Living Off The Grid – Part 2, by V.F.

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(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

In October of the first year, I remember going out to take a shower in the “shower room” outside. By the time I had finished I was sobbing, crying incoherently, full of pity for myself. You see, it was already freezing cold and while I thought of solutions like adding a heater and so forth, I realized that I just didn’t want to have to deal with this anymore. But I had made my bed and I was going to have to sleep in it as the old saying goes. I let myself cry for a bit, then I made myself think of a solution. Heating the outdoor shower room was not going to solve the problem. The Zodi shower is not perfect. You can’t run it inside of a building, it needs to exhaust. It is also pretty finicky to get the temperature just right. The water flow is dependent on the battery, so if the battery needs to be charged, the water flow is slower and hotter. Many times I was taking a shower that started out fine but ended up way too hot or too cold.

Ending the experience with freezing cold temperatures outside was a situation I could no longer deal with. The solution was simple. The shower had to be inside. So I put a 20 gallon Rubbermaid tote (they are pretty stout) in the bathroom we had made in the closet of the bedroom. Next, I grabbed our old outdoor shower tarp that we used to use with our solar camping shower. These are sold in the camping section of stores. I hung it up securely, it fit perfectly, then I ran a hole in the wall to feed the shower nozzle through and reattached the shower head on the inside. I found an old shower head holder that would keep the shower head in the right spot so I wouldn’t have to hold it anymore. I set up the Zodi shower system in the bedroom in front of a window. Then I added a 35 gallon water tank and set it next to the shower stuff. It was small enough to fit under the window and not be seen from outside and it was small enough that I could clean it in between fillings with the swipe of a few paper towels to remove any rust that would build up.

Now I could hop into the shower, my husband could operate it and adjust the temperature for me and open the window while it was on. I had the bathroom (closet) door closed, so I didn’t get cold. Voila! A shower in your home completely independent of plumbing. When I was done showering, I emptied the water outside. I discovered that there are rolling totes and that made it easier to empty the water. It wasn’t a problem really for taking a shower, because I only used about 5 gallons of water. My daughter on the other hand, took baths and that was about 10-15 gallons of water (at the age of 4). The really nice thing about the Zodi for the bath was that we could run in the water, then recycle it once by moving the water pump from the fresh supply of water to the water we had just run into the tub. This would make the water twice as hot. Only recycle the water if it is clean, not after it has been used, since that would gunk up your lines.Continue reading“Living Off The Grid – Part 2, by V.F.”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food and storage containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This week, in the last Recommendations column of the calendar year, the focus is on key resources that you may need in an grid-up economic depression, or even in a grid-down “worst case”.

Books:

The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm

o  o  o

I’ve mentioned this crucial reference twice before: Pocket Ref 4th Edition

o  o  o

Ultimate Guide: Plumbing, 4th Updated Edition (Creative Homeowner) 800+ Photos; Step-by-Step Projects and Comprehensive How-To Information on Up-to-Date Products & Code-Compliant Techniques for DIY

o  o  o

The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual – Spiral Bound

o  o  o

Wiring a House: Completely Revised and Updated (For Pros By Pros)

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

1

“Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; So that, at the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal.”  – The Book of Common Prayer, 1662

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — December 24, 2019

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December 24 is the 20th anniversary of when John Joe Gray’s legal troubles began, in 2000. He and his family had been self-sufficiently holed up in their Texas ranch for nearly 15 years, in defiance of a warrant for his arrest, before the district attorney dropped the charges. This was the longest standoff in American history, in which he faced the administrations of four different county sheriffs.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 86 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from veteran-owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  3. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  4. A $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  7. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 86 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Living Off The Grid – Part 1, by V.F.

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When I was a child, my mother moved to a very remote area of Eastern Washington and we lived off the grid. This was long before the term had been coined, as far as I know. The property did not have a house. We lived in a little travel trailer. We went to town once a month and did laundry at the laundromat. We boiled water from the creek to wash dishes. The creek was also our refrigerator. We ran a PVC pipe in the creek and placed a horse trough in the creek. This is where we kept drinks cold and we didn’t have to worry about them going down the mountain. I don’t remember any of it as a hardship but I was a child and the responsibilities were not mine. I did not know that much later that I too would choose to live Off the Grid.

Fast forward. I joined the Army after high school and married a man I met while I was in the Army. After we were done with our service, we relocated to his home state of Illinois and bought our first house. We worked for years, myself in retail, my husband in the medical field. We relocated again for job promotions to the Chicago area and we had a wonderful life. Then something happened. My husband and I woke up!

When I think back to when I became awake, I realize that it wasn’t something that happened overnight. It was very gradual. It took years of semi-consciousness before it happened, but when it did happen, my life changed forever. There is no going back, you can not go back to sleep, back to dreaming, back to not knowing. You can not un-know… But sometimes I wish I could. It would be so much easier to not see what is going on. Once you awaken, you realize how brainwashed and asleep nearly everyone else is! The sad part is the realization of how unwilling everyone else is to see it for themselves.

As I was sleepwalking through my life there were the occasional few who would comment about something and a little spark of life might flare up in my mind. But I would always gradually nod off again. I think to myself, thank God, some people do still try to reach out sometimes to awaken others. I remember when a friend gave me a copy of George Orwell’s novel 1984. I read it because I enjoy reading. And I found it quite disturbing. But it took years for me to realize how truly accurate the ideas in the book actually are. It was a small piece of the puzzle. I went through a long period of denial. All that are awake know what I am talking about.

When you are truly awake, you understand finally, that evil forces are alive and well, thriving really, all around you. That the stories from childhood are real, there really are big bad scary monsters out there who want to kill you any way they can and they have disguised themselves is sheep’s clothing, or should I say flashy ads. This is the fundamental truth that all people who are not awake will deny. If you tell them that corporations that make food and personal products are putting ingredients in that will eventually kill you, they will label you as a kook. If you tell them that the makers of pharmaceuticals and vaccines are trying to drug you and inject cancer into you then they will say that you are part of the problem. Being awake is like being condemned. You can no longer have many friends. They don’t have time to do the research, or to worry about these things, or the energy, or the ability to do anything. So they shrug and they laugh and they just go on sleepwalking.Continue reading“Living Off The Grid – Part 1, by V.F.”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on the Inland Northwest’s wild Turkey population explosion. (See the Region-Wide section.)

Region-Wide

Washington Rep. Matt Shea on Infowars with David Knight

o o o

Inland Northwest’s thriving turkey population is an invasive nuisance or a conservation success – or bot. Here is how the article opens:

“Fifty-five years ago, Jack Adkins was frustrated. A biologist for Washington’s Department of Game, Adkins was trying to catch turkeys in Stevens County using a 90-by-40-foot net propelled by “three projectiles (shot) from a small cannon.”

It wasn’t working.

“We’ve had all sorts of problems,” Adkins told The Spokesman-Review in January 1964. “But the main one is the wariness of the birds.”

Adkins knew these turkeys well. Just four years before, he and other biologists released 17 of the large birds into the wild after obtaining them from Wyoming. They’d reproduced, and in 1964 it was estimated there were between 250 and 300 in the hills and fields along the Columbia River near Rice, Washington. That success prompted Adkins to try and catch a few and transport them to the Blue Mountains.”

Idaho

17 cows die after semi crashes in Blaine County

o o o

Bonner County Idaho Tax Assessors Caught Trespassing

o o o

Former Idaho County Sheriff’s deputy sentenced for sexual abuse against minor

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Christmas Eve ought to be a very joyful evening to us in all its associations, in all the truths which it naturally brings to the soul…. A man’s soul is to be as the heavens were on the night when the shepherds looked up and saw them full of angels as well as stars .”  – Henry Ward Beecher

Preparedness Notes for Monday — December 23, 2019

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December 23rd is the birthday of Founding Father and Supreme Court Justice John Jay. (Born 1745, died May 17, 1829.)

December 23rd is also the anniversary of the establishment of of the exclusive private banking cartel known as The Federal Reserve, in 1913. I recommend the book The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve.

—

JWR Asks: I’m running low on writing contest articles to post in January. So I encourage any blog readers with some quiet vacation time available to get busy writing. An article as short as 1,500 words could be awarded  one of the top three prizes, which are worth thousands of dollars! The previous prize winners have been thrilled with their prizes. One recent prize winner described her prizes as: “…just overwhelming. Like the best bunch of Christmas gifts I’ve ever received…”

—

Palmetto State Armory (one of our affiliate advertisers) is continuing their AR-15 Days of Christmas sale.  Just until December 31, 2019, they are offering Taurus G2C 9mm pistols at just under $155 (after manufacturer’s rebate.)  These have 12-round double stack magazines. If you are looking for a very inexpensive but yet reliable compact 9mm, then this is a good choice. Just type “52549” in their search box, to find this Taurus sale offer.

They also still have their 16″ 5.56 NATO 1:7 Freedom Classic Upper with Bolt Carrier Group & Charging Handle in Olive Green on sale for just $219.99. Just type “7780181” in their search box, to find this item. Meanwhile they have matching Olive Green complete lowers on sale for $129.99. Just type “7779347” in their search box, to find this item. If you slap that upper on that lower then–aside for a magazine and a rear sight (or optic)–you’ll have a complete OD furniture M4gery!  That is a great deal. If you can afford to, then I recommend that you buy several sets.

And they have their Nitride MPI Full-Auto AR-15 Bolt Carrier Groups on sale again at just $49.99!  Just paste item number 516446953 into their search box. If you own two or more ARs, then you should keep at least one compete spare Bolt Carrier Group on hand!

—

Today, another review written by our Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio.

Kershaw Duojet Folder, by Pat Cascio

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Kershaw Knives brings out a lot of new knife designs each year, and this is to our benefit. I can’t begin to keep track of the newest folders from Kershaw each year, so I only select those that I think our readers will really like. Today, we’re looking at the Duojet folder from Kershaw.

Ever since I was about 6 years old I have have some kind of pocket knife in my pants pocket. Growing-up in the 1950s and 1960s, just about everyone I knew – young and old alike – carried a folding knife. To be sure, these knives were usually carried as a tool, for many different chores. Of course, the gang members, then, as now, carry knives (and guns) as weapons. Many will remember the movie “West Side Story” that featured two rival gangs, and all the members carried knives for self-defense, some carried a “switch blade” – that is actually called an automatic opening knife. This movie did more to hurt the knife industry than it did to help it. Some – many – misguided politicians mistakenly believed that a “switch blade” was more deadly than a manual opening knife – go figure? So, there are some very restrictive laws regarding owning automatic opening knives. Many auto knives are produced here in Oregon, and they are legal to own and carry.

Of course, the FedGov wasn’t about to be left out, when it came to making laws, regarding auto knives, and you can NOT have them imported into the USA. However, they can be produced overseas, in parts, and assembled here into a fully functioning auto opening folder. Leave it up to politicians to find a way to ban a simple folding knife, based solely on how it opens. Even “gravity” opening folders are restricted, and in some states, they have banned knives that open via a “flipper” – you’d think these people would have more important things to do, than pass laws banning knives, based on a feature they might have, that allows them to be opened from the folded position. Okay, off my soap box…Continue reading“Kershaw Duojet Folder, by Pat Cascio”

Recipe of the Week: Rob’s Green Beans with Tomatoes

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Reader “Rucksack Rob”  kindly sent us his recipe for Long-Cooked Green Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic. This is a very simple recipe that’s good especially in late summer after your garden harvest but also any time of year.

Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin Olive Oil
  • ¼  cup minced Yellow Onion (or a little more, if you’d like)
  • 3 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced (or less, to taste.)
  • 1-1/2 lbs of Green Beans, ends trimmed
  • 3 lg. ripe Tomatoes, chopped (and seeded if you’d like )
  • Salt, to taste
  • black pepper – freshly coarse ground, to taste
  • Parmesan Cheese
Directions
  1. In a skillet over a medium heat, warm the oil
  2. Add Onions and cook until soft, stirring occasionally… 7-10 minutes
  3. Add Garlic and continue stirring…1 minute
  4. Add Green Beans and tomatoes over low heat until soft, about 20-25 minutes
  5. Season with Salt and generous amount of Black Pepper
  6. Simmer until liquid is gone… 3-5 minutes
  7. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, fresh shredded (can be omitted)
Alternate Ideas:

I like my green beans a little crispier so I only cook mine for about 12 minutes – test bite to your taste…

If you wish, spice it up a little more with a shake or two of Red Pepper Flakes during the cooking… not too much, though!

Serving:

Serve hot.

—

Do you have a favorite recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column we place emphasis on recipes that use long term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven and slow cooker recipes, and any that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!

Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at central bank gold purchases. (See the Precious Metals section.)

Precious Metals:

50-Year High In Central Bank Gold Purchases. A quote:

“2019 is on track to be a 50-year high in central banks’ net gold purchases. Bloomberg Intelligence reports that central banks have been absorbing about 20 percent of global gold mine supply. Based on the gold-to-silver ratio, it looks like silver might have more upside if demand for safe haven assets rises.”

Another excerpt:

“Australia’s Perth Mint reported a 67 percent increase of sales of coins and minted bars in November from October of 54,261 ounces. This buying is largely driven by purchases by Britons amid uncertainty surrounding Brexit. The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that Britons bought $5.3 billion of Australian gold in the third quarter of this year, which is the most ever in a single quarter and a 1,400 percent increase over the prior quarter.”

o  o  o

Gold ETF Holdings Surge…But Do They Actually Hold Gold?

Economy & Finance:

Does this sound familiar? Expect Inflation And Deflation Concurrently

o  o  o

Adam Taggart: Living On Borrowed Time

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: Williams: “They’ve Effectively Lost Control Of The System”

o  o  o

Reader C.B. sent this: Top 5 states with the best economic outlooks.  JWR’s Comment:  Not surprisingly, Idaho ranks # 2.

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions… (and) when his own preservation comes not in competition, ought he, as much as he can, to preserve the rest of mankind, and may not, unless it be to do justice on an offender, take away, or impair the life, or what tends to the preservation of the life, the liberty, health, limb, or goods of another.” – John Locke

Preparedness Notes for Sunday — December 22, 2019

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December 22nd is the anniversary of the death of SP4 James T. Davis, the first uniformed American combat casualty of the Vietnam War, in 1961. This Army Security Agency (ASA) soldier of the 3rd Radio Research Unit was killed in a Viet Cong ambush on a road outside Saigon.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 86 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from veteran-owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical 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,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  3. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  4. A $300 purchase credit for any of the products from EMPShield.com
  5. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  6. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  7. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 86 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

A Healthy Infancy and Beyond, by O.R.

7

Author’s Introduction:  I have five years experience breastfeeding my two children. I am an accredited La Leche League Leader, which is a volunteer breastfeeding counselor who is active in providing breastfeeding support to families and communities, for three years. I am the chair of a local breastfeeding advocacy organization and have started an organization that encourages breastfeeding in marginalized populations. Additionally I have taken classes, attended conferences and am part of local breastfeeding coalitions. I recently sat for my board exam to become an IBCLC (Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and am currently awaiting my test results.

—

Our community has been struck by nationally declared disasters (hurricanes, floods and tornadoes) and I have had the privilege to take part in the education provided by local infant care professionals on the subject of disaster preparedness for infants and young children.   I believe this is an often overlooked topic when it comes to survival, and know that this information will prove invaluable to all.

It may not seem very important at the moment, since the general population is pro “do whatever you want”, we have access to funds or assistance for the purchase of infant formula, and have endless clean water. However, breastfeeding is and can be a life saving tool. Not only is it the only substance an infant needs, it is also beneficial to all children. Breastmilk is an endless commodity, it alleviates the need to worry about formula preparation and storage, it is medicine, and can be used for adult consumption.

Breastfeeding is an important part of mammalian development. It is the only substance an infant up to six months needs to survive; they do not even need water! Breast milk provides all of a baby’s nutrients and fluids. This liquid gold isn’t only beneficial as a means of sustenance, it works to protect infants and children against illness and infection. The live antibodies and cells are constantly changing to meet the ever- evolving needs of the child. If the mother is sick, her body will produce milk high the the antibodies needed to prevent her child from developing the same illness. According to the Center for Disease Control, “breast milk helps protect babies from diseases such as diarrhea and respiratory infections, and provides the calories and nutrients babies need. This protection is especially important during natural disasters when contaminated water and unsanitary environments can increase the risk of disease.”

Infant Formula in Disasters

If there is no source of clean water, it would be impossible to mix up infant formula without exposing the infant to pathogens and contaminants. These pathogens lead to sickness such diarrhea, dehydration, respiratory infections and possibly death (and so much more). “Nearly 95% of infant and child deaths in emergencies result from diarrhea due to contaminated water and an unsanitary environment,” according to numerous studies and The United States Breastfeeding Committee. Infant formula has an expiration date (it isn’t good forever), isn’t sterile (runs other risks of infection), requires the use of clean water, disinfected bottle parts, and other clean conditions to be properly mixed and utilized in a manner that will not do harm to the infant. These conditions cannot be guaranteed in the event of a catastrophic event. Human milk is always clean, requires no fuel, water, or electricity, and is available, even in the most dire circumstances.

Women can produce breast milk as long as they continue to nurse children or express milk (which can be done manually without need for electricity). Women can nurse their babies and other children if needed and amazingly, women who have previously breastfed can easily induce lactation if needed. Therefore breastmilk is in endless supply. If a mother dies in childbirth, if a mother is not breastfeeding and has no access to formula, she can have another lactating mother nurse the child to ensure it thrives. If the same unfortunate circumstances occurred, a grandmother or aunt could induce lactation to provide nutrition for their family member. Additionally, if needed, breastmilk can be used as a bartering tool for families who need something because in dire straits, breast milk will be in high demand.Continue reading“A Healthy Infancy and Beyond, by O.R.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at changing weather patterns.

New Jet Stream Pattern Could Imperil Crops

Reader C.B. flagged this important article about changing weather patterns: Newly identified jet-stream pattern could imperil global food supplies, says study. Here is how the article begins:

“Scientists have identified systematic meanders in the globe-circling northern jet stream that have caused simultaneous crop-damaging heat waves in widely separated breadbasket regions-a previously unquantified threat to global food production that, they say, could worsen with global warming. The research shows that certain kinds of waves in the atmospheric circulation can become amplified and then lock in place for extended periods, triggering the concurrent heat waves. Affected parts of North America, Europe and Asia together produce a quarter of the world food supply. The study appears this week in the journal Nature Climate Change.

“We found a 20-fold increase in the risk of simultaneous heat waves in major crop-producing regions when these global-scale wind patterns are in place,” said lead author Kai Kornhuber, a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. “Until now, this was an underexplored vulnerability in the food system. During these events there actually is a global structure in the otherwise quite chaotic circulation. The bell can ring in multiple regions at once.”

Kornhuber warned that the heat waves will almost certainly become worse in coming decades, as the world continues to warm. The meanders that cause them could also potentially become more pronounced, though this is less certain. Because food commodities are increasingly traded on a global scale, either effect could lead to food shortages even in regions far from those directly affected by heat waves.”

JWR Adds: My favorite web site for jet stream weather maps is provided by the folks at Weatherstreet.com.   Check out all of the options. It is an amazing resource that I recommend bookmarking.

Portland Mandates ‘Rest Spaces’ for the Homeless

Reader H.L. sent us this: Portland to force new construction to include mandatory ‘rest spaces’ for the homeless.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”