A lot of prepper blogs out there talk about storing information in such a fashion that you can access it easily during an emergency. One aspect of this is by printing out information from websites, blogs, etc. and keeping it in a binder. I have been doing that myself, and I discovered a wonderful browser application that helps me save the meat of a website, and eliminate the useless chaff (advertising).
Check out PrintFriendly. I find that it works for about 95% of the pages I want to be able to save. It creates a printable PDF of the page with the option to remove items. The one thing I don't care for is that on blog pages, it doesn't capture comments.
In any case, with this app I have PDF's on my computer. When I have enough articles on a particular topic to be worth printing out, I collate information into a Word document so that I can eliminate duplication, and reduce the size of the print to save space. Two sided printing also helps me save space.
My topics?
1. Clothing, and textiles (including laundry)
2. Communications
3. Food: Finding Food (foraging, hunting), Growing Food, Preserving Food, Storing Food, Preparing Food
4. Hazards, and security (include defense)
5. Health (including sanitation)
6. Heat, Fuel, Power
7. Income, Skills and Home Industry
8. Shelter (including bugging in)
9. Travel, Transportation (including bugging out)
10. Water
Where do I draw information from? Aside from the many blogs and information sites available out there, I also use the Internet Archive's Text Section to find information on how it used to be done. Currently, the archive houses digital copies of books published up to the early 50s. Another source of info is Scribd. There are a few uploaders who have collated a lot of useful information and posted it there, as well as posting the cream of the crop from the Internet Archive. I also visit thrift stores, and second-hand book stores and find treasures in print, and have scanned many of my own books so that if I can't take the paper copy with me, I still can have my library with me.
Showing posts with label survival mindset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label survival mindset. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
A Woman's Perspective on Prepping
I just read the guest post by Terrylynn over at the Survivalist Blog, entitled "Survival - Princess Style", and I found it very thought provoking. I have wandered around the periphery of the survivalist/prepper movement since I was in my teens. At one time back in the 70s, I took a "Survivalist" course. I even talked my mom into taking the course. I subscribed to "Mother Earth News", "Harrowsmith", assorted other more hardcore magazines, bought the Foxfire books, took archery lessons, learned to forage,... well, I could go on, but the interesting thing is that not one of those objects really prepared for things going to heck in a hand-basket.
It was trying things, learning how to do things, and realizing that I had useful skills. And when I went through a decade of really trying times, those acquired skills helped me. I shopped at the thrift stores because I couldn't afford to shop anywhere else. I regularly remade items of clothing to fit my son and I. I had a garden in the yard of the house I rented an apartment in. I learned to make bread (very fine bread, in fact). I learned how to make jams, and pickles and to can garden produce. It wasn't a lifestyle choice. It was necessity. I learned how to make do. I picked apples and pears from the cemetery near my place. I gathered acorns in my neighbourhood, prepared them and ate them. It's doing the prepares you.
Terrylynn is right about one thing. No matter how hard things are, the little comforts make the sacrifices easier to make. Having a pleasant looking home, a comfortable place to sit, these make it easier to handle still being hungry when you finish eating your meal. Reading a well-loved book yet again still helps to take you away from the worry. Playing a lively game of cards by candle-light and having a good laugh gives you a reason to get up the next day and keep on struggling. And even though I'm not a girly-girl, I do have a few dresses, and make-up for those special occasions. We want to do more than survive, we want to thrive. And thriving means we need to live, not merely exist. It's those civilized touches that help us thrive.
And yes, chocolate is a food group, and ought to be part of any woman's preps.
Anyhow, there's my two cent's worth...
It was trying things, learning how to do things, and realizing that I had useful skills. And when I went through a decade of really trying times, those acquired skills helped me. I shopped at the thrift stores because I couldn't afford to shop anywhere else. I regularly remade items of clothing to fit my son and I. I had a garden in the yard of the house I rented an apartment in. I learned to make bread (very fine bread, in fact). I learned how to make jams, and pickles and to can garden produce. It wasn't a lifestyle choice. It was necessity. I learned how to make do. I picked apples and pears from the cemetery near my place. I gathered acorns in my neighbourhood, prepared them and ate them. It's doing the prepares you.
Terrylynn is right about one thing. No matter how hard things are, the little comforts make the sacrifices easier to make. Having a pleasant looking home, a comfortable place to sit, these make it easier to handle still being hungry when you finish eating your meal. Reading a well-loved book yet again still helps to take you away from the worry. Playing a lively game of cards by candle-light and having a good laugh gives you a reason to get up the next day and keep on struggling. And even though I'm not a girly-girl, I do have a few dresses, and make-up for those special occasions. We want to do more than survive, we want to thrive. And thriving means we need to live, not merely exist. It's those civilized touches that help us thrive.
And yes, chocolate is a food group, and ought to be part of any woman's preps.
Anyhow, there's my two cent's worth...
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Squirrels
Love 'em or hate 'em, squirrels are remarkable critters with a knack for survival. I recently read a couple of articles about squirrels on Psychology Today's website that I thought I would share. In the article "Learning About Survival from the Squirrel", it talked about the importance of community, and learning from others, as survival characteristics.
Another terrific article is "What Can you Learn from Squirrels About Motivation, Procrastination and Intent". I think everyone will agree that procrastination is something that we all have to struggle with. Sometimes we get bogged down in the details; sometimes we are frightened by the effort that we will need to make to get something done; sometimes we just don't want to do what we have decided we need to do. Squirrels are not burdened with the human "ability" to worry about consequences or how much work it's going to take to get a job done. They just do it. Sometimes, you need to forget all that human complexity and just do what you need to do.
So, the next time someone gives you a hard time about "storing nuts" for the winter (hard times), and being a bit squirrelly, take it as a compliment.
Another terrific article is "What Can you Learn from Squirrels About Motivation, Procrastination and Intent". I think everyone will agree that procrastination is something that we all have to struggle with. Sometimes we get bogged down in the details; sometimes we are frightened by the effort that we will need to make to get something done; sometimes we just don't want to do what we have decided we need to do. Squirrels are not burdened with the human "ability" to worry about consequences or how much work it's going to take to get a job done. They just do it. Sometimes, you need to forget all that human complexity and just do what you need to do.
So, the next time someone gives you a hard time about "storing nuts" for the winter (hard times), and being a bit squirrelly, take it as a compliment.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Healthy Living
I just received the latest newsletter from Backyard Food Production, and if you don't already subscribe, I strongly recommend that you do so. The article is Part 1 on a series about health, and that it's more than just eating right. I recently subscribed to this newsletter and have found that it is a no-fluff resource that always gives me something solid to think about.
Anyway, just as a bit of a teaser, and so you know why I really like this newsletter, the focus on the series is that the foundation of good health is diet and exercise. Now, this is not "going on a diet", and "hitting the gym for a workout". This is a lifestyle choice that focuses on eating food that has not been stripped of its value by chemical farming and over-processing, and a physical approach to life that rejects sedentary pursuits punctuated by harmful "workouts" that abuse your body.
Marjory Wildraft and the Backyard Food Production Team mention two books that have actually helped them be healthier, one of which is available through their bookstore: Born to Run, and Pain Free
.
Anyway, just as a bit of a teaser, and so you know why I really like this newsletter, the focus on the series is that the foundation of good health is diet and exercise. Now, this is not "going on a diet", and "hitting the gym for a workout". This is a lifestyle choice that focuses on eating food that has not been stripped of its value by chemical farming and over-processing, and a physical approach to life that rejects sedentary pursuits punctuated by harmful "workouts" that abuse your body.
Marjory Wildraft and the Backyard Food Production Team mention two books that have actually helped them be healthier, one of which is available through their bookstore: Born to Run, and Pain Free
.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Snow
I've been reading all of my favourite blogs, and so many of them have the same theme: snow! The novelty has worn off, and everybody would like to see some or even all of it go away. I'm feeling positively guilty that we haven't had much snow here.
Years ago, living on the east coast, I too used to be very tired of snow come January. Fallen trees on the road to our village, white outs and blasts of winds that could knock over tractor trailers, and feeling the house shudder even in the basement when a blizzard came through - I don't miss it one bit. Those were the days when I blessed the wood stove. We'd hang the hurricane lamp from its secure hook in the high ceiling and play cards by its light, and on the wood stove - stew from the pantry would fill the air with a wonderful aroma. Food grown in the garden, canned and stored in the pantry... there's nothing like it. Even when times were tough money-wise, we didn't have to worry about where the next meal would come from.
We didn't think of ourselves as preppers. We thought of ourselves as practical people, knowing that winter happens, electricity going out happens, storms and floods happen, and only a fool would fail to plan for it.
When snow, or other life-interrupting events, force us to slow down or even pause the mad scurry, enjoy it. Take advantage of the opportunity to take stock, re-organize your preps, and practice a few skills. All too soon, the rat race will start again.
Years ago, living on the east coast, I too used to be very tired of snow come January. Fallen trees on the road to our village, white outs and blasts of winds that could knock over tractor trailers, and feeling the house shudder even in the basement when a blizzard came through - I don't miss it one bit. Those were the days when I blessed the wood stove. We'd hang the hurricane lamp from its secure hook in the high ceiling and play cards by its light, and on the wood stove - stew from the pantry would fill the air with a wonderful aroma. Food grown in the garden, canned and stored in the pantry... there's nothing like it. Even when times were tough money-wise, we didn't have to worry about where the next meal would come from.
We didn't think of ourselves as preppers. We thought of ourselves as practical people, knowing that winter happens, electricity going out happens, storms and floods happen, and only a fool would fail to plan for it.
When snow, or other life-interrupting events, force us to slow down or even pause the mad scurry, enjoy it. Take advantage of the opportunity to take stock, re-organize your preps, and practice a few skills. All too soon, the rat race will start again.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Thrift Stores
Recently, on my weekly visit to the Salvation Army Thrift Store, they were having a $5.00 Bag of Books sale on. I was able to pick up some useful books about gardening in my area, plus some other interesting tomes I had previously considered buying such as a book of poetry by Robert Service. I particularly love "The Cremation of Sam McGee" which my grandfather used to recite from memory.
I think that most of us who are prepping take full advantage of our thrift stores as someone else's trash just might turn out to be a treasure that helps us become more self-reliant. Just the other day, I found a hand cranked meat grinder with all the attachments on a mounting board for a fraction of the cost of new. I have also seen a hand-operated knitting machine, treadle sewing machines, and other manual treasures discarded in favour of electric devices; also paper plates and plastic cutlery, canning jars and sealing lids still in the boxes unopened, hand tools of good quality, real wool woolens, kerosene lamps, oil lamps, camp stoves, a wide variety of camping gear, backpacks, and all at reasonable prices compared to buying new.
Another great source for prepper items is yard sales, and even dumpsters. Right now, I have professional pizza pans that were rescued from the dumpster behind a pizza shop in town. Some elbow grease and they were as good as new.
In my town, every spring we have a weekend "swap" event, where folks put out things they no longer have a use for at the curb, and other folks cruise around and pick up stuff they think they could use. After the two day event, the "unswapped" items are collected by the city and donated to a local charity. Check in the papers, or the city's web site to find out if there are events like this where you live.
Remember, prepping doesn't mean going out and spending big bucks on special gear. It means developing the survival mindset that enables you to see the value in someone else's junk and re-using, recyling, re-inventing. It means seeing opportunities where other people see none. It means reaching out and grabbing opportunities to do for yourself instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you. And sometimes it means climbing over obstacles nay-sayers might put in your path.
A great many sites out there are very focused on selling you things to prep with, but really, do you really need to spend a great deal of money in order to be prepared? No, I don't believe so. Rather, if you are frugal, and use your money wisely, you can be prepared for many of the "negative events" that life and the universe can throw at you without spending a great deal more than you did before you realized that you need to become more self-reliant. Rather, you will be spending your money differently.
For this reason, I do recommend that you look not just at prepper sites, but also at sites about how to make your dollar stretch further, on how to simplify your life, and live frugally. Read the blogs by people who can foods for fun, and tell you how to do it. Check out the blogs of folks who camp, and hunt, and fish for fun. These folks don't think of themselves as preppers, but really, many of these folks have a survival mindset.
For example, one fellow who hikes and blogs about his various treks posted about how he started using socks to house a lot of his smaller pack items which allowed him to move more quietly when he wished to be able to photograph wildlife. He also found that socks provided cushioning for delicate gear such as the lens of his cameras; and at need, he also had additional extra socks for his feet, to use as oven mitts, and to carry found items.
I think that most of us who are prepping take full advantage of our thrift stores as someone else's trash just might turn out to be a treasure that helps us become more self-reliant. Just the other day, I found a hand cranked meat grinder with all the attachments on a mounting board for a fraction of the cost of new. I have also seen a hand-operated knitting machine, treadle sewing machines, and other manual treasures discarded in favour of electric devices; also paper plates and plastic cutlery, canning jars and sealing lids still in the boxes unopened, hand tools of good quality, real wool woolens, kerosene lamps, oil lamps, camp stoves, a wide variety of camping gear, backpacks, and all at reasonable prices compared to buying new.
Another great source for prepper items is yard sales, and even dumpsters. Right now, I have professional pizza pans that were rescued from the dumpster behind a pizza shop in town. Some elbow grease and they were as good as new.
In my town, every spring we have a weekend "swap" event, where folks put out things they no longer have a use for at the curb, and other folks cruise around and pick up stuff they think they could use. After the two day event, the "unswapped" items are collected by the city and donated to a local charity. Check in the papers, or the city's web site to find out if there are events like this where you live.
Remember, prepping doesn't mean going out and spending big bucks on special gear. It means developing the survival mindset that enables you to see the value in someone else's junk and re-using, recyling, re-inventing. It means seeing opportunities where other people see none. It means reaching out and grabbing opportunities to do for yourself instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you. And sometimes it means climbing over obstacles nay-sayers might put in your path.
A great many sites out there are very focused on selling you things to prep with, but really, do you really need to spend a great deal of money in order to be prepared? No, I don't believe so. Rather, if you are frugal, and use your money wisely, you can be prepared for many of the "negative events" that life and the universe can throw at you without spending a great deal more than you did before you realized that you need to become more self-reliant. Rather, you will be spending your money differently.
For this reason, I do recommend that you look not just at prepper sites, but also at sites about how to make your dollar stretch further, on how to simplify your life, and live frugally. Read the blogs by people who can foods for fun, and tell you how to do it. Check out the blogs of folks who camp, and hunt, and fish for fun. These folks don't think of themselves as preppers, but really, many of these folks have a survival mindset.
For example, one fellow who hikes and blogs about his various treks posted about how he started using socks to house a lot of his smaller pack items which allowed him to move more quietly when he wished to be able to photograph wildlife. He also found that socks provided cushioning for delicate gear such as the lens of his cameras; and at need, he also had additional extra socks for his feet, to use as oven mitts, and to carry found items.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Water Supply, more words of wisdom from M.G. Kains
Chapter 15, of Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management
, is about the water supply. M.G. starts by talking about his experiences with a variety of cisterns that he'd lived with over the years, and in one paragraph, he encapsulates all the mistakes one can make with putting in a cistern to harvest rain:
"At various times I have lived in houses where the primitive rain barrel furnished family needs and reared mosquitoes; where the shallow cistern provoked profanity every winter because holes had to be chopped in the ice and from which the water had to be lifted by a "sweep", "the old oaken bucket," or hauled, hand over hand, by rope and pail; a "chain-pump"; where a deep, unprotected cistern was built without provision for drainage and had to be cleaned of noisom sludge, dead toads, mice and other gruesome ingredients every summer; where there was a "filter cistern" which could not be cleaned (!) because of inaccessibility; where an attic tank filled direct from the roof collected leaves, soot, dirt and bird droppings; and where, in several houses, the water had to be pumped by hand either to a tank in the garret or a pressure tank in the cellar."
I have read a number of blogs where the authors planned to use a cistern to harvest rainwater, and this paragraph brought these folks to mind. I've also seen some neat instructables from those who have actually made working rain collection systems. Here are a couple of links to some manuals about creating rainwater catchment systems:
The Texas Manual of Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Montana
Harvesting Rainwater for Landscape Use, University of Arizona
Rainwater Harvesting, Practical Action Organization
This interesting page details one family's experiences with using rain barrels:
http://www.kidsfromkanata.ca/files/rainbarrels.html
And here's another page from a fellow building a custom tank in his father's garden:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Water/WooTank/wootank.htm
In fact, visit Instructables and do a search for rain barrels. There are lots of ideas for those that are handy. In conclusion, there are some books that come highly recommended for those that are looking to build a water supply system based on rainwater:
Art Ludwig has also written some great books on re-use of "greywater":
This particular blog entry also points out some of the pitfalls of gathering rain from a roof:
Blogs and Blooms
Here on my island, we've been complaining about how much rain we've had over the holidays. Ironic really, as we will undoubtedly suffer a shortage of rain in July, and August. We so rarely have freezing weather, it seems positively wasteful to watch the water that got away flowing off into the little swale behind the house.
, is about the water supply. M.G. starts by talking about his experiences with a variety of cisterns that he'd lived with over the years, and in one paragraph, he encapsulates all the mistakes one can make with putting in a cistern to harvest rain:"At various times I have lived in houses where the primitive rain barrel furnished family needs and reared mosquitoes; where the shallow cistern provoked profanity every winter because holes had to be chopped in the ice and from which the water had to be lifted by a "sweep", "the old oaken bucket," or hauled, hand over hand, by rope and pail; a "chain-pump"; where a deep, unprotected cistern was built without provision for drainage and had to be cleaned of noisom sludge, dead toads, mice and other gruesome ingredients every summer; where there was a "filter cistern" which could not be cleaned (!) because of inaccessibility; where an attic tank filled direct from the roof collected leaves, soot, dirt and bird droppings; and where, in several houses, the water had to be pumped by hand either to a tank in the garret or a pressure tank in the cellar."
I have read a number of blogs where the authors planned to use a cistern to harvest rainwater, and this paragraph brought these folks to mind. I've also seen some neat instructables from those who have actually made working rain collection systems. Here are a couple of links to some manuals about creating rainwater catchment systems:
The Texas Manual of Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Montana
Harvesting Rainwater for Landscape Use, University of Arizona
Rainwater Harvesting, Practical Action Organization
This interesting page details one family's experiences with using rain barrels:
http://www.kidsfromkanata.ca/files/rainbarrels.html
And here's another page from a fellow building a custom tank in his father's garden:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Water/WooTank/wootank.htm
In fact, visit Instructables and do a search for rain barrels. There are lots of ideas for those that are handy. In conclusion, there are some books that come highly recommended for those that are looking to build a water supply system based on rainwater:
Art Ludwig has also written some great books on re-use of "greywater":
This particular blog entry also points out some of the pitfalls of gathering rain from a roof:
Blogs and Blooms
Here on my island, we've been complaining about how much rain we've had over the holidays. Ironic really, as we will undoubtedly suffer a shortage of rain in July, and August. We so rarely have freezing weather, it seems positively wasteful to watch the water that got away flowing off into the little swale behind the house.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
New Border Vision
Over at Advanced Survival Guide, Justus discovered an article from the National Post about a proposed Canada/U.S./Mexico security perimeter that made him nervous. I can appreciate his point of view as an American. From the Mexican and Canadian points of view, it is also a move that does not make one feel warm and cozy.
And yet, what fuels this effort? There are hundreds of mini-Hitlers out there fomenting hatred based on religion (both so-called Muslims and so-called Christians are guilty here) and many young inexperienced people are falling prey to this kind of charismatic bullshit. Yet, Hitler had an agenda that was based on greed and a desire for power. Religion was one of the tools he used to achieve his own goals: personal power folded into the goal of empowering and enriching his country, but only on his terms.
Will this proposed "security perimeter" come into being? Who stands to gain the most from this proposal? Who stands to lose the most from this proposal? Draw your own conclusions!
And yet, what fuels this effort? There are hundreds of mini-Hitlers out there fomenting hatred based on religion (both so-called Muslims and so-called Christians are guilty here) and many young inexperienced people are falling prey to this kind of charismatic bullshit. Yet, Hitler had an agenda that was based on greed and a desire for power. Religion was one of the tools he used to achieve his own goals: personal power folded into the goal of empowering and enriching his country, but only on his terms.
Will this proposed "security perimeter" come into being? Who stands to gain the most from this proposal? Who stands to lose the most from this proposal? Draw your own conclusions!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Stranded Overnight
If you haven't already checked it out, have a listen at Off Grid Survival about the big snow storm that hit Ontario and Michigan. There's an interview there with one fellow who was stuck in his truck over 24 hours, all he had was a blanket, and he'd started his trip with only a quarter tank of gas in his truck.
I have two words for you: Car Kit. Brandon Junkin mentions in the interview that by midnight, he was unable to open his vehicle doors because the snow had drifted in so deep. My friends, he is one lucky hombre to be able to tell his story. But think how much better off he would have been with a survival mindset. One thing I will bet on: Brandon is probably going to put together a car kit, and he'll probably listen to weather warnings in the future.
The one item that Off Grid Survival's recommended car kit list doesn't mention is personal sanitation. If you can't open the vehicle doors, you can't step out for a potty break. And for the ladies, a bottle is not going to do it. For the car, when you can't step out, a plastic bed pan or a portable urinal may be just the ticket.
You may also want to consider some waterproof bed-pads if there are children with you.
This would also be useful if you have your dog with you. If it's not safe for you to step out, it certainly is not safe for Rover to do so either.
Finally, if you have your car kit in the trunk of your car, you may want to think about putting it in the back seat if you set out on a trip and the weather is iffy. Your kit won't be of any benefit if you can't get it out of the trunk because the snow is so high that you can't open the doors.
December 15, 2010: Looks like 327 people were rescued altogether. Reports indicate many were not dressed for the weather, and some were stranded for almost 24 hours. Check it out:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/12/15/traffic-now-moving-on-some-areas-of-highway-402/
I have two words for you: Car Kit. Brandon Junkin mentions in the interview that by midnight, he was unable to open his vehicle doors because the snow had drifted in so deep. My friends, he is one lucky hombre to be able to tell his story. But think how much better off he would have been with a survival mindset. One thing I will bet on: Brandon is probably going to put together a car kit, and he'll probably listen to weather warnings in the future.
The one item that Off Grid Survival's recommended car kit list doesn't mention is personal sanitation. If you can't open the vehicle doors, you can't step out for a potty break. And for the ladies, a bottle is not going to do it. For the car, when you can't step out, a plastic bed pan or a portable urinal may be just the ticket.
You may also want to consider some waterproof bed-pads if there are children with you.
This would also be useful if you have your dog with you. If it's not safe for you to step out, it certainly is not safe for Rover to do so either.
Finally, if you have your car kit in the trunk of your car, you may want to think about putting it in the back seat if you set out on a trip and the weather is iffy. Your kit won't be of any benefit if you can't get it out of the trunk because the snow is so high that you can't open the doors.
December 15, 2010: Looks like 327 people were rescued altogether. Reports indicate many were not dressed for the weather, and some were stranded for almost 24 hours. Check it out:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/12/15/traffic-now-moving-on-some-areas-of-highway-402/
Non-Electric Lifestyle
I was reading Wendy's post over at Surviving the Suburbs about giving up her dishwasher to save electricity and become more eco-friendly, and it struck me that we all have our little guilty electric pleasures that will be hard to give up. I'm sitting here listening to my electric coffeemaker gurgling on the kitchen counter, and wondering how long I would need to pedal a bicycle generator to get my morning cup of joe.
There are so many things that we North Americans take for granted, and just never consider how difficult it would be if the lights went out for a very long time. Growing up, we didn't have an electric coffeemaker. Mom made it on top of the stove using a percolator; it went camping with us and made coffee just as happily on the camp stove as it did on the electric stove at home.
Many of my relatives had large kitchens with both electric and wood-burning cook stoves in them. One of my aunts had an oil-burning cook stove for use in the winter. One thing I remember vividly is watching my granny stick her hand into the over to gauge the heat and whether it was hot enough to stick a tray of cookies in. I wouldn't have a clue what felt hot enough. Mom's stove had a thermometer on the front of the oven door.
We've probably all seen those camping gadgets for making toast or popcorn, but these are not new inventions. There was a time when these are what people used. I remember sitting in front of the fire with a wire basket on a long handle full of popcorn kernels and watching them pop. I grew up with all those non-electric tools, although I will admit that when dad came home with that first electric coffee maker when I was in high school, that produced genuine excitement. With that baby in the house, my first major addiction was born. Mmmm, coffee!
Nevertheless, when I look at a lot of food storage sites, and prepper sites, even though we all talk (and write) about preparing for a time when there might not be electricity, we all have all kinds of electric gadgets for prepping with. Now that's ironic. M.D. Creekmore addressed the same issue in a recent post, 4 Unique Ways to Preserve Food. Honestly, I read a post from someone who is using an electric pressure cooker to can small batches!
This has driven me to an obsessive search for all those old-fashioned non-electric tools that my mother used to use. Amazon has an amazing selection of these products, and the prices are not bad at all:
There are so many things that we North Americans take for granted, and just never consider how difficult it would be if the lights went out for a very long time. Growing up, we didn't have an electric coffeemaker. Mom made it on top of the stove using a percolator; it went camping with us and made coffee just as happily on the camp stove as it did on the electric stove at home.
Many of my relatives had large kitchens with both electric and wood-burning cook stoves in them. One of my aunts had an oil-burning cook stove for use in the winter. One thing I remember vividly is watching my granny stick her hand into the over to gauge the heat and whether it was hot enough to stick a tray of cookies in. I wouldn't have a clue what felt hot enough. Mom's stove had a thermometer on the front of the oven door.
We've probably all seen those camping gadgets for making toast or popcorn, but these are not new inventions. There was a time when these are what people used. I remember sitting in front of the fire with a wire basket on a long handle full of popcorn kernels and watching them pop. I grew up with all those non-electric tools, although I will admit that when dad came home with that first electric coffee maker when I was in high school, that produced genuine excitement. With that baby in the house, my first major addiction was born. Mmmm, coffee!
Nevertheless, when I look at a lot of food storage sites, and prepper sites, even though we all talk (and write) about preparing for a time when there might not be electricity, we all have all kinds of electric gadgets for prepping with. Now that's ironic. M.D. Creekmore addressed the same issue in a recent post, 4 Unique Ways to Preserve Food. Honestly, I read a post from someone who is using an electric pressure cooker to can small batches!
This has driven me to an obsessive search for all those old-fashioned non-electric tools that my mother used to use. Amazon has an amazing selection of these products, and the prices are not bad at all:
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Raising Children to be Survivors
I was reading the Bill of No Rights again this morning, and while it is good for a pained chuckle or too, it always makes me pause and think. Once more, I thought that so many of the problems we have in modern society is the result of "eliminating" consequences, and giving children what they have not earned.
Children are praised, even when they have not done well. They know when they haven't done well, and so they don't value the unearned praise. All it does is teach them that they don't have to try, and someone will fix it for them. They never get to have that wonderful feeling of having truly good work recognized. And for the children who actually do well, the unfairness of seeing their achievements devalued by the praise given those who didn't (and perhaps didn't even try), causes them to stop trying. (I recommend that you read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged
for her take on the social implications of lowering standards to the lowest common denominator).
The loss of consequences where parents insulate their children from punishment when they behave in a manner that is (or used to be) socially unacceptable has led to a society of liars, thieves, and violent people. I have heard young mothers brag about how well behaved their children are, and if "junior" is "naughty", they have a time-out. A time-out, for crying out loud. Those children are usually little s**ts.
When I was a child, a time-out was for when you were crying, and getting on mom or dad's nerves. I got spanked when I was bad, and it did me no harm. I learned right off the bat which things were okay to do, and which things weren't. No endless time-outs in a bedroom full of toys and entertainment devices. Just a single sharp statement, and I knew exactly where I stood. My parents loved me, and I knew it because they taught me the rules of real life.
I tried to do the same for my kids, so that at least at home, they got realistic information about how life works. Unfortunately, they were mired in the public school system, and I do not find them to be as prepared for reality as I would have hoped. Both learned to work with their hands, but didn't learn to value that knowledge. But they both do understand my desire to be prepared for whatever comes down the chute, and I hope that one day, they will take steps of their own instead of planning to "go home".
Children are praised, even when they have not done well. They know when they haven't done well, and so they don't value the unearned praise. All it does is teach them that they don't have to try, and someone will fix it for them. They never get to have that wonderful feeling of having truly good work recognized. And for the children who actually do well, the unfairness of seeing their achievements devalued by the praise given those who didn't (and perhaps didn't even try), causes them to stop trying. (I recommend that you read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged
for her take on the social implications of lowering standards to the lowest common denominator).The loss of consequences where parents insulate their children from punishment when they behave in a manner that is (or used to be) socially unacceptable has led to a society of liars, thieves, and violent people. I have heard young mothers brag about how well behaved their children are, and if "junior" is "naughty", they have a time-out. A time-out, for crying out loud. Those children are usually little s**ts.
When I was a child, a time-out was for when you were crying, and getting on mom or dad's nerves. I got spanked when I was bad, and it did me no harm. I learned right off the bat which things were okay to do, and which things weren't. No endless time-outs in a bedroom full of toys and entertainment devices. Just a single sharp statement, and I knew exactly where I stood. My parents loved me, and I knew it because they taught me the rules of real life.
I tried to do the same for my kids, so that at least at home, they got realistic information about how life works. Unfortunately, they were mired in the public school system, and I do not find them to be as prepared for reality as I would have hoped. Both learned to work with their hands, but didn't learn to value that knowledge. But they both do understand my desire to be prepared for whatever comes down the chute, and I hope that one day, they will take steps of their own instead of planning to "go home".
Friday, December 10, 2010
What You Can Learn from Playing Video Games
I had an interesting conversation with a fellow at work yesterday about what you can learn from video games. Now, I've always thought video games are great for teaching eye-hand coordination. It worked well with my youngest who had real problems in that area. But apparently, there is more that you can learn.
One thing my young friend mentioned is that you learn not to panic. Suddenly, a raptor jumps you from out of nowhere; what do you do! Apparently, long time gamers learn to not panic. Another skill is to anticipate possible scenarios and plan for them, or planning strategies. Thirdly, another skill is to learn to deal with tedium as in "grinding out rep", and "farming". So, my friend thinks that all that time spent playing World of Warcraft is good survival training.
I can see the value in learning to not panic, but strategic thinking is best developed in handling real world events. In real life, your strategy cannot include running through your opponent, and rezzing if things don't go as planned. Indeed, if your main skills are game related, and you are a computer potato, you are not going to be physically prepared.
It's possible that in a bad situation where you need to direct younger folk who are clueless about real life, drawing upon gaming analogies can at least help them understand the situation, and why you need them to follow a certain strategy. For example, you can tell them it's like doing a boss raid where you have to do everything just right, or the raid will wipe. And if they complain that you don't trust them, let them know that all the tedious little jobs you are giving them to do is "grinding rep" with your faction, or they are "farming" for mats.
If you have kids that spend all their leisure time in the cyber world, you may need to offer them a "quest" and help them apply their "skills" in the real world.
One thing my young friend mentioned is that you learn not to panic. Suddenly, a raptor jumps you from out of nowhere; what do you do! Apparently, long time gamers learn to not panic. Another skill is to anticipate possible scenarios and plan for them, or planning strategies. Thirdly, another skill is to learn to deal with tedium as in "grinding out rep", and "farming". So, my friend thinks that all that time spent playing World of Warcraft is good survival training.
I can see the value in learning to not panic, but strategic thinking is best developed in handling real world events. In real life, your strategy cannot include running through your opponent, and rezzing if things don't go as planned. Indeed, if your main skills are game related, and you are a computer potato, you are not going to be physically prepared.
It's possible that in a bad situation where you need to direct younger folk who are clueless about real life, drawing upon gaming analogies can at least help them understand the situation, and why you need them to follow a certain strategy. For example, you can tell them it's like doing a boss raid where you have to do everything just right, or the raid will wipe. And if they complain that you don't trust them, let them know that all the tedious little jobs you are giving them to do is "grinding rep" with your faction, or they are "farming" for mats.
If you have kids that spend all their leisure time in the cyber world, you may need to offer them a "quest" and help them apply their "skills" in the real world.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Economic Collapse
It seems clear that some sort of economic collapse is on the way in the U.S., and that would tend to have a domino effect around the world. When that will happen, no one can predict because there are simply to many factors to consider, and it's possible that the triggering event will not even look financial, if you know what I mean.
And remember, there are groups in the United States that are actively trying to take away freedom of speech. If they are successful, a great many blogs and sites with useful information for the prepper minded may simply disappear because they are deemed offensive and alarmist.
Be prepared! Checked out this video from RickVanMan.
And remember, there are groups in the United States that are actively trying to take away freedom of speech. If they are successful, a great many blogs and sites with useful information for the prepper minded may simply disappear because they are deemed offensive and alarmist.
Be prepared! Checked out this video from RickVanMan.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Preparedness and Planning
Another fantastic post from The Survivalist Blog Dot Net. This is the best summing up of the first principles of preparedness I have seen. I especially appreciate the point on having a team. Anyone who imagines that being a lone survivor is a good thing needs to re-watch Castaway
. The dangers of being injured or hurt when alone, and the sheer horror of being lonely are well-illustrated in this film.
I also like the points on planning, point 2 being "with a paper and pen write out a detailed survival plan", and point 6, "know when to change strategies." "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley", quote Robbie Burns.
I'm going to be daring and add to point 2:
Whatever your long term goal is, set a series of mini-goals, and don't rush. As a self-confessed lazy person, I want to do the job right the first time, so I don't have to do it again. This means a little extra work in the short term because a detailed plan really is necessary.
Planning is especially important if you have non-preppers in the house. Hubby has been known to give away some of my prepper supplies because "we have lots". Well, duh, Skippy! That's the point! It takes planning to keep him from giving away the store.
. The dangers of being injured or hurt when alone, and the sheer horror of being lonely are well-illustrated in this film.I also like the points on planning, point 2 being "with a paper and pen write out a detailed survival plan", and point 6, "know when to change strategies." "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley", quote Robbie Burns.
I'm going to be daring and add to point 2:
Whatever your long term goal is, set a series of mini-goals, and don't rush. As a self-confessed lazy person, I want to do the job right the first time, so I don't have to do it again. This means a little extra work in the short term because a detailed plan really is necessary.
Planning is especially important if you have non-preppers in the house. Hubby has been known to give away some of my prepper supplies because "we have lots". Well, duh, Skippy! That's the point! It takes planning to keep him from giving away the store.
More About Emergency Sanitation
Found a really good article on how to prepare for emergency sanitation over at Self-Reliance Central. One of the suggestions is to have a bucket with a toilet seat, bags and kitty litter. And if you already have a cat, it's no biggie to buy an extra bag every time you pick up some up. Whoever uses the kitty litter, it is disposed of in the same fashion.
Of course, if you live out in the country, it might be prudent to locate a spot where you can dig a discreet outhouse disguised as a garden shed. There are so many fake outhouses out there, no one will give it a second thought as long as you are stealthy about digging the hole and scattering the dirt around the garden.
For that matter, it occurs to me that until you actually need to use the hole for matters sanitary, it could very well serve as storage. Just a nebulous thought. The details I leave to your imagination.
Of course, if you live out in the country, it might be prudent to locate a spot where you can dig a discreet outhouse disguised as a garden shed. There are so many fake outhouses out there, no one will give it a second thought as long as you are stealthy about digging the hole and scattering the dirt around the garden.
For that matter, it occurs to me that until you actually need to use the hole for matters sanitary, it could very well serve as storage. Just a nebulous thought. The details I leave to your imagination.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Survivalist Blog Dot Net
If you don't already have a subscription to this fantastic blog, The Survivalist Blog Dot Net, I highly recommend it. I find that I frequently go back and re-read his blogs because they are so full of intelligent comments that often give voice to nebulous thoughts I've had myself.
This morning, I re-read a post from October about minimalism, or not getting carried away. He talks about not spending too much time and money on gear just for the sake of having gear. Skills, and multi-purpose tools are more useful. I particularly related to his having to clean out an overstuffed shed and just get rid of the excess because in practical terms, the money invested could better be used elsewhere.
I can relate to that. I moved across the country from one end to the other, and I had to do some serious down-sizing, but it was ultimately worthwhile. Sometimes your possessions start to own you, and they might even get in the way of surviving a serious situation. How many people have died trying to save some possession from a burning building? Was it really worth dying for?
Take care to think about what you are buying and why you are buying it. Do you already have something that could fulfill the purpose of the thing you are thinking of buying? If so, then maybe your money would be better spent elsewhere.
This morning, I re-read a post from October about minimalism, or not getting carried away. He talks about not spending too much time and money on gear just for the sake of having gear. Skills, and multi-purpose tools are more useful. I particularly related to his having to clean out an overstuffed shed and just get rid of the excess because in practical terms, the money invested could better be used elsewhere.
I can relate to that. I moved across the country from one end to the other, and I had to do some serious down-sizing, but it was ultimately worthwhile. Sometimes your possessions start to own you, and they might even get in the way of surviving a serious situation. How many people have died trying to save some possession from a burning building? Was it really worth dying for?
Take care to think about what you are buying and why you are buying it. Do you already have something that could fulfill the purpose of the thing you are thinking of buying? If so, then maybe your money would be better spent elsewhere.
What Has Encouraged Me to Keep On with My Prepping
Sometimes, with hubby being such an ostrich, I feel pretty discouraged about carrying on with my food storage rotation. I try to gently discuss preparedness with him, and my family, and encourage them to have a realistic viewpoint about future developments. You probably do the same. And maybe they think you are nuts for preparing for the worst. What I have found with my family is that over time, I have seen quite a few of them start "prepping" without even consciously realizing that is what they are doing. My favourite cousin and his wife just put together bug out bags, after years of him ribbing me.
When I heard about that, I had to give him a call, and I ribbed him about the bug out bags, of course (payback). He told me that now that he had a family, he started worrying about things a lot more, and having a nice full pantry made him feel more secure that they would be able to manage if one of them lost his or her job, or their hours got cut back. I asked him why he got the bug out bags, and he was kind of sheepish about that. Apparently at his work, the boss had purchased "get home" bags for each of the employees, and so he took it home to show his wife. Well then, she wanted one too, and one thing lead to another.
It's nice to know I'm not the only nut out there on the preparedness tree! And what a great boss my cousin has! Seriously, I'm jealous...
When I heard about that, I had to give him a call, and I ribbed him about the bug out bags, of course (payback). He told me that now that he had a family, he started worrying about things a lot more, and having a nice full pantry made him feel more secure that they would be able to manage if one of them lost his or her job, or their hours got cut back. I asked him why he got the bug out bags, and he was kind of sheepish about that. Apparently at his work, the boss had purchased "get home" bags for each of the employees, and so he took it home to show his wife. Well then, she wanted one too, and one thing lead to another.
It's nice to know I'm not the only nut out there on the preparedness tree! And what a great boss my cousin has! Seriously, I'm jealous...
Friday, November 19, 2010
Airport Security
Read an interesting article this morning, courtesy of Digg, about how Isreal handles airport security. Considering that they've been dealing with terrorists for a lot longer than any other country in the world, I think having a look at their security measures is a good idea. Check out this article from the Star. Despite facing dozens of potential threats each day, the security set-up at Israel's largest hub, Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, has not been breached since 2002, when a passenger mistakenly carried a handgun onto a flight. How do they manage that?
Behavioural profiling. Ignoring the politification (is that a word?) of the word profiling, it is a reality that people, regardless of race, gender, religious beliefs or age, who are planning to do something that people will want them to not do and flies in the face of their own instincts, will exhibit certain behaviours unconsciously, and these behaviours can be observed by someone who has been properly trained. Many layers of well-trained eyes protect travelers without invading their privacy.
This is a concept that has been around for a long time. Indeed, some researchers believe that intuition is an unconscious form of behavioural profiling.
Behavioural profiling. Ignoring the politification (is that a word?) of the word profiling, it is a reality that people, regardless of race, gender, religious beliefs or age, who are planning to do something that people will want them to not do and flies in the face of their own instincts, will exhibit certain behaviours unconsciously, and these behaviours can be observed by someone who has been properly trained. Many layers of well-trained eyes protect travelers without invading their privacy.
This is a concept that has been around for a long time. Indeed, some researchers believe that intuition is an unconscious form of behavioural profiling.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Are You A Tech-Junkie?
I think most of us are highly dependent on our electronic and electrical gadgets, and it's astonishing how many of the "simplest" devices now have chips in them to control them. Modern Stronghold has an chilling piece about what the consequences could be if all those chips were taken out, not by an EMP, but a virus. The virus he's referring to in his piece is stuxnet, and it's designed to be able to hijack the code in the device it has infiltrated, and customized to sabotage or steal code and/or data.
Imagine then, if you will, a world where electricity was no longer readily available because a virus targetted the control systems at all power plants using certain PLC's, or where driving a car that contains a computer is taking your life in your hands because viral code had been introduced during the manufacturing process. Maybe your air conditioner develops the habit of dropping temperatures to the freezing point and you live in someplace where it can get brutally hot. Using air conditioning becomes an exercise in extremes, assuming you have electricity to start with. Sounds like the beginnings of a great sci-fi novel.
It's a weird world we live in. Think I'll jump in my computer-controlled car and go to work, where I sit in front of a computer, in a building where access is controlled by a computer...
Imagine then, if you will, a world where electricity was no longer readily available because a virus targetted the control systems at all power plants using certain PLC's, or where driving a car that contains a computer is taking your life in your hands because viral code had been introduced during the manufacturing process. Maybe your air conditioner develops the habit of dropping temperatures to the freezing point and you live in someplace where it can get brutally hot. Using air conditioning becomes an exercise in extremes, assuming you have electricity to start with. Sounds like the beginnings of a great sci-fi novel.
It's a weird world we live in. Think I'll jump in my computer-controlled car and go to work, where I sit in front of a computer, in a building where access is controlled by a computer...
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Communications
Yet another fascinating blog entry from Preparedness Pro about communications in an emergency situation. When all hell breaks loose, it may not break loose where you live, it may break loose where someone you love lives. How can you keep in touch?
Kellene makes a number of very intelligent recommendations including having a wireline phone with corded phone for when the power goes out, skype (which can be used with a cell phone) for emergencies away, and a number of other options for long-term outages when wireline phones are not an option. How about becoming a Ham radio operator and get plugged into an alternate network of news on the ground. Learn shorthand, and/or Sign Language. There was an episode of Star Trek where Sign Language was used in battle when regular communications were out.
It strikes me that if you have a group of like-minded preppers and you all learned an abbreviated set of signs to use in emergencies when quiet is necessary, that would be a very good thing. You can even come up with signs of your own.
Kellene makes a number of very intelligent recommendations including having a wireline phone with corded phone for when the power goes out, skype (which can be used with a cell phone) for emergencies away, and a number of other options for long-term outages when wireline phones are not an option. How about becoming a Ham radio operator and get plugged into an alternate network of news on the ground. Learn shorthand, and/or Sign Language. There was an episode of Star Trek where Sign Language was used in battle when regular communications were out.
It strikes me that if you have a group of like-minded preppers and you all learned an abbreviated set of signs to use in emergencies when quiet is necessary, that would be a very good thing. You can even come up with signs of your own.
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