If there is ever a real SHTF / TEOTWAWKI event, a large number of so called preppers are going to starve or die from dysentery. Proof to back up that statement? Just look at the popular prepping related videos on youtube, or look at what forum sections get the most traffic. The most popular type […]
Tag: prepping
What Is Your Prepping Goal
What is the goal of your prepping plan? If you were to write an essay on prepping, what would your closing paragraph be about? It should describe your ideal goal in prepping. Preppers can not be classified into one category. we have different groups who subscribe to different prepping plans. These go way beyond what […]
Mundane task while prepping
For those of you who keep up with my youtube channel may have realized that I have not posted a video in several months.
The main reason for my lapse is I have been taking care of mundane task.
Should I make a video about working on a perch in the chicken house? What about working on a wire box for hens sitting on eggs? What about hanging a feeder in the chicken house?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnJ2e1BRcnA
Prepping plans for 2015
Here are mine.
Install solar panels on the chicken house.
Wire chicken house for 12 volt lights.
Plant some more apple trees.
Plant some more blueberry bushes. Some of the blueberry bushes will be in the chicken yard.
Plant a pear tree in the chicken yard. This will be for chicken feed and for my family to eat.
Farm update October 19 2014
Things are moving along nicely, but there is always some kind of setback.
When my wife and I moved to the farm I seriously underestimated the time and effort needed to get things up and running. When we moved here in August of 2013 my main goal was to get the small chicken yard built, get the septic system put down, get the water working, then get ready for winter. Winter of 2013 – 2014 here in southeast Texas was rather harsh, by our standards anyway.
Spring 2014 started out with around 18 – 20 new chicks. Things were looking up, then then it went to hell. My wife and I moved to the farm with 13 hens. We lost all of the new chicks to various predators. When the new chickens were moved to the new chicken yard, a couple of Rhode Island Reds kept jumping the fence. My dogs ended up killing those two Rhode Island Reds.
Random thoughts on prepping for shtf
One of the big questions in the prepping / survivalist community is when did you start prepping? My great grandparents lived on a small farm, my dad was raised on this same small farm, my mom was raised in a rural area and had chickens and a garden. I was exposed to gardening, farming and […]
December 2013 update from the farm
After looking through my youtube video I realized I have not uploaded a video in a couple of months. The last video I uploaded was on September 15, 2013, which makes 3 months. In all honesty I had not realized it had been so long.
So what has been going on?
Added some lean-tos on the shed to park the tiller and lawnmower under.
Got a deer feeder setup about 100 years behind the house.
Added some pvc pipe to the deer feeder legs to prevent coons from climbing the legs. Raccoons have been climbing the legs and turning the spinner, which dumps a lot of corn on the ground. the corn is not for coons, it is for deer and hogs.
Prepping plans for late 2013 and early 2014
Part of my SHTF prepping plans include looking several months ahead. Rather than waiting until spring of 2014 to make plans, I like to think about what I should do 4 and 5 months ahead of time.
I see no reason to wait until you are at the farm supply store to think about what crops you want to plant. Lets go ahead and think/talk about what you want to buy, what crops you want to plant, how you are going to store those crops several months ahead of time.
Planning ahead allows me to work out the fine details, such as type of fertilizer I want to buy, what kind of AR-15 magazines I want to get, what kind of new AR-15 I want to get,,, and so on.
Random thoughts on prepping October 2013
This past weekend I did some soul searching and prioritizing for my SHTF survival plans. I asked myself a serious question. The questions was, “which is more important, food, water, or security?”
Like a lot of people who are prepping for a long term TEOTWAWKI situation I have limited resources. I would love to have a few million dollars to dump into land and an underground bunker. But I do not have that kind of financial resources. But I was lucky enough for my family to own some land in a rural area. While not what some people may consider a perfect bug out location, I have decided to set down roots and start a farm.
5 Essential SHTF TEOTWAWKI Survival Skills
For the sake of discussion lets say that some kind of SHTF / TEOTWAWKI event has happened. What essential survival skills may you and your family need to know in order to ensure their long term survival?
Survivalist should know the basics, such as beans, bullets, band-aids, shooting skills, water purification,,, etc. Lets think outside the box. During a long term complete collapse of society what skills will people need to know?
Lets assume that you and your family have a source of safe drinking water. This should be some kind of water well with a pitcher pump, or maybe a solar powered water well. For this article lets say that water is a given. Saying we need safe drinking water is like reminding people to breath, access to safe drinking water should be that important.
Now that water is out of the way lets move forward.
Prepping In Breadth But Not Depth
A few days ago I started reading a new book, it’s called “War on the eastern front by James Lucas.” War on the eastern front is a collection of personal experiences based on diaries from German soldiers.
The majority of books I read are non-fiction. This is because I like to know what real-life experiences people faced during times of hardship. For example what were some of the issues that were faced during the Black Death?
Why did I pick a book on the eastern front? We know the German army failed to defeat the Russian army due to two things – the harsh Russian winter, and resupply issues. Those are the two main issues taught in just about every world history class.
On page 4 of “War on the eastern front”, it is noted that author A.J.P Taylor said “while his opponents were rearming for a great war in depth, Hitler rearmed Germany in breath. Everything for the front lines, but nothing for a second campaign.”
Hitler was so sure the German army could defeat Russia in a single season, there were no plans for a long drawn out battle during the Russian winter. Nor were plans made for the following year, much less a war that lasted another 4 years.
How does this relate to survivalism
If you have adopted survivalism as a way of life, a lot of what you see, read, hear and do is somehow related to survivalism.
Dividing Resources In Your Long Term Survival Plans
Like a lot of people my wife and I have limited resources. We are just everyday middle class people trying to get by. Just like everyone else we pay our taxes, pay the electric bill, internet, health insurance,,,,. Once everything is paid we try to decide how to save money.
The issue we are running into, my wife and I are looking at moving away from Jasper Texas to a rural area. Jasper is already rural, but we want to get further away from town.
We need to put a water well on the land, sewer system, build a chicken yard,,, and a few ether odds and ends to get our new life started.
Then came the Adam Lanza incident and renewed calls for an assault rifle ban.
I am finding myself pulled into some of the panic buying. There was a short period of time between the shooting and Dianne Feinstein calling for more gun control and prices going through the roof. During that short time period I picked up another AR-15 for less then $1,000.
A gun store has some AR-15s for $1,300 each. As I consider buying another AR while I still can, I keep thinking about what that $1,300 could pay for at the homestead. We could probably put down a septic system for between $1,500 and $2,000.
Hobbies For Survivalist
So you are sitting around the house, nothing is on TV, no new or exciting news on the internet,,,,, what do you do?
You could always play some Skyrim or Left 4 Dead 2. But Left 4 Dead 2 is getting old.
What hobbies can survivalist get into that will help improve our long term SHTF survival skills?
Coin Collecting
Most of us handle money in shape for or fashion just about everyday. Why not get into coin collecting so you can start stockpiling silver and other valuable coins?
Silver and gold have been recognized as being valuable for thousands of years. At one time the US dollar was backed by gold, but now its just backed by a promise. If that promise ever falls through it would be good to have some kind of money that has a real physical value.
Ever though they are getting very rare, from time to time I find a pre-1965 quarter in my change. When I find silver coins they go into storage.
Years ago I used to take my kids down to a pawn shop in Orange Texas to buy them silver dollars and half-dollars. I was trying to teach my children the value of real money. Times change, things change, we moved away from Bridge City and Jasper Texas. The local pawn shops around here do not sell silver coins.
Prepping Fatigue
Sooner or later everyone in the prepping/survivalist community deals with prepping fatigue. Whether you have been prepping for a year, two years, ten years or twenty plus years, sooner or later you are going to get fatigued.
Due to the way I was raised by my parents, the way my grandparents lived on a small farm, and the atmosphere of the cold war in the 1970s, I would say my parents and grandparents conditioned me to be a prepper.
To me, survivalism is a way of life rather then a hobby.
Some people get into prepping like they do a lot of other things. Whether its getting in shape, going back to school, jogging, working out, stop smoking, stop drinking,,, most people are sincere in their actions.
Then they realize how much time and effort prepping can take. For some people its a matter of buying some canned goods and bottled water. Then there are the people who allow their lives to be consumed.
Like everything else in life, balance comes with moderation.
A few ways I deal with prepping fatigue
Why Prepare
Pastor Dowell posted another good video, this time its about prepping.
Pastor Dowell brings up a good point, if you do not prepare then there is something wrong with you.
With hurricane Sandy laying waste to the Northeast, it could be days, maybe weeks before relief efforts reach some ares.
Over 10 million people are without power in the Northeast, roads are blocked or flooded, who can the people depend on? Themselves.