Rural Lifestyle

Life in Rural America

Survival Gear Additions January 2019

Survival Gear, Videos
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Stockpiling seeds and knives for SHTF

Every year I try to focus on some aspect of prepping. Whether it is gardening, fishing, stockpiling various items, such as knives and backpacks… etc. 2019 will be no different. This year I hope to fill certain gaps in various preps.

Let’s take knives for example. My current stockpile of fixed blade knives with around a 4 inch blade is rather lacking. Why a four inch blade? Because they make a good all around knife. They can be used for everything from skinning a deer, to a camping, backpacking, hiking knife.

Some of the knives added to my collection during January 2019.

  • Morakniv Robust
  • Morakniv Basic 546
  • Morakniv 746
  • Morakniv Basic 511
  • Cold Steel Peace Maker III
  • SOG Seal Pup

First impressions and review of the knives will be posted in the coming months.

Would Free Education Solve The Nations Problems?

Random Ramblings
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Kevin Felts political commentator

For the sake of discussion let’s say people making over 1 million a year were taxed at 70 percent. Forget ten million, let’s make it one million. Let’s go full blown ISM (socialism, fascism, communism) and tax all the high earners.

Where would the money go?

Education

Personally, I would like to see free higher education for everyone. How many people would take advantage of it? In all honesty, how many people would get a degree in a useful field and become productive members of society? Too many people have been told to “follow their dreams” and got degrees in fields they will never be able to find gainful employment.

For example, a local teacher has a masters degree in art history. With what she makes as a teacher it would take decades to pay back her student loans. Enter the wealthy grandparents who paid for her education.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is The Result of a Root Problem

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Kevin Felts political commentator

Regardless if someone agrees or disagrees with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, her election was the result of an unresolved issue: That issue is healthcare. Regardless of the other platforms she ran on, chances are she was elected because of her stance on Medicare for all.

So far neither party has offered a realistic solution to the healthcare problem. The Affordable Care Act forced people to buy a product, which is not a long term solution. The simple truth is, the government can not afford to subsidize out of control healthcare costs.

To fix the healthcare problem we have to take it down to the root problem: There are not enough doctors. This is simple supply and demand. The fewer doctors we have, the higher the cost. If medical schools were to open the flood gates and make more doctors, prices would go down. As it stands, most of rural America has to drive 100+ miles to find a specialist in certain fields.

Hunting in Seasonally Blocked River Sloughs

Hunting
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Angelina River Jasper Texas

For years I have wanted to go hunting in a slough off a local river. The problem: The area is blocked by lily pads from spring until after the first couple of frost. Typically by the start of December the lily pads have died back enough for a small boat to get through.

My boat is a flat bottom aluminum boat with a 30 horsepower Evinrude and trolling motor. It does very well in stump filled river sloughs. Typically, people with fiberglass boats avoid river sloughs which are filled with stumps barely below the water.

The area is so far off the beaten path chances are very few, if anyone hunts the area. From what I have seen over the years, people who hunt on public hunting lands next to a river, the hunters stay near the main river channel. Some may venture into a slough, but not very far. Having fished the Angelina River for over a decade, I have never seen anyone deep in a slough deer hunting. Being on the main river channel means the hunters can stay in the stand until dark, then navigate the main river back to the boat launch, or to a designated camp site.

Designated camp sites brings up another topic – No camping is allowed in the area where I want to go hunting.

What Do The 2018 Midterm Election Results Mean?

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Kevin Felts at the Angelina River

The 2018 midterm elections have come and gone, and Democrats have won control of the House of Representatives. What is one of the first things Democrats are talking about, gun control. Now that Democrats are in control of the house some of them are saying gun control will be passed.

However, GOP still controls the senate.

President Trump is unlikely to sign any serious gun control bills.

Democrats from gun friendly conservative states know they voter base does not want gun control.

With all of that in mind, I doubt any type of gun control will pass. This is mostly political posturing to make the far left happy.

Gun Control

As of when this post was posted I am 50 years old and have been watching politics since the late 1980s. I have various gun magazines from the 1980s and 1990s talking about serious gun control issues of the time. So I know the ups and downs of the gun control debate.

Agenda of the Democratic Socialist Party of America

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Kevin Felts political commentator

Took time Friday (November 2, 2018) to vote against the Democratic Socialist Party of America, also known as the Democrat Party.

When I hear people say they are resisting Trump, what “exactly” are they resisting? Balanced trade? Jobs? Secure borders? It is estimated 1,000 manufacturing jobs are being created everyday. One of those jobs was mine.

A record number of people are employed thanks to Trumps policies on domestic production and balanced trade. Yet, people want to resist Trump, which means the are resisting jobs? The people who resist Trump resist buying a home, buying a car, and having a family? Or maybe they are resisting the idea that people do not need government handouts?

Democrats thrive when people are in poverty. There is an old saying – “People willingly turn to socialism. Communism is taken by force.” To get people to vote for socialism all they have to do is spend enough time living in poverty. Take away financial hopes and dreams, and people will generally vote for Socialist policies.

With the Affordable Care Act raising the price of healthcare, but subsidizing health insurance policies, people are being trained to accept government help. The idea of turning to the government for help is a new idea brought forth by Democrat policies starting with passage of welfare laws. Rather than telling people to pull themselves up by their boot straps, just get on welfare, food stamps, public housing… etc.

Democrats Voting Against Their Best Interest

News and Current Events, Political Opinion, Random Ramblings
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Kevin Felts political commentator

There is a common question democrats like to throw to Republican voters – “Why do you vote against your best interest?” Meaning, why do Republican voters vote against socialism, and socialist policies? For one, one idiots vote for socialism, which is first cousins to communism and fascism.

There is an old saying that goes something like this – “People willingly turn to socialism, communism is taken by force.”

During difficult financial times, people willingly turn to socialist policies for help, such as public housing, food stamps, social security disability… etc. Eventually, the socialist government gives way to communism to keep the people under control.

During good financial times, and people have jobs and expendable income, voters reject socialism.

To achieve socialism the democrat party wants a stagnated economy, and free trade policies. American workers can not compete against a worker in China, or other low wage nations. Thus, factories move to China to exploit cheap labor. This results in the middle class losing ground, and wage stagnation. As the middle class dwindles and people lose jobs, they are more likely to vote for socialist policies.

Donald Trump Is a Threat to Democrat Socialist Agenda

Cultivating Muscadine Grapes At The Bug Out Location

Homesteading, Preparedness Articles
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Southeast Texas Muscadine grapes

Looking for an easy to grow grape for the bug out location? Look not further than the Muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia), aka possum grape. However, the Muscadine is not native to the northern portion of the United States, or the western states, such as California.

While there are a number of varieties available from big box outlets stores, we want native wild species at the bug out location. This means finding wild growing Muscadine grapes, harvesting the seeds, and then planting the seeds.

Typically, wild Muscadine grapes will grow along creeks, streams, or highlands with well drained sandy soil. Seeds are spread by wildlife eating the grapes, then pooping the seeds out.

Look for wild growing Muscadine grapes under the base of trees, along the edge of bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. In other words, anywhere birds may roost.

Life After SHTF: Moving Food From Farm To Market

Book Reviews, Homesteading, Preparedness Articles
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Bowl of okra and peppers grown as part of a survival garden

For this article we are going to take an exert from the book “Life in a Medieval City” by Frances and Joseph Gies. We are looking at chapter 3, a Medieval Housewife, pages 47 and 48. Last paragraph of page 47 talks about how the housewife shops for food on a daily basis. She would go to the market, divided into different groups, then shop for a variety of food.

There are several lessons to learn from this example.

Since there was no way to preserve food for a period of time, gathering food was done on a daily basis, and was seasonal. Food was grown locally, harvested, then brought to the market almost daily. How else do we think the housewife shopped for food daily?

Someone had to organize transportation for the food to go from the farm to the market. Today we call those people “middlemen.” The middleman organizes and communicates between the merchants and the farmers.

After a SHTF event we could probably expect this same type of organization to become reestablished. Chances are people who have horses and wagons will divide up rural farms into routes, very much like what the United States Post Office does. Rather than numerous middlemen going to the same farm, middlemen would divide up the farms and have established routes. This would allow the middlemen to develop relationships with the farmers.

Planning a Fall / Winter SHTF Survival Garden

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Turnip as part of a survival garden

Let’s take a few minutes and talk about planning a fall and winter survival garden after SHTF. There are a number of variables in planning a fall or winter survival garden, such as location and growing season.

In the southern part of the United States we have a long growing season. Depending on location, we may not have our first frost until late November or early December. Sometimes we may not have a frost until mid to late December.

The northern portion of the United States has a rather short growing season.

Due to the various lengths of the growing seasons, first and last frost, please adjust the dates listed in this article to your geographical location.

The fall and winter survival garden will be divided into two sections:

  • Fall
  • Winter

The difference between the two? First heavy frost will kill the fall crops, while the winter crops will survive until the most severe cold weather sets in. An example would be the difference between acorn squash and turnips greens.

Fall Survival Garden

Viability of the 308 Winchester for SHTF

Preparedness Articles, Survival Gear
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308 Winchester Survival Rifle for SHTF

How viable is the 308 Winchester for a SHTF survival rifle? In the grand scheme of things, the 308 Winchester is probably the best suited rifle cartridge for a SHTF situation.

Typically, the 30-06 Springfield is the largest rifle caliber most people can shoot accurately. The keyword there is “most” people. As recoil goes up, accuracy goes down as shooters flinch before pulling the trigger.

There are two ways to counter trigger flinch:

  • Training.
  • Use a smaller rifle caliber.

The 308 Winchester offers less recoil than the 30-06 Springfield, but is very effective on deer sized game. People who live near dangerous animals, such as grizzly bears, may want to use a larger caliber than the 308 Winchester.

What makes the 308 Winchester well suited for SHTF?

How to Start Prepping for SHTF

Preparedness Articles, Survival Gear, Videos
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Kevin Felts political commentator

Interested in how to start prepping for SHTF? This article breaks down various aspects of prepping so someone with an interest in survivalism should not feel overwhelmed.

Prepping for SHTF can be a daunting task. Some people new to prepping / survivalism may become overwhelmed with stockpiling ammunition, selecting a SHTF survival firearm, storing food in mylar bags… etc.

Believe it or not, prepping for SHTF can be an easy process, that is if someone understands what they are prepping for.

Where does someone begin prepping for SHTF? For people new to prepping they should turn to history.

Over the course of a several millennia humanity has faced various events. These events include everything from an Ice Age to outbreak of bubonic plague in the middle ages.

SHTF Historical Examples

The Case Against Corn for a SHTF Survival Food Crop

Homesteading, Preparedness Articles
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Using a tiller to work manure into a garden

Regardless to popular belief, corn is not a good crop for surviving a SHTF Doomsday event.

When the topic of food crops for SHTF comes up in the forum, there is one that is talked about more than others, and that is corn. There is a common misconception that all someone needs to do to grow corn is to plant the three sisters – beans, squash and corn.

In theory, the beans are supposed to supply the corn with much needed nitrogen. While beans and peas produce their own nitrogen, it is not in a form that can be easily used by other crops. In other words, there is more to growing corn than just planting beans with it.

Then there are the various types of corn. Corn seed we get from the local farm supply store is a far cry from native corn grown by indigenous Native American tribes.

Corn After SHTF

Dumping Trash at a Rural Bug Out Location

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Trash dumped in a rural area

One of the issues with having a remote bug out location, such as a cabin, is people dumping trash. Typically the trash is dumped on the side of the road so county clean up crews will pick up the trash. However, rarely will someone dump trash on someones property. This is especially true if someone has a bug out location on a remote rural road.

When people dump trash on the dirt roads near the farm, I dig through the trash and look for anything with a name or address. If there is a name, or some kind of identifying information, then the sheriff can be called. I have called the sheriff several times on people who dumped trash near the bug out location.

Typically, a sheriff deputy will drive out, I will give him (or her) something with a name or address, then the deputy will go to their home, and tell them to clean the trash up. People can be stupid. They dump trash on the side of the road, and they leave a bill, or pill bottle in with the trash.

Having an envelope with their name and address on it makes calling the sheriff much easier. The deputy drives up, hand them the envelope, and the deputy takes care of it from there.

Using a Vehicle to Solar Dehydrate Peppers and Tomatoes

Homesteading, Videos
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Solar Dehydrating Peppers and Tomatoes

Can a vehicle be used to solar dehydrate peppers and tomatoes?

Saw this on an episode of Doomsday preppers, or something like that, so I decided to give it a try. A tray off of an electric dehydrator was used to hold the food, and a meat thermometer was used to measure the air temperature. Two of the windows of the SUV were cracked around 1/8 – 3/16 inch.

The goal is to capture the greenhouse effect of the summer sun on the vehicle. Then use the collected heat from the greenhouse effect to dehydrate peppers and tomatoes.

Types of peppers in this experiment:

  • Tabasco Peppers
  • Jalapeno Peppers
  • Bell Peppers

Preparing the Peppers

Kevin Felts © 2008 - 2018