaster situation with your children, throw only your BOB in the car with your kids one weekend, and leave for a State Park or camping site. You will learn real quickly what you need and what you don’t need. Practicing in a normal situation makes an emergency bug-out feel less dangerous. Always, yes always keep your car full of gas; you never want to be in a situation where you don’t have the gas to get your kids to safety. Sacrifice a Girl Scout meeting, or a lunch trip out, or whatever it takes during the week, to keep your car full of gas.

Sheltering-in-place; A single parent has different needs than that a two parent family for food storage. You need to buy more ‘child’ food and less ‘adult’ food. You can always eat baby food, but a baby cannot always eat adult food, unless you process your own baby food. My mother always kept her food storage on the bedroom closet floor, underneath her dresses. We kids were in charge of stacking the boxes and marking the dates with a permanent marker on top, now I understand that it wasn’t much food storage, but it served our family well as we never ran out of food.  Instead of trying to buy food storage all at one time, buy some with each trip to the store. Buying a bag of beans a month adds up quickly and can fill a five-gallon bucket within a year. Always check your dates on cans goods and buy foods that your family will and can eat.  My family will not eat beets so even if I love it, I would not buy it.  Rotate your foods; if you are able to buy a few extra cans eat the oldest first along with dieted cans.  Do not eat foods from bulging cans–these can kill you!  Bloated canned goods or bad water can kill younger children quickly; know a way to sterilize water.  Know about food safety, temperatures for cooking and handling foods, free on the Internet or at a County Health Department, this will keep your family alive. 

Don’t forget the water. Save your 2 liter pop bottles or sports drink bottles. Store water sanitized with regular bleach in these containers. Or if you can afford it, purchase water and keep on the shelves out of the reach of children. It doesn’t cost anything to store water, so no excuse here. Basic cooking skills with shelf stable ingredients is something to be known ahead of time and not first practiced over a make-do fire in a unfamiliar place with crying, hungry children. Know how to cook basic items, such as pancakes, gravy, or pie crust.  I am surprised how many parents don’t cook these days.
If you are limited in funds, buy flour (wheat if you have a means to grind it into flour) and store it in gallon zip lock bags. My grandmother always said her family survived the Great Depression because of flour, because she could make three things; pancakes, white gravy and pie crusts. All are flour or wheat based items. Grandma said you could put anything in a pie crust and make it taste good (she meant squirrel and rabbits too). Pies can be big, little or pocket size and can hold fruits, veggies and meats. She could also make anything with her ‘white sauce’ or white gravy. It is the base for many, many dishes and casseroles and can be put over, under or as part of almost any food. Then her pancakes, (hoe-cakes, Johnny-cakes, etc) you can put anything in pancakes, or make them thinner and roll anything in them. This one staple, a storage of wheat (long shelf life), or flour (shorter shelf life) can create all these three foods plus any type of bread, pasta or noodles. Grinding wheat when you have small children can make you go nuts, it’s hard to keep their little fingers out of everything and mills are expensive. I always kept flour, and it has served my family well. Thanks Grandma. 

You must seriously realize the life and death of your children can rest upon you and you alone.  Don’t look to the government, or your family/community, or anyone else. Again I say, Look in the mirror, you brought them into the world, you are responsible for them. Remember your emergency may never be the emergency you planned for, so be prepared for anything. Not just with cool hi-tech gizmos, but know primitive skills. My Grandpa used to say “prepare for the worse and hope for the best”. In a critical situation and usually is directly related to how you are handling the situation. If you are nervous and upset, you can bet your children will be too.  Survival is a lifestyle that needs to be incorporated into daily living.  Prepare now so you and your children will not fall prey to some other predator tomorrow.