Does Your Family Support or Understand Your Prepping Believes

Some preppers have family that doesn't understand why or what your doing. This can cause some issues. What can you do? Do you need to be the black sheep of the family for ever! NO....

If your family doesn't support or understand your prepping believes, it can make things hard. Most of the time it’s just that they don't understand where you're coming from.  If this is the case, this is an easy fix. All you need to do is take the time to educate them. You should explain why you're prepping. What you’re prepping for and your plan. This will get them to understand your thoughts about prepping. By educating them you might find they are on your side.

         If your family just is against prepping altogether, this is very different. In this case don't waste your time on educating them. You should just explain that this is your beliefs. Try not to push it on them. This will make thing worse. Prepping isn't everyone's thing. If you do your own  things and don't push it on them maybe they will come around. Don't let them make your feel bad for what your doing. Just try to avoid confrontation. Confrontation just will feed the fire. It will make you into the crazy or bad person. This sounds easy but its not. It will benefit everyone. 

       Weather your family comes around or not it’s important to stand up for what you believe in. You're not wrong or crazy. You just understand that preparing makes sense. Many people don't have common sense. You can't change this, no matter how hard you try. Most of all don't let anyone change who you are. Family or not!!! 

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Bourbon Can Save Your Life

     Many people think of bourbon as a drink. Bourbon actually can be used for many different things, including saving you life. Here’s how you can use it as a survival supply.   

     Bourbon can prevent deadly infections when applied to cuts, scrapes, and scratches. Especially on larger wounds, but few things kill microbes as effectively as liquor. Pour some across the injury, or dribble it on a piece of gauze to be left in place. You can also use it to clean out a dirty wound. Fill an empty plastic water bottle with bourbon and screw the lid on. Next, poke a tiny hole in the bottle cap and squeeze the bottle to send a pressurized jet of whiskey to flush debris from the wound while simultaneously disinfecting it.

     It can be used as a  disinfect. You can disinfect your knives or tools. A five minute soak in bourbon will kill all of the creepy crawlies that are too small to see, getting your gear ready to use again. Use a shallow pan or a tall glass as your reservoir, then just add your gear and let it soak. This is best done right before you need to use the items, since the sterile equipment can easily become contaminated again in the interim. Shake off any remaining droplets and go to work. You can also sanitize things other than “hardware”, such as clothing smeared with blood or other filth.
 
     Most bourbon contains more water than ethanol, it’s still flammable. The only trick when using liquor to kindle a fire is to be ready for the water. Liquor will light quickly but, as soon as the alcohol is gone, all that’s left is water. This means that if you dump this booze onto a pile of damp sticks, the alcohol will burn off quickly—leaving the sticks wetter than they were before. Plan ahead by lighting a rag or a bundle of tinder that has been doused with bourbon, and placing it under the sticks until they catch (rather than wetting the sticks themselves). This way, you take advantage of the liquor’s flammability, without the drawback of its high water volume. You can even use a stick to push the wet rag out of the fire lay once the sticks are ablaze.

      An painful injury can leave a person with few options for relief until they reach professional medical help. When the OTC analgesics in your med kit won’t kill the pain, consider giving your patient a shot or two of bourbon.  In Civil War field hospitals used booze to numb pain. Do your research on which types of injuries do not mix with alcohol. Head wounds are one, and wounds that won’t stop bleeding are another. And never, never mix liquor with other pain meds.

      It can help with sleeping. Sleep deprivation can be very dangers. Without sleep in every 24 hour period, your mental, emotional and physical health will suffer, and you’ll be operating at a greatly reduced capacity. Help the Sandman along by taking a shot or two of bourbon as a nightcap. This nervous system depressant will help relax your muscles and mind—allowing sleep to come easier and helping your worries drift away. Don’t drink too much though—too much alcohol will actually disrupt your sleep. Make sure you drink plenty of water once you wake up, as liquor tends to leave you dehydrated.

     Finally it can be used as a weapon.  "Molotov cocktail" Stuff a cotton rag into the neck of your bourbon bottle, light the rag on fire, and immediately toss it against a hard surface that will shatter the bottle. This can be deadly so be very careful. 

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The Pros And Cons To The Renewable Energy Sources

      Every day we rely on energy to provide us with electricity, hot water, and fuel for our cars. Most of this energy comes from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. These are nonrenewable energy sources, which means that if we use them all up, we can never get more during our lifetime. Here are the pros and cons to the renewable energy sources.

Landfill gas, solid waste energy

 Pros: Efficient use of waste, reduces methane emissions.

Cons: Large areas of landfill are required, compared to plants
          powered by fossil fuel. Pollution. Recycling reduces  
          landfills.

Wind turbines

 Pros: No pollution, limited maintenance, relatively inexpensive to 
          build.

Cons: No energy when the wind isn't blowing. The towers are
          visually displeasing to some people. It creates noise, and can
          be harmful to birds and wildlife. It also requires a lot of  
          land.

Biomass power 

 Pros: It is abundant, and can be used without interruption, cleaner
          than fossil fuel. 

Cons: Can result in air pollution, takes a lot of energy to produce, 
           can be seasonable and competes with food production.

Hydroelectric power

Pros: It's clean; abundant, where there are bodies of water. Cost
         competitive energy source. Recreational opportunities.

Cons: Dams can create environmental concerns, and it is restricted
          to where there is water. High upfront capital costs.

Solar power 

 Pros: Unlimited supply of sunlight and no pollution. Since you will
          be meeting some of your energy needs with the electricity
          our solar system has generated, your energy bills will drop.

Cons: It relies on sunlight, so it doesn't generate electricity at night
          or when overcast. It's more expensive than other sources. It
          takes a large geographical footprint to generate a significant
          amount of energy. Panels can cause glare.Transportation and
          installation of solar systems have been associated with the
          emission of greenhouse gases.

After looking at the pros and cons, my opinion is the same. We should use this when and where it makes sense. Like it wouldn't work to put all solar power in Alaska. It’s going to take a long time and billions of dollars to convert everything over. We have enough fossil fuels to last us a long time. So save where it make sense. 

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Protect Yourself And Your Summer From (WNV)

      Since, summer is just around the corner it's time for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carry a virus call West Nile. Most people don’t think about this or don't know how to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. Your yard can be ground zero for mosquito to lay larvae (eggs). Let's talk about what the virus is and how to protect and prevent the virus from getting out of control. 
    

      West Nile virus is an arbovirus. Viruses that are transmitted from one animal host to the next by insects (arthropods) are known as ‘arboviruses’ (arthropod-borne). Viruses comprise small pieces of genetic material (nucleic acid) whose sole purpose in life is to make more of themselves. Because they don’t have all the ability to do this alone, they have to muscle into ‘host’ cells and borrow bits of their machinery. The host develops an immune response to fight off this invasion and the rest follows as a consequence of this eternal struggle.

     West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. It is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Cases of West Nile occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall. 

     There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat this viruses. Fortunately, most people infected with the virus do not feel sick. About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms. The time from infection to developing symptoms of West Nile infection is usually 3 - 14 days. Mild cases can get a high temperature, headache and body aches, often with skin rash and swollen lymph glands. About 1 in 150 people who are infected develop a severe illness affecting the central nervous system such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord). Diagnosis is made based on the symptoms and in most cases can be confirmed by urine, blood or spinal fluid test

     Recovery from severe illness might take several weeks or months. Some effects to the central nervous system might be permanent. About 1 out of 10  people who develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system which can lead to death.
.
     There is a higher risk for severe illness to occur in infants and any one over 60 years of age. People with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and people who have received organ transplants, are also at greater risk.

Humans cannot pass on the disease, so the best prevention is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. Things to consider include:

Clothing: Cover as much skin as possible. Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, high socks, and a hat. Some people tuck the bottom of their pants into their socks.

Mosquito repellents: Use one with at least 10 percent concentration of DEET. DEET should not be used on young children, and insect repellent should not be used on infants under 2 months.

Mosquito traps, nets, and screens: Maintain screens on doors and windows, and have nets over beds and children's strollers. Ensure that there are no holes.

Smell: Avoid heavily scented soaps and perfumes, as these can attract mosquitoes.

Camping: Treat clothes, shoes and camping gear beforehand with permethrin. Specially treated clothes are available from some stores.

The time of day: Mosquitoes are more plentiful at dawn and dusk.

Stagnant water: Mosquitoes breed in clean, stagnant water.

Reduce the risk by eliminating stagnant water:

    Check and remove stagnant water from around the home, and avoid camping near lakes and ponds. Turning over pails and watering cans and storing them under shelter can prevent them filling with water. Change your bird bath daily. Change the water in flower vases every two days, and scrub and rinse the inside of the vase thoroughly each time. Remove the water from plant pot plates, or avoid using them, if possible. Loosen hard soil from potted plants to prevent puddles from developing on the surface.


 
     We can’t stay inside all summer, but we should use common sense. With just a few easy step, when taking care of your yards can help dramatically reduce your risk. When you go camping in the woods be careful where you are setting up your campsite. Try not to make it to close to the water. You should use insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites. With this information you should have a great summer.

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How long is canned food good for?

     How long is canned food good for? Is it good past the expiration date. What will happen to you if you eat something with a date that’s passed? These are all very good question to ask. If your planing to stockpile food you need to know how long to keep your food before throwing it out.

There is a difference between A “sell by” date and an “expiration” date. 

    Sell by dates and best by dates are not actually mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unless it’s for infant formula, the dates on packages are voluntarily provided by the manufacturers. Stores can even sell products that are weeks or months “past” their dates.

    Most expiration dates on foods in cans range from 1 to 4 years—but keep the food in a cool, dark place and the cans undented and in good condition, and you can likely safely double that shelf life from 3 to up to 6 years.

     According to their guidelines, canned food (when kept at relatively stable temperatures) will remain at peak quality for at least two years after it's been processed. They note that while food in cans "retains its safety and nutritional value well beyond two years," its color and texture may change after that time. Many factors affect how long a food will stay edible in the can, but food kept at "moderate temperatures [75 degrees or below]" may last indefinitely.

   “Canned foods do not expire on a certain date,” explains Giles. “One cannot say that the canned food is good on one day and not good the next day. Canned foods are under a vacuum. The absence of oxygen helps to extend the shelf life of canned foods.”

      My suggestion to you is to always buy good canned food. What do I mean. Some time they will put dented, open, or punctured cans on sale. Do not buy these cans. If the can is compromised in any way you should not eat it, if it's still in date or not.

     As far as the expiration date goes you should use common sense. You should always rotate your stock. If it is way past the expiration you should probably thought I out but, a year or so shouldn't matter. This is not the same for refrigerated, frozen or boxed food. All of these things you should get rid of when they expire.  

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Is Off Grid Living Illegal?

It is illegal to live “Off Grid.” It is crazy but true. I would have never known this. Depending on where you live, and exactly what you decide to live in, the answer could be yes. In fact, a growing number of city and county zoning agencies around the world are implementing ordinances to crack down on off-grid living, in many cases making it a crime.

      So let's clear up what they are talking about. In its most simplistic definition, “off grid” living is being disconnected from the public power grid. Off grid living, by itself, is not technically illegal.

      If you producing your own power is off grid living and perfectly legal. Growing your own food is living off the grid, and legal. Building your own home in the country while not being connected to the power grid is off grid. So is raising livestock, building a greenhouse, planting your garden, etc. All legal.

      The problem arises when overly restrictive city and county ordinances and zoning restrictions put a crimp on the off grid lifestyle and make it illegal to do certain things on or with your property. That’s when it becomes illegal to live off grid.

      Camping on Your Own Land is Illegal too. Yes! You read that right. In most places throughout the USA, it is illegal to camp on your own land for more than 2 weeks. This seems to be an arbitrary duration that most counties and cities have adopted.Some believe this is about keeping homeless people from setting up tent cities and devaluing surrounding properties.

      This means that if you wanted to camp in a travel trailer while you build your cabin, you can’t camp there for more than two weeks unless you get a long-term camping permit from your city. Good luck with that. You must get a permit to camp on your own land if you’ll be camping more than two weeks in duration. If they will not issue a permit, then you can’t camp on your land, and subsequently you cannot build your cabin…unless you have another place to stay while you’re building. And that defeats the purpose of having your own land to begin with. Not to mention it increases the costs exponentially.

     This all sounds crazy. The best thing I can tell you is before you buy a piece of land to make a Bug- Out- Location check in to what you can and can not do. I know we shouldn't have to but there is no point in buy land you can’t use for what you want. Before buying land I recommend doing you homework. What do I mean, you can find out the state and local laws. You should ask questions. This will ensure after you get everything done they don't come in and cause problems. I don't know about you but once I am done I want very little people to be on my property. So get your priorities  straight first. 

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Bug- Out- RV's

      Some people's opinions about bugging out to go on foot. Some opinions it a Bug- Out- Vehicle. For those who want a bug out vehicle, why not an RV. There are some really cool RV that are made for bugging out. So check these out.

  Safari Extreme by Global Expedition Vehicles
Global Expedition Vehicles (GXV) makes a lot of models of mouth-watering off road RVs.  The Safari Extreme is one of its even tougher models and it boasts these features which make it perfect for off grid living:

15 feet

Mastervolt energy system and additional solar panels

Drinking water filtration system

135 gallon (510 liter) water tanks

Isotherm water heating

The Siberian by Tiger Adventure Vehicles
The Siberian is the largest and toughest model made by this off road company.  This rugged off grid RV caravan boasts:

AGM batteries

Solar power

Magnum heavy-duty inverter

Can be all-diesel or gasoline/propane

Extra roomy gallery

The Terracross TC59 by Unicat
Unicat is a fairly new company as it was formed only in 2000.  They specialize in making off-road RVs for the global market.  For a new company, they have an impressive record already and have more than 100 products with some bad@ss technology.  The Terracross TC59 RV caravan features:

High flexibility waterproof bellows coupling

Burglarproof windows

600-liter freeze proof water tanks

Automatically change tire pressure to one of four settings: street, track, sand, and emergency

terracross by unicat

XV-HD by EarthRoamer
I love the EarthRoamer company.  They started in 2002 with just two employees and a vision to make RVs which could go off road.  They are the ones who coined the term “Xpedition Vehicle” or “XV” to show the difference between Xvs and RVs.  I also love that they sell pre-owned XVs on their website in addition to new models.  They also host “Adventure” outings where people who drive XVs can gather, meet, and explore together. The XV-HD is still in production but will be their most impressive model yet.

35 feet length

145 gallons fuel

200 gallons fresh water

100 gallons grey water

4 kilowatts solar and 2x3000W inverter

7 L PowerStroke diesel engine

46” tires

Alpha Camper by All Terrain Warriors USA
ATW USA is another cool company for off road vehicles and RVs.  They started off as  ATW Australia and then teamed up with Sportsmobile West to form ATW USA. Their RVs utilize the Mitsubishi Fuso truck chasis.  The Alpha Camper may look like a camper, but it has these rugged features for off grid living and bugging out:

Solar charging system with 3 x 120 watt laminates

2 x 210 Ah AGM batteries

Aluminess bumbers

Warn winch

Fiamma awning

Roof rack

Super single wheels

    If you are considering getting an off-grid rugged vehicle for a Bug Out Vehicle and Survival Property in one, then note this:

    You will still need to choose a remote area to flee to in case of a major disaster.  Never rely on a vehicle to save you in a disaster.  Even a vehicle as tough as these RVs will is still susceptible to EMP, theft, fuel shortages, and much more. You’ll want to have that remote area to bug out to planned, as well as everything you need to survive in your Bug Out Bag.

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Is Urban Survival Syndrome Real?

      The phrase Urban Survival Syndrome has came up in some articles I have read. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. So as you know, I always do my homework. This is a real syndrome! I was surprise. 

      Urban survival syndrome is relating to a "kill or be killed" mentality pertaining to the inherent fear that residents of crime-prone areas have of each other. This fear-thy-neighbor mentality causes individuals to feel they have no way of protecting themselves from crime or violence, except by killing anybody who threatens or harasses them. Such mentality is usually the result of living in violent, crime-prone (typically inner-city) areas for long periods of time and/or watching too much television (no joke).

      If you live in a neighborhood that is rough, you always have a feeling that something might happen. This can cause this syndrome. I know it sounds crazy. A study found  that our environment affects our state of mind, but that it does so very rapidly. 
  
      Children living in violent neighborhoods exhibit higher rates of psychotic symptoms.Then there are the victims of violence themselves. They suffer PTSD at rates comparable to soldiers who experienced front-line combat. Put simply, the science shows, rough neighborhoods dramatically shape how locals and visitors alike experience the world around them. Is it time then, to revisit the long-discredited urban survival syndrome?

      This can causes its victims to feel they have no way of protecting themselves from crime or violence, except by killing anybody who threatens or harasses them. It can cause PTSD. Not for being in a war zone but, because you feel threatened all the time. This put your body under an extreme amount of stress. As you know stress can cause all kind of issues both physical and mental. If you stay in this situation for a long period of time you could snap. 

      Is this why there is all the killings in the city's. Maybe, but for some, it is all too real. Some even lived to tell about their urban survival experiences. While one cannot use the syndrome legally in defense, you can still be wary about your urban surroundings. Arm yourself with the proper urban survival know-hows essential in your self-preservation can help. The best thing is to remove yourself from the situation and get professional help. 

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The New Green Deal And Global Warming

      More people are changing they views on global warming. It's in the news headlines all the times. There are so many different scientist that are studying this, but each one has a different opinion on how to fix it. Can if be fix? If so, how is right? 

      So the newest thing that scientist are saying about global warming is that if we plant 1 trillion trees it would be an effective way to tackle climate change. The amount of carbon that we can restore if we plant 1.2 trillion trees, or at least allow those trees to grow, would be way higher than the next best climate change solution. Tree planting is no quick climate fix. It can take 30 to 40 years of growth for the carbon storage to reach its full potential. A more immediate benefit can come from halting deforestation. Which costs our planet around 15 billion trees each year.

      If this works that's great. Some people are taking is a bit too far. There has been a new GREEN DEAL that's was proposed. If you listen to exactly what was in that deal, its crazy. Some of it makes sense. Like cutting down on the carbon that's being produced. But to get rid of everything that runs on fuel, oil or coal is crazy. That means people would go bankrupt trying to change over to all green energy. And to think that stopping people from eating cows will help is astronomically crazy.

     Does something need to be put in place? If seams so, but let's make changes that will actually work. Planting 1 trillion trees is a good idea. It's doesn't seem likely that in my life time it will happen, but what could hurt. We just need to keep trying to clean up are air, water and land. Even if you don’t believe in global warming. We should take pride in knowing that we can help.  

Related article:  We Should Prep For Global Warming And Much More!

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Bugging In Or Bugging Out Is The Question?

       Some people seem to have it all figured out when it comes to where they are going if they have to bug out while others seem to think they are just going to hit the road.  Others seem to think they should shelter in place. What's the best thing to do?

Bugging In or Hunkering Down is the complete opposite of Bugging Out. When you Bug-In you are staying put in your home with your supplies intending to ride out the storm or chaos that is coming. Thus the question is asked in preparedness circles usually in the context of political, biological or terrorism types of chaos: “Will you Bug out or Hunker down?”

         While there are things that it may be impossible for you to know, an emergency that is only going to have a major impact for a few days or a week might mean that you are better off staying put and not contributing to congestion or involving yourself in large crowds.

         To answer this for yourself, you have to ask several questions to determine which is the better option for you in your circumstance. The questions are pretty basic and revolve around:

Your Situation – What pushes your button internally that says “We have to leave”?

Your Location – This can apply to both where you are and where you plan to go

Your Health – Are you physically able to leave and possibly walk the distance

Your Dependents – small children or old relatives. Pets?

The Threat – What is the threat we are planning to leave for?

Your Destination – Where is the place you are going to?

Related Articles:    Creating Your First Bug- Out- Bag 
                                   How To Make A Family Bug-Out Plan.

         Everyone has an opinion. Some are based upon experience and others have made decisions after much reflection. Regardless of the experience one has you have to ask yourself questions when making a decision like this as it could affect everything you have and/or love. No expert can tell you what will work best for you and your family in your situation.

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