Free Stuff Is Best

Over all the years I have enjoyed always getting free stuff, just like most people do. I am not a picky person and I need new, even if it does not work I might take it because I can fix it. The last ten years I have slowly made some nice connections to acquire items I need. I am sure if you take a little time and look around you too can find some of the same places near you. As long as you are willing to do all the work you too can save a lot of money.
First lets talk compost since that is on the top of everyones lists. My compost is totally free except for the work. I have a neighbor who has raised goats and a few horses most of their lives and they have HUGE piles of manure out back of the barn. I have known them all my life and I know it is all organic and since it has been there so long it is ready for use. In return I give them excess garden goodies and some eggs now and then.
Another item I get for free is mulch. The mulch I get is in the form of wood chips which I use as mulch and in the compost pile also. You might find it weird but I get truck loads of mulch from a town dump nearby. That's right a dump, they have a huge industrial wood chipper and all the tree limbs, christmas trees, ect that is brought in is chipped up into a pile anyone can come and take away.
Firewood is another item I get at this dump. Many times they have a pile of chuncks of trees that free for the taking. Since I am from a very small country town I know everyone, especially those on the local highway departments. These departments yearly go around and clean up trees around the roads and I get to go there and pick up any wood I want or depending on where they are working they will drive by and just dump all the wood right at my home. Since I do not have access to my own acres of woods, getting all this firewood for free saves a lot of money.
Another find is at the dumps also and that is all the stuff people throw away. You would not believe all the good stuff that is thrown away, good as in perfectly good. I have picked up an air conditioner, rugs, carpeting, cabinets, computers and bicycles. As a matter of fact the first computer I ever had I built from a few bad computers I picked up at my local dump. If you are close enough to a larger town dump there can also be tons of free building materials, many contractors will throw out all their leftovers. Apartment complexs will throw away all the appliences when they renovate apartments. A dump can be a gold mind.
So you see you can get so much for free, just look around and ask permission. The large dump I talk about was all too glad to let me go and pick up anything I wanted, it was less they had to pay to get rid of. BTW I don't live in that town, don't be afraid to ask.

Computer Safety

As most everyone knows being on the Internet can be a dangerous place for your personal information. So many virus's and hackers and scam emails out there always trying to get your info. I have always had a few rules for being careful online:

1. I do not open any email that I do not know who it comes from
2. I have always used Norton Anti-virus and have never had a virus
3. I use one email for personal, one for all other junk
4. If something asks for more than my name, I research them before I go further
5. #4 also includes regular mail I get

Last night I learned of a new scam though. I was watching the show "Southern Stings" and they were checking on why this girls naked pics had showed up online. Their checking finally led them to the computer store that had recently worked on her computer and guess what! The store not only were the ones that got her pics from her computer but they were also involved in a large scam by taking ALL personnel information off every computer brought into their store.
In short you have to be very,very careful when dealing with anything involved with your computer now-a-days.

Free Breakfast!!!

I just wanted everyone know about this great giveaway on another survival site. The giveaway is for a breakfast pack, 6 #10 cans of breakfast goodies. The pack includes scambled eggs, imitation bacon bits, potato shreds,pancake mix, strawberries and creamy wheat cereal. There is enough for 200+ servings, what a great way to cover breakfast in your survival plans. If you are interested please go to http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/ and check it out. This is a great site so once there look around and enjoy all of her site.

Best TV Show on Surviving

If you really want to see what the possibilities are when the system fails there is one great show that can really help you. The show only ran for 2 seasons because of bad ratings, people don't want to really see how there lives could be. The show which is on tv now and then and also on dvd is Jericho. The show is set in a small mid-west town after 23 cities were destroyed by nuclear bombs.
What I love about this series is how it shows all the little problems associated with surviving. It goes from electrical problems, to food shortages, to raiders from other towns, to a new government trying to take over. I have watched all the shows and am currently watching the dvd's of the show and setting with pad and pencil taking notes. Some may say it is tv and isn't real but there is a lot of good knowledge within the show.
If you have a chance watch all the shows. Currently I am getting the dvd's from Netflix. Netflix also has a small library of survival dvd's available, well worth the few bucks it costs per month. Enjoy Jericho and I hope it helps you out.

Single and Spicy

Being a single guy and a survivalist I have always had to think of ways that will make my life a little easier when everything around me has taken a turn for the worst. One of those categories is with my cooking, I'm a guy! I don't mind cooking and I think I am ok at it but, I am not Bobby Flay. That is where the spicy part come into the picture. At first you may be able to do some good cooking with all those supplies you have stocked up on. Sooner or later you are going to end up eating things that you just would not classify as even good.
I can remember back when I was a kid and mom would bake Spam with a sprinkle of brown sugar on each slice to make them taste just a little better for us kids. She never had to do it, I always enjoyed Spam anyway, but it made me realize how you could make something taste so much better. Every time I go shopping for my pantry I always pick up a few spices and throw them in the cart. I have tried baking many times over the years and have failed every time, I think it has something to do with everything having to be so precise in the measurements. Anyway, without baking I can limit my spices down to just a needed few.
First and foremost stock up on salt and pepper! These two are the most important ones ever. After those two I prefer to stock up on Lowry's season salt. I probably have more season salt than anything other seasoning and that is because it is so universal. I tried many different season salts till I found Lowry's I love the taste it gives foods. After these three comes the rest of my simple seasoning to help make all your survival cooking taste better.
Onion and garlic powder, make sure it is powder, why add more salt when not needed. Italian seasoning needed for any pasta stuff you make. Chicken seasoning and roast beef seasoning great for your meat dishes. Paprika and chili powder for those who want a little hot to the spice. Crushed red pepper for my Italian dishes, soups and stews. Last but not least is lemon pepper seasoning, I love the flavor of this on almost all fish dishes. I almost forgot, sugars, white and brown. I got to have my sweets.
That's it, 14 different spices that will perk up anything you can whip up in an emergency. I can not forget about cost when I talk about anything since I hate to spend money. Most of my spices I buy from various dollar stores, why should I pay the big grocery store $2.50 for a bottle of spice when I can get the exact same bottle at the dollar store. I may go overboard here but when I get home I use my foodsaver and seal every bottle in an airtight bag with a silica gel pack thrown in. Better safe than sorry, I always say. When I do this I use one of the bags I have already used for something else and have cleaned out well, save a couple cents!
So, go out and start sampling different spices and find out what you like and stock up on them, it will make that squirrel stew or grilled woodchuck taste so much better.

The First Garage Sale

Well, it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. The garage sale was kind of small, at least it was nice out and I took in about a 1 1/2 mile walk when I was done. I did pick up 3 things while I was there. The first was a nice almost new portable Sanyo am/fm cassette player. I bought this so I could have some music while outside working, can't beat it for $5. Next was a small Bissell hand vac, this one plugs in the wall with a long cord and has great suction, I got it mainly because I just didn't have a small vac and again, for $2 you can't beat it. The last item was a set of chrome fixtures for the bathroom. This included the tp roll holder, a towel holder ring and two soap/toothbrush/cup holders. These were brand new and are the type that have rounded backs (recessed)that go into the wall. Since I am rebuilding my homestead they will work perfectly, only $5.
Not a lot of stuff but I enjoyed the morning and saved money. What else can anyone ask for.

It's Spring, Time for Garage Sales!

I love springtime for many, many reasons but one of the best is the beginning of garage and lawn sales. I go to auctions now and then but a good garage sale beats an auction hands down. Tomorrow is the first large garage sale in my area that I have found and I can't wait. The ad lists items from books to furniture and everything in between. Being a person who loves to save money it is my little heaven. When I go to these sales I normally do not have anything in mind of what I want but I always look for books and DVD's. I could not begin to list all the great bargains I have gotten over the years, from an old movie that I love to a almost new recliner.
I know most people who are homesteaders and survivors do not have the problem of buying used but some people do. Those people need to get over that and save, save and save. Use that money you save to put up more in your food pantry or something else important for survival. My father use to say something that stuck with me all my life, "why pay someone else for something you can do yourself." I expanded that to, why pay for new when I can buy used. I do not consider myself as going green but I do believe in reusing good items. My best purchase was a 5kw generator for $100, it didn't look pretty but works perfect, I didn't buy it to impress my friends.
When you go to garage/lawn sales keep an open mind and enjoy shopping. Around where I live almost every small town has a town wide garage sale over the summer months, look for them and you can pick up a lot of good items in just a day. I will update everyone on my purchases tomorrow and why I picked up what I did.
Get out and enjoy some garage sales this year!

Firefighting On The Homestead

Many people plan and plan for survival at their homestead, storing food, water, tools, all kinds of things. One thing I believe many overlook is firefighting items. Look around your homestead and picture a small fire starting right now. Quick! Can you put it out? What if you where sleeping and a fire started? Are you prepared?
Fire was the one thing I had never really thought about as I built my homestead until my best friend mentioned it. It woke my eyes up and now I am much more prepared than before.
Here is my basic set-up and I think you will agree each of you should have something like this. First off I have 5 extinquishers in my house and 1 in each out building. Why 5 you ask, back-ups or a bigger fire. I also have 3 smoke detectors in the house and 1 in each out building and those are hard wired into the house detectors. I also have 2 55 gallon barrels that are designated for fire use that are always full thanks to rain water. One of them is near the house, the other centered between the out buildings. I have a small pump set-up on top of the barrel by the house that is battery powered and solar charged and can pump water thru the hose hooked to it. This set-up is light enough to move to the other barrel if I need it there, it the future I want to build one just for that barrel also. The solar charger I used is just one of the trickle chargers that you buy for your car battery, small and light weight.
I know these steps will not stop every fire but it will give me a better chance than someone who just has one fire extinquisher or none at all. Take a look around your homestead and think fire, then think about how you can prepare yourself a lot better.

Easy Personal Protection at Home

Before I go into the blog on this subject you should check with local law enforcement about this tactic and it's legalities. OK enough of that, you are sitting at home and you hear someone outside your home, sounds like the person is checking your windows and doors. You hear glass break,what do you do? Gun, baseball bat, pepper spray, knife? All good, depending on if shooting the guy is legal where you are, but with almost everything you have to be close to the intruder/attacker. That's not good! I want to be far away from any attacker. Well, here is what you need.
Wasp spray!!!! Yep, that simple can of wasp spray you can buy for a couple bucks at Walmart. It is poison!! That is why you should check the laws around you. Wasp spray will knock someone on their ass, stop them in their tracks and make them scream. What I love about this stuff is that I can be 15 or 20 feet from the idiot that just broke in my house. Look at the can, most of them will spray around 20 feet which gives you some space between you and the intruder.
This space, along with what the insecticides will do to the persons face, will give you time to run and call the police. Even if this criminal does get away before the police show up, they will catch him. Basically once wasp spray is spayed into someones face they HAVE to go to a hospital for treatment.
Personally I have a few cans laying around the house and the sheds just in case. Just check out the legalities before you go spraying some crook in the face.

Wearing Glasses

There are many people out there that wear glasses, including me. I was just sitting here and it popped into my mind that I have been wearing glasses for 43 years now. I won't say I am blind without them but they are a very necessary part of my life as I am sure they are for many of you out there. Have any of you considered them when you plan for survival? Something so simple and so necessary for you but something to easily forget.
At any time I have the pair of glasses that I wear daily but, I also have 2 backup pairs. Over all the decades that I have worn glasses and I have never understood why people pay so much for glasses. I am talking hundreds of dollars for a single pair, to me that is such a waste of money. Why, because they have someone else's name on them? So you can look cool? Not good reasons to spend money you don't have to.
Except for my time in the Army I have always went to America's Best for my glasses. There, you get 2 pair of glasses for less than $100. Since I do wear glasses, there is one thing that I almost overlooked and that was my glasses inside my M17A2 gas mask. Over the years my eyes, like others, have gotten a little worst every year. I asked them at America's Best about getting glasses for frames that I already owned, I almost fainted with their answer. If you bring in your own frames you have to pay for the eye exam and stuff. In other words it would cost a lot more.
So, I had to rethink how I would get new glasses for my gas mask. Then it came to me, and you can do this for any pair of glasses. I took one lens out of my inserts and took it with me to the store. It took a lot longer to find the frames I wanted but it was worth it. I finally found frames the same shape and size as my inserts in a female pair of frames they offered. Once they were ready I went in and they adjusted my real glasses for my face and I told them not to worry about the other pair. I went home and with my eye glass kit from my bug out bag I took the lenses out of the new "spare" glasses and put them into my frames for my gas mask.
Those lenses should be good for years so next time I buy from them I will do as I always do, one pair with the transitions and one pair normal. I save the normal ones and my old pair as back-ups for emergencies. Within 2 years I have good inserts for my gas mask, new glasses to wear and back-ups, not a bad deal for less than $200.
So, next time all you that have to wear glasses should think about back-ups. One last note, if you don't really need glasses, maybe your eyes are just a hair off, check out the reading glasses at a dollar store and pick up a few pair.

The Most Important Survival Item

The Most important survival item you will ever need in any type of survival senerio is good ol' plain water. That's right, water. I don't care who you are your body needs water to survive above any other items. The average person can only last from 3 to 5 days without water. There is no set amount of time, each person is different and each senerio is different. The 3 to 5 days is kind of set for a person in normal health is a nice environment. But, lets say you are in the northern US in winter, it is 10 degrees and your freezing, your days are cut down. What if your in the desert, you all have seen the old cowboy movies when the cowboy is lost in the desert and starts to see halucinations, maybe a dried up skeleten, well that is you if you don't have water.
There are as many ways to get water as there are ways to tie a knot. My first reference book that comes to mind is Army FM 21-76, Survival. You can also do searches online for many different ways, I recommend you print them out so you always have the references, remember you may not have electricity to run that computer.
As far as at home storage, that too has many different ways. The easiest is to have containers of water stashed around the house. You can use your empty 2 liter soda bottle, gallon jugs, 5 gallon jugs, anything. Make sure whatever you use is a food grade container. I personally recycle my gallon jugs that my Lipton tea comes in. One trick many do not think about and this is a last minute type of thing is your bathtub. If you know something is coming fill that tub up! While I am rebuilding my homestead roof I opted for something a little different than the normal shingle roof. I used a product by Ondura, a corrugated roof panel made of some kind of plastic/fiberglass I think. These are just like the metal roofing you see on barns, it comes in colors, is low maintance and can withstand 165mph winds. Why I used it was the simplicity of instalation and how easy rainwater comes off it. With gutters installed I have rainwater going into storage barrels with no shigle materials mixed into it. I still use a filter cloth and screen on the barrels but personnaly I love this type of roof material.
All in all there are so many ways to have water for your survival. it does not matter if you are home, on the road or in the woods, you MUST have water. If you are not sure, always boil your water, why get sick for no reason. Remember water is always your number one need.

My Favorite Kitchen Item For Survival

I think out of all the gadgets I have my Foodsaver Vacuum system is my favorite. The Foodsaver system is great for a single survivor or a family but, especially the single survivor. I have to admit, my sister gave me this system so I really saved money. Unless you are a person who needs everything brand new I recommend you check out garage sales, want ads and Ebay before you buy a new one, you will save a fortune. The newer ones do have some nicer features but why spend when you don't have to.
What I love with this system is that as a prepper I can buy large and break down a food item into 1 or 2 servings per package. For instance, I will buy a 64oz box of powdered milk and break it down into amounts so I only have to make a qt at a time without having a whole box open all the time. I do not know if it is truely needed but whenever I vacuum seal a dry item I always throw in a silica gel pack, better safe than sorry. You can do this with so many items, powdered milk, mashed potato flakes, oatmeal, seasonings, ect.
I also enjoy a few of the pasta side dishes that come in packets that are in every grocery store. What I do with these is I make a small slice at the top of the package, put the whole thing into a foodsaver bag along with a silica pack and I vacuum seal it. This way I can always tell with ease what is in the bag and the instructions are right there. So far I have used some that are 2 years old with no problem.
Last but not least, do not go with the hype of you have to buy the bags or cantainers that are the same brand, almost all of them work with each other. I purchase all my bags in quanity from a seller on Ebay, saving money.

Helping Your Neighborhood Thief

Here are some tricks you might not think of that burglars use:

1. Of course I look familiar, I was here cleaning your house/painting/delivering your new refridgerator, ect.
2. Thanks for letting me use your bathroom while I was working in your yard, I unlocked one of your back windows while I was inside.
3. All those nice kids toys outside makes me wonder what or how many gaming systems you have inside.
4. Love all the newspapers outside or maybe I will leave a pizza flyer on your door and see how long it takes you to remove it.
5. It snowed 3 days ago and your driveway/sidewalk is still not cleaned, you must not be home.
6. You have a nice decorative glass front door, it makes it so easy to see your alarm control pad.
7. Many alarm companies won't alarm the window over your sink or the upstairs windows, THANKS, also make sure you have motion detectors installed, the good ones can be set even if you have pets inside.
8. It is raining outside, your fumbling with keys and groceries as you go in and you forget to lock the door behind you, Thanks!
9. Do you really think I don't know all the hiding places (sock drawers, cabinets, ect) think again I will check them all.
10. I might not break into your safe because I am in a hurry but if it is not bolted down I will take it with me.
11. A dead quiet, unlit house is a giveaway, set some timers on lights, radios and such.
12. Two things I hate the most, loud dogs and nosey neighbors.
13. I don't mind breaking a window if someone hears it, they will usually wait to hear another noise, if they don't they will normally go back to what they were doing.
14. You have to love all the people that spend so much money on an alarm system then never set it.
15. Windows are the outlet to your home, I can walk by at night and see everything you have in your house, CLOSE YOUR BLINDS!
16. Many crooks will use the internet, STOP advertising your vacation on facebook, myspace, ect. Tell your kids the same thing, your personnal life is not to be advertised on the internet.
17. When you buy a new flat sceen, computer, gaming system, ect stop putting all the boxes out for the garbage man. It is a beacon that will draw a burglar right to your house for that brand new gift you just bought him. Break the boxes down and put them in bags or if you can, burn them or take them to work to dispose of them, just don't leave them out for every thief in the city to see

The I in these does not refer to me, these were writen as if the thief was speaking to you.

Firearms At Your Homestead

Firearms are probably the most controversial subject when it comes to surviving. It is definitely the one subject everyone has an opinion on, and of course I have mine. I believe you should definitely have some in your homestead. be it for hunting or protection you need a couple good firearms. Many, many sites always talk about firearms such as the AR15 and other military style firearms, I personally am a simple man with simpler needs.
You have to take stock in what you need these firearms for, are you going to mainly hunt for your food or are you going to sit around waiting for some bad guy to come and try to rob you? Mostly I think you will be hunting with them. In that case you can narrow down your list by thousands. A good shotgun, a good 22 and a good rifle is all you need. For personal protection if you so choose you may want to look into a handgun also. I will not go into many specifics on which caliber is best and what firearm is best but you do want ones that are of normal caliber.
For a shotgun either a 12 or 20 gauge, mainly because ammo is easier to come by in good and bad times. With the 12 gauge you have the option of using buckshot for the protection aspect if you need it. What brand and if it is semi or bolt action or pump is all up to you and what you can afford and is available.
There are many good 22 calibers on the market right now and many people love the 10/22's that are out there. They have many options you can pic up to enhance them for weight and fire rates. I like the older model Marlins semi auto, they are small and lightweight and very accurate for hunting.
With a rifle there are So many choices here it is mind boggling. Again choose one with a caliber that is readily available. I say that as I own one that is not and my rounds cost $1 each, but that is my choice. The rifle is sentimental to me, it is a 7.7 that my father took of a dead jap in the pacific theater. If I had to go out and buy a new rifle today I probably would look toward the 30-06 or 30-30.
Handguns are like rifles, many, many calibers but if you need to buy one go with a 45 or 9mm. Ammo is easy to come by, almost all police and military carry one or the other. Don't get into the Dirty Harry syndrome and run out and get a 44 mag, it is just a waste of money for an all around handgun.
Last but not least, something we do need to think about if the conspiracy types are correct. Who knows you have these firearms? Many states just to buy a handgun you have to have a permit, and most states when you buy any firearm you have to register it. That means the government knows you have them. Always try and stay under the radar, there is no need for anyone but yourself to know what you have or are doing. When you buy ammo, always pay cash and don't buy a ton of it at once, it raises eyebrows. If you need to purchase a shotgun, rifle or whatever try and buy off a person, check it out, ask to fire it too. With the Internet you can read up on the model, see how it performs, see what others say about it. But just don't buy it because the price is good, make sure the weapon is good!

Food Storage for the single guy

Being single it is sometimes hard to find good posts about what to stash away. Most sites talk about families and for me the items they tell you to stock up on just does not work for me. I do enjoy cooking but can't bake worth beans, to me baking is just to precise. So, for me all the baking items fall to the bottom of any list I have. First and foremost is animals, I raise chickens and rabbits along with hunting, fishing and trapping. Being born and raised on a farm I grew up eating deer, rabbit, woodchuck, squirrel and raccoon. My meat is all set as long as all wildlife does not die. I know most preople will cringe when they think about eating some of these meats but you should try them. Find someone that knows how to cook them and follow their instructions. Raccoon is a meat that takes a special hand to cook properly since it is so fatty.
For vegetables I of course have my gardens and being single I do not need huge gardens. I only plant items that I enjoy eating and can be preserved easily by either canning or dehydrating. Here is a hint with vegetables that produce more than expected, or if you want, plant more than you need, give them each fall to your neighbors. Do not charge, just give them to them. When TSHTF a friendly neighbor is better to have than someone you don't even know. I also let my rabbits and chickens enjoy the leftovers or over ripe items, they love it.
I also have stocked up on a large supply of canned goods. Some may not think this is a good idea but as long as you rotate your stocks you should never have a problem. Almost all can goods have a best buy date on them, remember best buy is not an expiration date and an expiration date is not stamped in gold that it is no good after that date. One of the best items I have found is canned fish items such as salmon and tuna. Check them out, they are very good for your health and the best by dates are usually 2 to 3 years from your date of purchase.
My best find has to be made by B&M. For a guy that can't bake this item is god sent. the item is canned baked bread and has a 2 year best by date. It comes in 2 styles that I have found so far, brown bread and brown bread with raisins. I feel this is perfect for the single survivor who can't bake.
Take a day or three and give yourself time to just walk around your local markets and look at everything in cans. You will be surprised at what you will find. Buy one of something that peaks your interest and give it a try. I also recommend you make a list of items you want to buy and go to the different stores and price check, you will be surprised at the difference in prices from one store to another.

Start With A List

Once you have decided to prepare for the worst, be it getting fired all the way to our government going to hell, you should sit down and create a list of items you will need. Personally, my list is a group of lists broken down into different catagories. Each person is different and you need to make your own list but for help looking at others lists will help you get started. My list is 20 different list, each having it's own designation. My lists took along time to make and I am always changing items on them. It is best to sit when all is quiet and think about what you will need, picture in your mind each problem and what can help you. Lets just say you loose power, How many flashights do you have? How many batteries? How long will a battery last you, can you recharge it? How are you going to recharge it? Do you have extra bulbs for the flashlight? See, lots of things to think about on something so simple as a flashlight. The following is a list of my lists and in future posts I will break each one down so you may better understand each one.

1.Water List 2.Firefighting List 3.Food List 4.Clothing List 5.Food Prep List 6.Security List 7.Personal Items List 8.Communications List 9.First Aid List 10.Tools List 11.NBC List 12.Books List 13.Personnal Hygiene List 14.Barter List 15.Hunting/Fishing/Trapping List 16.Bug Out Bag List 17.Power List 18.Bug Out Medical Bag List 19.Fuels List 20.Heating List

My Homestead

I am still working on the ol' homestead, but who among us isn't. I live far out in the country in a town of about 100. That's right about 100 people to the whole town which is nice and quiet and you truely know your neighbors. My homestead is set back off the road and is one acre of fertile soil. My mobile home is being totally rebuilt by myself (saves ALOT of money that way) with survival in mind. There is a combination greenhouse/rabbit/chicken house and many small gardens spread around the land. Over in the far side there are apple trees with strawberry/blackberry and raspberry patches scattered around. Once the house is complete all rain water will be saved in storage for my use and for the garden. I also plan on having food pantries scattered around and a root cellar so nothing is in only one place. As the days/months go by I will be updating on what I have done with the homestead and why I have done it.