Simplify Now, Before TEOTWAWKI, by M.D.M.

I live a self-sustaining and prepared lifestyle, always have and always will. My parents and grandparents lived this way and taught me well. Several years ago, we chose to purchase property for a mini-farm near a university town, so that we could have it all, a self-sufficient small farm near educational and intellectual endeavors for my children. Naturally hidden from view we bulldozed a home site in the woods and built our property up to be self-sufficient, with woods for firewood, fruit trees, garden areas, secret outdoor rooms, caves and everything anyone would want. I worked full time then and my co-workers and friends thought I was nuts working so hard mornings, nights and weekends to make my property self-sufficient. They said “America is a land of rich promise; you can buy anything you want.”  I didn’t want to buy it, I wanted to grow it and do it myself.

I chose to build a small home purely out of selfishness; I just don’t like cleaning or doing windows. I really had to downsize when we moved in as our new home was about half the square footage of anything we owned previously. I found I could simplify without cutting back on our ‘future supplies’. Our food storage and our prepared supplies take up at least a third of our home’s volume, and it remained intact. I have never regretted our choice to simplify our life, nor have I missed anything we got rid of in the process of downsizing.

Now those friends who scoffed at me are new preppers. Many of these newer preppers live in huge, sprawling, luxury homes that their large university salaries afforded. One friend in particular was talking the other day about how he has his families bug-out-bags all packed and ready to go, and all his alternate locations stocked. He has been watching Doomsday Preppers and has decided to go out and spend thousands of dollars on ‘stuff’. I commend his ability to have a salary large enough to be able to do this, but like so many others I see around me in my ‘neighborhood’ and in church, they feel the need to prepare, but haven’t thought thru the mental process of living a self-sustaining lifestyle. I would guess it’s probably because they never had to be self-sufficient and never experienced traumatic loss of their possessions. So, my question to him (and all those in this situation), is, are you seriously going to walk away from this vast luxury, sprawling, expensive home to bug out and live in a tent with your family? Can you really walk away from it all?  Can you give it all up if you had to? What are you going to do when the food runs out? This new prepper looked at me as though I had slapped him. My intent was not to be rude, but to wake him up to real TEOTWAWKI thinking. I’m not making fun of him, I’m extremely concerned.  I’m worried about him that he and his family will end up in real trouble.
 
The Bible says it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven (Matt. 19:24). I think that is because, like my affluent friend, they can’t really walk away from it all. His home being such a wealthy looking home with expensive features and a well manicured lawn would be one of the first in this area targeted by thugs and thieves. Unlike my home, that is smaller with grass that needs mowed, and heaven forbid, some weeds around the trees in front. If I’m really lucky, thugs and thieves will think it has already been ransacked and pass it by post-TEOTWAWKI.  But I chose to live simply, not because I don’t have nice things, but because I have CHOSEN to simplify. It would be hard for me to walk away, but not impossible. Physical things are not where my heart is.

If anyone seriously thinks they can bug-out post-TEOTWAWKI, and come back to everything just as they left it, they are delusional. New preppers do not understand that very well, you really have to be prepared to leave it all permanently and be able to live and thrive somewhere else. My advice is to prepare to do that by simplifying your life now. If you really believe that TEOTWAWKI is coming (as I do), then live that way. Simplify and learn to be self-sufficient now! Living a prepared and self-sustaining lifestyle is a way of life, not a weekend project.

You can simplify your lifestyle with or without downsizing. I’m not saying to get rid of everything; I’m saying to get rid of everything that would be extra baggage later or that you can live without. Ask yourself, is this a necessity, or of future value? If it isn’t an heirloom, a necessity or of future value, then get rid of it, make it one less thing you have to worry about. Now I’m not saying to strip the house and go to the bunker and wait. Not at all, matter of fact we have broken out the good china and crystal now and are using them on a daily basis, not just on the holidays. We are installing new family room carpet and painting the kitchen to spark up our home and lives. We intend to live life to its fullest every day and be happy and find the value of living now. We, like most preppers intend to stay at home as long as possible post-SHTF, but unlike many, we can walk away and not look back. Logistically speaking, we can pack everything important into the bus if necessary. I’m not sure my wealthier friends or newer preppers who are riding the ‘prepper wave’ can do this.

We have simplified our kitchen, getting rid of rarely used appliances and pans. We have simplified our wardrobes into three colors, so it is all interchangeable, thus needing much less clothing. (No, camo is not a color, it’s a blend of colors.) We have simplified our holidays by giving home baked gifts to everyone and tremendously downsizing our holiday decorations. How many strands of Christmas lights and red balls do we really need? How many pruners do we need? How many slow-cookers do I really use? Do I really need to keep those baby clothes? How many spatulas do I have? This is a good time to spread items into different bug-out locations. I found five skillets, but only used two of them. The other three went to our bunker and cabins. The old cot fit into a nifty little vacant space on the bus. The daily silverware went to the cabin and we use the good ones daily now with the bone china when we aren’t eating on paper plates. We have simplified our paperwork with a scanner and a trash burner. All memorabilia and family history has gone into scrapbooks, and I have had to limit the amount of scrapbooks. Even the sewing room has been downsized, instead of the cabinet sewing machine, I now have a portable. Instead of totes of material and supplies, it is now in under the bed chests. We freed up huge areas in the garage by selling older and duplicate tools and took the money to buy newer multi-use tools that take up much less space. We don’t miss a thing that we let go when we downsized.

Have the courage to pull it off, remembering the most beautiful trees are ones that have been deeply pruned and cut back! Don’t know where to start? Let me help, I’ve become a master at this. You can even schedule this on the calendar! Whether you are a baby-boomer or a new prepper, whether you are moving or have lived in the same home forever, I’m sure you can find unnecessary and unused items that need to go. This will make room for more food and water storage, self-defense or home defense equipment, or anything needed post-TEOTWAWKI. My parents had almost half of their home dedicated to the future and future needs and security, they were completely self-sufficient. It can be done. 

Overview; take an evening and walk thru your home, each room. Looking, really looking at every item. Look like you were shopping in a furniture or department store, noting condition and placement. If your home has a theme like French Country, Colonial or Contemporary, note anything that is out of theme. Take stray items out at this time, even if it is just to the garage.  Also, take out things you know you do not want at this time. Just admit it, everyone has some things they know they don’t want. Think about all your things, physical things, seriously. Ask yourself; are you going to want these things ten years from now? Saving it for your kids? If SHTF will these things be an asset or a detriment. Ask the hard questions, and give yourself honest answers.

Deep Clean; if you work, schedule this on weekends, usually one room per weekend. Set up four boxes or buckets in the middle of the room labeled; trash, give away, sell and barter. Starting at one specific point, usually a door handle, move clockwise around the room looking at each item, ask yourself, is it comfortable to sit in? Does it serve a purpose? Is it out of place in this room? Do I really need it? Why am I keeping it? Will I miss it? If I move it to the garage for a month, will anyone miss it? If in doubt, move your items to the garage for a month, if you do not need it, get rid of it. Go around the room slowly, don’t miss anything even pictures on the wall. If you have pictures that were heirlooms, be sure to check behind the backing on the frame before getting rid of it. Past generations loved to hid things behind pictures. Once you are done, go around the second time. You never get it all the first time. The bedroom usually takes the longest, as it involves sorting the clothing. If you start a room with a closet you may never finish, always have a starting and stopping place. Always start around the room at a door. Save the kitchen for longer time. One place to look is in your electronics drawer or cabinet, I’ll bet you’ll fine chargers to phones you don’t even own anymore or discs your computer won’t accept. Take a day and challenge yourself to simplify one closet, one dresser or one room. You might be surprised what you will find. If it doesn’t serve you today, or tomorrow or if you can’t use it post TEOTWAWKI, get rid of it, it’s excess baggage.

Finishing; by double checking the boxes. You will inevitably throw something in the wrong box. Deal with your trade box immediately, the things you find may be good barter in a post-TEOTWAWKI world, put it in a 5 gallon bucket, mark it TRADE and take it to the garage. Double check and take the ‘give away’ out to Goodwill or somewhere immediately. Be sure you are okay with giving these things away. The IRS suggests you take pictures of what you give away so if you are audited you can prove their value. If you are not sure, take it to the garage or shed for a couple of weeks. Give yourself time to come to terms with what you have done. However; word of warning, if you bring more than three or four things back into the house, stop downsizing now. You’re not in the right frame of mind to do it. Also remember a yard sale means dealing with everything twice if it doesn’t sell, try alternate methods of selling. But remember, the longer you wait to deal with your things, the less your chance of really downsizing.  

Hints: have the meals already at hand, either in the slow-cooker or the freezer. You can’t take time to cook while downsizing. Can’t get everyone together to help? Hide the car keys and pull the closet contents out and dump on the middle of the floor or on someone’s bed, so it has to be dealt with immediately. If you start with a room like the kitchen, you will be surprised how much you took out. That will give you the incentive to do the next room. I cut my household items in half in one month using this method. Once you start, it goes quickly. You may find enough space to build a hidden safe room. You may save enough time on cleaning to read books on growing veggies and fruit trees.

When simplifying you really have to ask yourself serious questions on lifestyle and future plans. Part of the process of living a prepared and self sustaining life style, is to keep life’s clutter to a minimum, find places to rotate, use, and to hide food storage and to learn to take care of yourself and your family. Having less clutter to contend with will give you the freedom to do things, less time cleaning, less to worry about losing, less for someone else to deal with in case you pass away. If you want a real incentive; ask yourself who would sort and disperse of your worldly things if you passed away today, your kids? If so, what would your kids do with some of your ‘precious’ things? If that thought doesn’t make you want to downsize today, it should! Take all the good new space you have found and fill it with food storage or some of your supplies. Even if you are not moving, by simplifying I absolutely guarantee you, all the new space you find by simplifying, you will find a use for.   

Letter Re: Experience Canning and Dehydrating Tomatoes

Dear Captain Rawles:
 Each year we dehydrate and can a lot of tomatoes.  In past years we used a “Squeezo” device to separate the skin and seeds from the pulp.   A better way is to slice each tomato into about 8 slices, from top to bottom.  Then (over a sink) with one’s fingers strip out the seed pulp and seeds.  This also removes the water surrounding the seeds and pulp.  Put the slices into a blender.  Liquefy for a couple of minutes.  Pour the homogenized tomato into the stockpot to heat for canning. The homogenized skin in nutritious.  By removing the water and pulp one begins with a more concentrated product than the Squeezo produces and this greatly reduces the time required to simmer the sauce down to the desired thickness. – Les in the Smokies

Economics and Investing:

Greeks can no longer afford paying expensive bribes. (Thanks to Rhonda for the link.)

Fred K. mentioned this ABC News report: U.S. Bridges, Roads Being Built by Chinese Firms

H.L. spotted this: Deflation? Don’t Count On It…

Also from H.L.: 100,000 Workers in Spain Will Not be Paid Because Regional Government of Catalona is Broke

Items from The Economatrix:

Confidence Drains Away

Debt Crisis Live:  July 31, 2012

Investing In Silver:  States Support Move to Metals as USD Weakens

Notes from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 41 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 $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. 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 42 ends on September 30th, 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.

Skills You Never Knew You Had–Eliminate the Starting Point, by Natural State

As a newbie prepper I have gone through the emotional progression of realizing my lack of preparedness.  It started with the feeling that something bad was going to happen now!  This quickly subsided, followed by the overwhelming feeling that I must act now.   This impulse quickly digressed to the obvious and most important step in my preparedness action plan, honest self-evaluation.  With the growing database of information on preparedness, I felt overwhelmed with my apparent lack of knowledge when it came to surviving.  I had less than a week’s worth of food in my home, no guns, and a vehicle that ran on prayers.  I could not believe I was so unprepared and had so few skills (or so I thought.)  Being a somewhat of a pessimist, I had to change my way of thinking, if I was going to implement a successful preparedness plan.  Being confident in the skills you have, and being confident in your ability to gain skills and knowledge is paramount in proper homesteading/preparedness. 

Growing up in rural Arkansas I had what I consider a farm-boy education.  I was also fortunate enough to have a few lakes and rivers within 20 miles of my home.  Like many young men that grow up outside of the city, I gained the confidence to shoot shotguns, hunting rifles, pistols, and could fish with the best of them.  I also learned basic animal tracking skills, how to recognize deer trails, squirrel nests, when the fish were more likely to bite, and various other commonplace occurrences that are found in North American outdoors.  My parents were middle-class, 50hr/wk, hard-working folks.  To earn extra income they would buy houses in need of full renovations, move our family into them, and make them new while adding a few more dollars to their checking account upon the sale.  They were house “flippers” before it became a television show.  I was entering Jr. High school when this “flipping” lifestyle began (mid-1990s), and was entrenched in the world of carpentry and home renovation.  My father was not the patient type, yet insisted on teaching me every skill necessary to improve our current dwelling.  I learned to tile floors, replace countertops, build cabinets, frame small structures, and use all the basic tools for the jobs in the process.  From a hammer to a table saw to a sewer snake, I had to learn.  This lifestyle continued until I left for college in 2003.  Throughout college I regained my love for the outdoors with camping and weeklong backpacking trips on the Buffalo River Trail.  I learned to pack light, clean my drinking water, cook food on a campfire, and how to entertain myself and friends miles from televisions, or radios.  I never put much thought into what those times were doing for me.  I simply viewed it as a great time camping with friends. 
I left institutional education to work for a company that provided cold food storage and transportation for the frozen food industry.  I was a shop foreman with 4 mechanics and metal fabricator working with me.  For the next three years I learned to completely rebuild diesel motors, gained a complete understanding of the principles of refrigeration, and all skills necessary to repair it (soldering, torch basics.)  We repaired semi-trailers with minor structural damage as well.  I learned to use air sheers, riveters, various welders, as well as working with a broad range of materials.  The culmination of all of these skills broadened my understanding of the requirements to do many repairs and fabrications as well (time involved, tools, manpower, supplies.)  I got married during my time working at the shop, and I made the decision to go back to school in order to pursue a new career.

I began school full time and worked at a pharmacy full time as well.  I was instantly certified in CPR, formally trained in the understanding of drugs, their uses, and dangers.  I worked hand in hand with healthcare professionals, gaining the knowledge of drug therapy, and disease management.  This was extremely beneficial, due to my lack of understanding I was forced to look up and learn numerous biological principles as well as conversion math for liquids powders, creams as so on.  The pharmacy job slowly progressed into a full time position in corporate headquarters for the large retail company.  This has provided the opportunity for me to work hand in hand with data security technicians.  This has further broadened my basic knowledge of computers function and security as well as communication skills and team management. 

At present I look to attack this task of preparedness.  In order to be successful you must have the right mindset.  Check!  You must evaluate your current physical inventory. Check! And you must evaluate your skills that pertain to survival.  Sometimes this task alone is the toughest to wade through.  You can buy items on a list, you can count your beans, but it takes mental fortitude to tell yourself you can do something and go the next step to admit you could use some practice and learn to be better at a few things.  The time to decide if you have a particular skill and learn it is now, not during TEOTWAWKI.  Below I will provide an example of the process to evaluate your hard skills and create a list to work on your weak ones, as to not be overwhelmed by not knowing where to start or “learning it all.”  With the information provided in earlier text I will reference the hard skills that I am confident I can use, and those that require a re-visit in the near future.  I prepared a simple chart that ranks my proficiency of each skill.  This simple rating system could apply to many aspects of preparing, but for now I use it to keep my skills sharp.  It is ranked as follows;
 1=no knowledge of skill
 2=have seen skill used in person, but never attempted skill firsthand
3=attempted skill first hand at least once
 4= familiar with skill and use it once a year
 5=use skill monthly/proficient
This list is not in order of necessity.  All items on the list are necessity when surviving TEOTWAWKI.  The rank will help you determine your skill needs.  The key to building your skills is not to make one more important than the other, but to maintain proficiency in, or firsthand knowledge of all.  This list is not meant to be definitive.  It is a personal evaluation of what you believe will benefit you in your particular situation.  You can sort it however you like (alphabetically or by importance.)  The list below is a snippet of pages of skills I have, plan to perfect, or acquire as I move through this life.

 

Skills

Proficiency

Loading, handling, cleaning personal weapons

5

Hunting Local Game/Fishing

4

Preparing game for immediate cooking

4

Preparing game for long term storage

3

Sourcing water locally

3

Growing seasonal garden spring/summer/fall

3

Preparing your garden harvest for long term storage

3

Starting a fire with few or no tools

2

Constructing emergency shelter

2

Welding

4

Make Lye Soap

2

Changing flat tire

3

Another important aspect is evaluating the skills of your immediate household.  For me it’s my wife and children.  My wife is a great homesteader in the kitchen.  She cans fresh veggies, meats, etc.  My youngest child has an eye for garden pests and animal health.  There are many skills that your family can help supplement.  Do not assume you need to max out 5’s in all of your categories.  Take into account your collective abilities and do not let this list become a negative reminder of what you are not doing.  Maintaining that positive mindset is the key to getting better.  And we all want to get better!  Similar to practicing your emergency exit plan, incorporate your family when you choose to practice your skills.  This will ease your mind as well as theirs and help you keep focused on the important prep work. 

The list could go on as long as you wish, and is meant to do so.  I, like many preppers, am becoming more aware of the benefits of organization in all aspects of my life.  The list you create will only preserve your current intentions of becoming self-sufficient, and allow you to see the progress you are making.  This in turn should help negate some of those feelings of not knowing what steps to take first, as well as giving you direction.  The difference between those that do and those that want to do is simply that.  Doing! As I stated early in my post, it can be overwhelming for most people to know where to begin.  By using a ranking system for your skills and keeping a solid inventory of them, it will build your confidence to move forward and take those necessary steps to survive!   I update my list a few times a year as I see fit.  I talk with my wife and children about skills that they would like to acquire or have been practicing.  Please do not forget that just because you are not an expert does not mean that someone else isn’t.  Seek professionals with the skill sets you wish acquire and learn what they have to offer.  Even a simple conversation could teach a trick or two about starting a fire with no matches, or keeping the slide on your weapon better lubricated while exposed to dirt and moisture.  Remember, if you knew it all you wouldn’t be reading this.  Happy prepping.

Letter Re: Some Notable Power Grid Articles

Dear Mr. Rawles,

I thought you might find these two articles on microgrid technology to be of interest. They raise the possibility that a well-organized community might be able to continue functioning even after a general grid failure:

How Power Outages in India May One Day Be Avoided

Microgrid Keeps the Power Local, Cheap, and Reliable

Also, major manufacturers are gearing up to produce a new generation of deep-cycle batteries that can be recharged thousands of times, further facilitating the creation of off-grid communities.

GE’s Novel Battery to Bolster the Grid

Battery to Take On Diesel and Natural Gas

Thanks for your great site. Regards, – Dave T.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Getting back to basics: Manufacturing boom: Trade school enrollment soars. (Thanks to H.L. for the link.)s

   o o o

Reader R.B.S. mentioned this handy site: U.S. Gun Law Reciprocity Guide

   o o o

Rare Colorado Tornado Second-Highest in US History. (A nod to George S. for the link.)

   o o o

Several readers mentioned this over at Alt-Market: The Most Often Forgotten Survival Preparations

   o o o

G.G. flagged this: Burglars loot Long Beach apartment building while tented for fumigation

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach." – Aldous Huxley, Collected Essays

Notes from JWR:

This is the birthday of Oregon cattleman David Lawson Shirk (born August 2, 1844). He was my great-great-great uncle. He was the first man to document the early cattle drives from Texas to Idaho, just after the Civil War. His journals were published in the book The Cattle Drives of David Shirk: From Texas to the Idaho Mines, 1871 and 1873. This rare book also describes his later life, establishing a large cattle ranch in the Steens Mountain region of eastern Oregon, and his subsequent range war with famed cattleman Pete French. This is a scarce and collectible book.

—

Today we present the first entry for Round 42 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 $300 value), F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, kindly donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. 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 42 ends on September 30th 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.

The Survival Garden, by Chris S.

History is our best teacher and we can learn a lot about human survival strategies of the past. Our ancestors somehow survived famine, drought and a host of natural disasters. Some used brute force to take what they wanted; others were skillful thieves or were just lucky. A few of these ancestral survivors actually thrived. They thrived because they used their wits and prepared for any unforeseen disaster.        

Beyond natural disasters there has always been the most un-natural of all disasters, war. War is arguably the most difficult of all conditions to survive, soldier and civilian alike. We can learn survival lessons from the survivors of war.   
During World War 1 and again in World War II American civilians were encouraged to grow what was called, a victory garden. In 1943 the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a pamphlet titled, Victory Garden: Leader’s Handbook which suggested 14 home grown crops.

Here is the list from 1943;
Greens: (Spinach, Chard or Kale)
Lettuce: (Leaf or Head), Cabbage
Tomatoes, Soy Beans, Snap Beans
Lima Beans, Peas (shelled)
Asparagus, Carrots and/or Beets
Turnips and/or Parsnips, Onions
Strawberries and/or Raspberries

The list also mentioned radishes, peppers, onions and pole beans.

Take note that the suggested vegetable list for planting a Victory Garden did not contain: Corn, Potatoes, Squash, Broccoli, Yams (Sweet Potatoes), Cauliflower, 
Eggplant, Artichokes, Spinach,
Leeks, Brussel Sprouts, Celery,
Collard Greens, Garlic, Cucumbers,
Pumpkin, Zucchini or Okra. Also absent were Grains, Herbs and Spice Plants. It must be noted that some of the un-listed crops have a low yield to grow space ratio or insect and disease vulnerability, require special care and handling, high water requirements, specialized fertilizer needs or seasonal pollinators, among others. 
What is most surprising was the amount of each vegetable needed to feed one person. You needed to multiply the number in your family plus one extra for an emergency and/or charity. Example: Tomatoes-Amount to be used fresh, stored and canned for one person is 120 lbs. For a family of four, plus one for an emergency and/or charity, you need to grow 600 lbs of tomatoes.
For snap beans-Amount to be used fresh, stored and canned for one person is 56 lbs of pole beans. For a family of four, plus one for an emergency and/or charity, you need to grow 280 lbs of snap beans.
It will require the planting of 25 tomato seedlings per person to harvest 120 lbs of tomatoes. For a family of four plus one for an emergency and/or charity, it will require the planting of 125 tomato seedlings.       
It will require the planting 1.5 lbs of snap bean seeds per person to harvest 56 lbs of snap beans. For a family of four plus one for an emergency and/or charity, it will require the planting of 7.5 lbs of snap bean seeds.
For a family of four plus one for an emergency and/or charity, it will require 375 linear feet of rows to grow the tomatoes. For a family of four plus one for an emergency and/or charity, it will require 750 linear feet of rows to grow the snap beans.
So, to grow enough tomatoes and snap beans for a family of four plus one for an emergency and/or charity, you will need to cultivate 1,125 linear feet of soil.
To grow a crop for a family of four plus one for an emergency and/or charity, planting all 14 of the suggested vegetables listed in the Victory Garden: Leader’s Handbook you will need 5,605 linear feet of rows.
Maybe they should have called it a Victory Farm not a Victory Garden.

If you intend to plant a Survival Garden that is capable of supplying an adequate amount of vegetables, it is obvious that you will need a very large piece of land. You must also keep in mind that if you are forced to flee, you will have to leave your crops behind. You can take your crops with you if they are growing in containers. But, unless you are fleeing in a semi-tractor trailer truck or towing a huge, double decked trailer, taking your crops with you is not an option.   

There is an alternative that you can consider, something learned from the survivors of the past. Perhaps above all, in 1943 the most difficult circumstance to be in was that of a prisoner of war.
The Allied prisoners of World War II tell of the four most valuable possessions a POW could have, nicotine (tobacco), ethanol (alcohol) caffeine (tea), and sugar. Any POW that possessed or could get his hands on any of these four items could thrive during captivity.

There are stories of some POWs who died from hunger and malnutrition because they traded away their meager rations of food for tobacco and alcohol. Here the statements, “I am dying for a smoke” and “I am dying for a drink” are literally true.   A survival garden full of delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables will help you and your family to survive. But, if you want to thrive there are a few plants you need to add to your survival garden, no matter its size.

Using the lesson from the POWs you should grow tobacco plants, tea plants and sugarcane. All of these valuable “cash” crops are hardy, easy to grow almost anywhere and they are well suited for propagation in portable containers. Additionally, these cash crops have multiple uses.

Tobacco has uses beyond the obvious smoking or chewing. Tobacco can be used as an insecticide, a pest, rodent and insect repellent, among others.
Tea leaves are even more functional with more than 40 common uses.

Sugarcane has been a valued commodity for thousands of years. Sweet cane, as it was called, is mentioned three times in the Bible as a prized burnt offering. Sugarcane can be used to make crystallized sugar with all of its usefulness but, the other priceless article of trade from sugar cane juice is the production of high proof alcohol. Ethyl alcohol has many uses beyond drinking, such as a fuel source, a disinfectant, a preservative and an anesthetic, to name just a few. These three plants can be extremely precious possessions for trade and barter. Maybe pound for pound and space for space, tobacco, tea and sugarcane are the most prized of all legally grown plants. The seeds of all three of these prized plants are available online at very low cost. 

Now, I come to the final and arguably the most valuable plant in the Survival Garden. Most people call it a scourge and a curse. I call it The Doomsday Plant. It is a plant that has helped ancestral survivors thrive in the most difficult of times. The Doomsday Plant is one of the fastest growing, hardiest, pest and disease resistant plants on Earth and can be propagated in almost every state, including Alaska. It can be grown in portable containers filled with poor quality soil and needs little water and little or no fertilizer. Once the Doomsday Plant is established, it is actually difficult to kill.  

The Doomsday Plant will feed you and your family breakfast, lunch and diner. The Doomsday Plant is highly nutritious and is one of only a few plants that are high in protein. It is sold in health food stores as a dietary supplement.
You can grind and dry the root and seeds into a flour to make pancakes, bread, pastries and other baked goods. Use the leaves in place of lettuce for salads and sandwiches.
Boil the young leaves and eat them like spinach and use them as an ingredient in soups and stews.
Fry the large older leaves in oil and snack on them, just like potato chips.
The flowers can be made into jelly, preserves and an ingredient for candy.
The Doomsday Plant can be made into strong rope and string, it can be used to weave baskets, hats and even be made into furniture, kindling and firewood.
You can turn the Doomsday Plant into Bio-Fuel, both ethyl and grain alcohol.
It will feed goats, cattle, horses, rabbits and most other grazing animals.  
What is the common name of this miracle plant? It is called Kudzu, the bane and blight of the southeastern states.
Warning: Growing Kudzu is only for the most dire of all survival situations.
Kudzu is one of the most invasive species of all plants. If left unchecked and not controlled it will grow like a mindless monster, covering everything that doesn’t move. One single seed can create a nightmare. To contain Kudzu it must be handled diligently. Grow Kudzu only in a container whose drain holes are screened or covered in such a way that the roots cannot escape into the surrounding ground and as added insurance, place the container on a slab of cement or other ground barrier. You must also cut off the seeds before they mature. If you want to save the seeds, trap the immature seeds inside a secured plastic bag and carefully cut off the mature seed stem to safely remove them.
Kudzu seeds are by their very nature, self-preserving. They can be stored in a cool, dry and dark place for many years. The wise survivalist who strives to thrive will either collect wild Kudzu seeds or buy them on-line and store them until needed.
So, I recommend that you grow a few containerized tobacco, tea, sugarcane and kudzu plants. If you are forced to flee from your survival garden, you can take them with you and trade some of your cash crop for food and other items.   

Look to the past and start thinking about ways to thrive and not just survive.

Letter Re: Color-Coded Medical Gear Cases

Goal:  To help organize medical supplies into easily accessible modules of like items within your medical kit(s).

Two years ago I was looking at pre-packaged medical kits on-line and noticed one with various items organized in colored bags.  For example the red pouch had everything a person needed for simple wound care.  Some ambulances carry trauma and pediatric bags with contents organized by color.  The kit on the internet was over my budget, but I was intrigued by the idea.  On my next trip to town, I was looking for office supplies and noticed zippered pencil pouches, which are intended to help organize loose school supplies (like pencils and pens) and the pouch is inserted onto the metal rings of a binder, with three metal grommets.  These are the roughly 7.5”x10” nylon cases with a zipper and a clear plastic front to view the contents.  They are available in many different colors.  They can be purchased in the school supply section of many stores and cost about $1 each.  I use these pouches to help consolidate similar medical items together, allowing me to sort and protect the valuable medical supplies.  In times of stress it may be easier to grab the needed packet of items or tell a companion which color pouch you need for the task at hand.  A permanent marker or medical tape can be used to label the outside of each packaged module.  This allows for personalization of a kit and eases the addition or subtraction of items quickly, depending on the situation.  Also, with a duplicate set of each pouch, resupply could be enhanced, removing the used pouch and replacing it with a full one.  This method can help organize an existing medical kit or be a good starting point for assembling a new kit.

BLUE:  Airway.  This would include simple devices to help keep an airway open or more advanced items, depending on your level of comfort / training. 
Consists of: CPR mask, Airway adjuncts (Oral and Nasal Pharyngeal sets.), King Airway with lube and syringe.

RED:  Bleeding Control / Shock Management.  The basics for controlling bleeding and treating small wounds.
Consists of: Trauma dressings, supplies to make a tourniquet (triangular bandage and a windlass made of 8 tongue depressors taped together), a space blanket to control heat loss, various sized band-aids, gauze, dressings, etc. 
Homemade Trauma Dressing:  As mentioned in several articles a maxi-pad could also be used to help control external hemorrhage.   I take it a step further and make a simple set with two pads, plus two sterile 4×4 dressings and a roll of gauze to hold the dressing in place on a wound.  This is packaged in a quart sized sealable plastic bag.  The bag could also contain a pair of gloves and other small wound management items.  With the addition of tape, the bag itself could cover an open chest wound to make an occlusive (air-tight) dressing. 

GREEN: BSI – Body Substance Isolation.  Items needed to reduce spreading germs. (protects both you and the patient)
Consists of: Nitrile gloves, surgical mask, goggles etc. 

PURPLE:  Splinting.  Used to immobilize joints or bones that are injured. 
Consists of:   36” formable aluminum splint.  Cohesive flexible bandage (the duct tape of the medical world) or reusable athletic wrap, triangular bandages, popsicle sticks to splint fingers, tape, etc. 

TEAL:  IV Set Ups:  This includes everything needed to establish intravenous access in an emergency, if you have the training / medical direction.  If you do not have the background, these materials could be passed on to a qualified person, if needed.  There is not enough space for bags of fluids, but you could use a saline lock to have the IV catheter in place and sealed until needed to infuse medicine or fluids.    
Consists of:  IV Catheters.  Two each 24 gauge through 18 gauge, alcohol prep pads, IV dressing, saline locks, flushes, tape, etc.

CLEAR:  Topical / Medication:  This could include various over-the-counter creams or small bottles of pills.  
Consist of: antibiotic cream, anti-itch cream, liquid bandage, ibuprofen, ASA, diphenhydramine, burn cream, surgical super glue, etc.  

ORANGE: Medical Instruments.  
Consists of: tweezers, various scissors, scalpel, hemostats, syringe and needle combos, sutures, etc. 

PINK:  Vitals.  These devices can help you recognize changes in your patient’s condition.  Depending on how big the kit or extensive your training this may not all fit into one pouch.  The smaller items could go in a zipper pouch, but the larger items may be better in a zippered mesh bag, as intended for protecting delicate items put in a washing machine.  
Consists of: stethoscope, thermometer, blood pressure cuff, glucometer, pulse-ox, etc. 

BLACK:  Dental.
Consists of:  temporary fillings, oral pain gel, gauze, dental picks.

YELLOW:  Documentation.  To write down vital signs, treatment given, etc. 
Consists of pad of paper, pencil, pen, triage tags, small medical reference book.

In conclusion, organizing these ten pouches of medical gear and supplies can help you become more prepared to treat basic medical emergencies, as well as enhance the general health and well-being of your family or survival group.  These pouches make great gifts, building good-will, and could help lesser prepared friends or neighbors.  The colors and contents are based on how I have organized my supplies and would obviously be tailored to the individual.  Instead of just filling a bag with supplies and then digging through it or dumping it out to find the item you need, this gives a basic format to help find the needed items more easily.  This can cut down on frustration, like knowing that you have a pair of tweezers, but not being able to locate them when you have a splinter.  The main advantage of these kits is that you can start very simply and inexpensively, letting your supplies grow as your training and budget allow.  By carefully shopping at discount stores and on-line you may even save money by putting this kit together yourself or buy in bulk and share the cost of multiple kits within a group.  Also farm supply stores often have less expensive materials, like scalpels, hemostats, etc. without having to pay the shipping when buying them on-line, although incredible deals are available on auction web sites.  Compare costs per unit to be sure.  A few dollars spent each week on supplies will slowly build into a nice cache of useful items for both everyday living and could be vital in a worst-case-scenario.  Also, by building the kit yourself or organizing the items in your prepackaged medical kit, you will be totally familiar with all of the contents.  Any of the pouches could be used as stand-alone medical kits, for example one pouch would easily fit in a cargo pocket or a backpack, or even your vehicle’s glove compartment.  In this way, you can keep your medical supplies close at hand and organized in an easily recognizable manner. – Jeff F.

Letter Re: The Listening to Katrina Web Site

Jim:
I’d like to recommend a great web site: Listening to Katrina. The author weaves his personal Katrina story together with fresh and different survivalist advice in a page-by-page format. He gives advice that I don’t believe I’d seen before. As a survivalist for years before the event, he explains the mistakes made and lessons learned.

His section on protecting your wealth is outstanding. For example, if you had a regional disaster and needed to bug out/relocate within 60 seconds, would you have your resume, education certificates and references updated and ready to grab, so that you could start a job elsewhere? I hadn’t thought of that.

Neither had he; he tells the sad tale of arriving ahead of everyone else in Houston, immediately opening the classifieds to find the same job he’d been performing for the past 20 years, with a $20k pay increase! He’d be the first in line to apply! Only, since he lacked credentials and references, he wouldn’t be able to apply.

WARNING: The Listening to Katrina site has rude language. He also says there’s nudity. I hadn’t seen it yet, though I am only 1/3rd the way through the pages. Probably bodies from Katrina.

– C.D.V.