Monthly Archives: January 2015

January 11th, 2015
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10 Skills that Urban Preppers should Learn

By Tess Pennington

This article first appeared in Ready Nutrition

Skills are a major part of prepping. Although it is important to have supplies in place; the belief is that skills, and not supplies, will give you a greater survival advantage during a long term emergency. Learning new survival skills and abilities creates a new platform of knowledge to draw on when times get tough.

Skills are a major part of prepping. Although it is important to have supplies in place; the belief is that skills, and not supplies, will give you a greater survival advantage during a long term emergency. Learning new survival skills and abilities creates a new platform of knowledge to draw on when times get tough.

There are many preppers who taking the time to make skill building a priority. The Survival Sherpa is applying his vast knowledge to the field and showing his audience ways to learn skills and be more efficient. Check his site out, it’s very informative. The Organic Prepper is turning her back on consumerism and focusing on finding local sources for food to create a food pantry.

There are many things you can learn to promote a more sustainable lifestyle while living in a densely populated area. In fact, 80% of the population lives in an urban environment, so do not let that stop you from your prepping endeavors.

Make the best of where you are and begin learning skills or continue refining them so that you can use them confidently during a disaster. Some great skills you can easily learn are:

  1.  Raise micro-livestock in small confines. Some popular breeds are rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, etc.
  2. Garden and produce your own food supply. You can easily grow these types of produce, even on an apartment patio!
  3. Forage for local plants and herbs. You’d be surprised to find some of these in your own backyard.
  4. Learn about hydroponic/aquaponic food production. There are many local classes and sustainability expos in your area that you can take advantage of. Alternatively, there are also community colleges that are offering these courses.
  5. If the proverbial S hits the F, we will see a lot of serious injuries, and even deaths, from people making unaccustomed physical demands on their bodies. Train your physical body now in the event of evacuations.
  6. Take an emergency first-aid class or self-defense class. The American Red Cross offers a variety of first-aid classes that you can take advantage of.
  7. Learn how to confidently use a firearm. A lot of dangers exist during and following emergency disasters. Learn how to protect your family by any means necessary. Many urban centers have gun ranges and classes to take to refine this important skill. This site can show you where the nearest gun ranges are.
  8. Start a prepper’s pantry and store shelf stable foods. We must put measures in place before a disaster is upon us in order to have these lifelines available to us when we need it the most. Check out these 25 must-have foods.
  9. Learn how to preserve your food supply. If you know how to dehydrate and use a pressure canner, then you are already ahead of the game.
  10. Go to farmer’s markets and get in contact with local growers and practice bartering. Here are some great tips on how to barter better.

Many families have to stay in urban areas for financial or familial reasons, but do not let that stop you from learning a more sustainable way of life. There are lots of things you can do and many people who are in the same place as you with the same interests. Sometimes your friends could end up teaching up and thing or two that they have learned along the way.

 About the author:

Tess Pennington is the author of The Prepper’s Blueprint, a comprehensive guide that uses real-life scenarios to help you prepare for any disaster. Because a crisis rarely stops with a triggering event the aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. The well-rounded, multi-layered approach outlined in the Blueprint helps you make sense of a wide array of preparedness concepts through easily digestible action items and supply lists.

Tess is also the author of the highly rated Prepper’s Cookbook, which helps you to create a plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply and includes over 300 recipes for nutritious, delicious, life-saving meals. 

Visit her web site at ReadyNutrition.com for an extensive compilation of free information on preparedness, homesteading, and healthy living.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :  apartmentprepper

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January 10th, 2015
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All Over America, Government Officials Are Cracking Down On Preppers

Guest post by Michael Snyder – Economic Collapse Blog

 

Why would the government want to punish people that are just trying to work hard, become more self-sufficient and take care of their families?  There are approximately 3 million preppers in the United States today, and often they appear to be singled out for punishment by bureaucratic control freaks that are horrified at the thought that there are families out there that actually want to try to become less dependent on the system.

So if you use alternative methods to heat your home, or if you are not connected to the utility grid, or if you collect rainwater on your property, or if you believe that parents should have the ultimate say when it comes to health decisions for their children, you could become a target for overzealous government enforcers.  Once upon a time, America was the land of the free and the home of the brave, but now we are being transformed into a socialist police state where control freak bureaucrats use millions of laws, rules and regulations to crack down on anyone that dares to think for themselves.

For example, people have been burning wood to heat their homes since this country began.  And this is still very common in rural areas.  But the Obama administration does not like this at all.  The Obama bureaucrats at the EPA fear that our little wood stoves may be contributing to “global warming”, so they have outlawed the production and sale of 80 percent of the wood stoves that are currently in use.  The following comes from a recent Forbes article…

It seems that even wood isn’t green or renewable enough anymore. The EPA has recently banned the production and sale of 80 percent of America’s current wood-burning stoves, the oldest heating method known to mankind and mainstay of rural homes and many of our nation’s poorest residents. The agency’s stringent one-size-fits-all rules apply equally to heavily air-polluted cities and far cleaner plus typically colder off-grid wilderness areas such as large regions of Alaska and the American West.

While EPA’s most recent regulations aren’t altogether new, their impacts will nonetheless be severe. Whereas restrictions had previously banned wood-burning stoves that didn’t limit fine airborne particulate emissions to 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air, the change will impose a maximum 12 microgram limit. To put this amount in context, EPA estimates that secondhand tobacco smoke in a closed car can expose a person to 3,000-4,000 micrograms of particulates per cubic meter.

Most wood stoves that warm cabin and home residents from coast-to-coast can’t meet that standard. Older stoves that don’t cannot be traded in for updated types, but instead must be rendered inoperable, destroyed, or recycled as scrap metal.

Does that make you angry?

It should.

There are other preppers that try to use very “clean” methods to power their homes, but that is still not good enough for some government control freaks.

For example, one prepper down in south Florida that had gone “off the grid” was recently ordered by a court to connect back to the grid or face eviction from his home.  The following is an excerpt from a recent article by Guiles Hendrik…

Think you are still free to make choices in your life? Do you think the government will allow you to live independent of their utility monopolies? If you think so, try opting for renewable non-grid tied power and utilize environmentally friendly composting toilets and your own self-sufficient water supply. Today, those life choices could land you in jail if you live in South Florida. Take the case of Robin Speronis.

Robin Speronis has lived off the grid, independent of the city’s water and electric system. A Florida court ruled this off-the-grid living illegal last week and has given Robin until March to connect her home to a municipal water line or face possible eviction. Further, officials in the city of Cape Coral have justified this by deeming Robin’s home “unsanitary,” citing the International Property Maintenance Code. First of all, since when did we begin to locally recognize “international codes?” Where in the US Constitution does it provide for international jurisdiction over local codes? Ironically, this “international” code mandates that homes be connected to an electricity grid and a running water source, even though most of the world lives without reliable electricity and municipal water and sewer. Further, the code is outdated and obsolete because it was written without consideration to both old and new technologies that relegate the need for grid tied power and municipal water as unnecessary and expensive; especially, in locations where it simply isn’t feasible to have grid tied utilities. Nonetheless, Speronis’ home does in fact have power and water through far cheaper and more environmentally friendly means — solar panels and rainwater, but that reality is ignored by the local government.

Incredibly, most Americans still seem to believe that we live in a “free country”.  But we don’t.  Our lives are very tightly constrained by literally millions of laws, rules and regulations, and more are being added every single day.

Even some of our most basic fundamental rights have been seriously eroded.  One of these is the right to make basic health decisions for our own children.  In New York state, children that have not received all of the designated vaccines can now be banned from attending public school, and this requirement was recently upheld by a federal appeals court…

New York state’s requirement that children be vaccinated before attending public school does not violate their constitutional rights, a federal appeals court in Manhattan said on Wednesday.

In affirming the requirement’s constitutionality, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also upheld a previous ruling by a federal judge that students exempted from the requirement for religious reasons can be barred from school when another child has a disease preventable by a vaccine.

The decision was the latest to go against three parents from New York City who say their religious rights were violated when their children were kept out of school as a result of the immunization policies. The parents’ lawyer, Patricia Finn, said her clients planned to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

So what are we free to do without government interference these days?

Not much.

In fact, in some states we can’t even sit on our own land and collect the rain as it falls from the sky for our own personal use.

If you do this in the state of Oregon, for example, you could go to prison…

Gary Harrington, the Oregon man convicted of collecting rainwater and snow runoff on his rural property surrendered Wednesday morning to begin serving his 30-day, jail sentence in Medford, Ore.

“I’m sacrificing my liberty so we can stand up as a country and stand for our liberty,” Harrington told a small crowd of people gathered outside of the Jackson County (Ore.) Jail.

Several people held signs that showed support for Harrington as he was taken inside the jail.

And of course these are just a few examples.  Almost every single day there are more stories in the news about government bureaucrats cracking down on preppers.  They almost seem to relish the opportunity to go after the “non-conformists”.

But the good news is that the number of Americans that are seeking to become less dependent on the system just continues to grow.

So what about you?

Are you a prepper?

My friend Daisy Luther recently wrote a piece entitled “45 MORE Signs That You Might Be One of Those Crazy Preppers“.  The following are some of the most interesting “signs” from her list…

*You spend your days off digging an underground bunker in your backyard.

*Your family doesn’t dare take something from the food stockpile without marking it off the list.

*Your kids know how to don a gas mask in 30 seconds.

*Everyone in your survival group carries the same firearm so that ammo is standardized.

*Your family is no longer surprised when you announce, “Hey, we’re going to learn how to make (insert anything here)!”

*You have long since accepted the idea that if you’re not on someone’s list, you’re probably not doing it right.

*You don’t just rotate food, you rotate ammo.

*Moving to a new house is no longer “moving”, but “strategic relocation”.

*Your kids think it’s a fun game to see who can find the most potential weapons in a room.

*Your EDC includes a knife, firearm w/extra mag, flashlight, mylar blanket, Chapstick, and an ounce of silver — and that’s just for when you’re walking the dog.

*One criterion for your new winter coat is that it fits over your body armor.

You can read her entire article right here.

America was built by people that loved their families, worked hard and were self-sufficient.

Now our government is specifically targeting those kinds of people.

What in the world is happening to us?

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :  thesurvivalistblog

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January 10th, 2015
post by policysup | | 0

WEEKLY THREAT ROUNDUP 1-10-15

From AlertsUSA

 

 

The Paris Attack: What You Need to Know,
U.S. Issues Worldwide Caution,
MI5 Warns West of Mass Casualty Attack Threat

 

Jan 10, 2015

  

  

Between Jan 7-9, 2015, AlertsUSA issued the following
related Flash messages to subscriber mobile devices:

1/9 – Two standoffs w/hostages underway with Paris terror suspects. Live 1: http://youtu.be/VYlQJbsVs48 , LIVE 2: http://youtu.be/sc03SlMY3vA

1/8 – Britain’s MI5 Security Service warning al Qaeda in Syria planning mass casualty attacks in the West, poss against transport systems. Monitoring for add’l info..

1/8 – US Embassy Paris warning American citizens in France to remain vigilant and to bolster personal security awareness. Concerns re follow-on / copycat attacks.

1/7 – Car bomb explodes outside of synagogue in Paris. U.S. synagogues, Jewish community centers and related facilities increasing security posture.

1/7 – French police increase security at houses of worship, transport ctrs and other soft targets nationwide. Country at highest terrorism alert level. Monitoring..

1/7 – Terror attack in Paris office of magazine Charlie Hebdo which publishes satirical cartoons mocking Islam. 11+ dead. Shooters at large. City on high alert.

What You Need To Know

On multiple occasions this week AlertsUSA subscribers were notified via SMS messages to their mobile devices regarding an ongoing terrorism situation in France, warnings issued to U.S. citizen in the country and new warnings issued regarding potential mass casualty attacks on western targets.

Early Wed morning AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of a terror attack on the Paris office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo which publishes cartoons mocking Islam and other religions. 12 people were killed and 11 others injured in the attack.

Raw Video of Getaway (GRAPHIC)

Follow-On Attacks Planned

French investigators believe the group had plans for follow-on attacks as the getaway car used in the massacre, then abandoned, was found to contain found a dozen Molotov petrol bombs as well as two black jihadi flags.

French Websites Hacked

As the crises began to unfold, the websites of several French municipalities were hacked, with the main landing pages replaced by the black flag of the Islamic State.

U.S. Embassy Warning

On Wednesday, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified that the U.S. Embassy in Paris issued a security message for American citizens in the country warning that the French government has increased the security posture around Paris media outlets, major shopping venues, sites of religions worship, and transportation networks. The U.S. State Department is encouraging U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security.

Friday morning, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified that two separate hostage incidents had developed. One in Northeast France involving the original shooters from the magazine office attack, and a second related incident involving another shooter who killed a Paris police officer.

FINAL ASSAULTS

Final assaults on both hostage locations were carried out by France’s National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, (French: Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale, or GIGN), a Tier 1 special operations unit of the French Armed Forces. GIGN frequently cross-trains with U.S. special operations forces and are considered one of the top counterterrorism units in the world.

Final Counter-Terrorism Assault 1 (Alt View)

Final Counter-Terrorism Assault 2 (Alt View) (Aftermath – GRAPHIC)

Yemen Branch of al-Qaeda Claims Responsibility

A source within al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has provided The Intercept with a full statement claiming responsibility for the attack against the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

MI5 Warns of Attacks on Western Countries

Late this week AlertsUSA subscribers were notified that the head of Britain’s domestic counter-intelligence and security agency known as MI5 publicly warned that al Qaeda in Syria was planning mass casualty attacks on Western targets. As a reminder, Britain’s terror alert remains at the second highest level of “severe”, which means an attack is considered highly likely.

BACKGROUND

A large portion of Europe’s immigrant population comes from N. Africa and the Middle East. Approximately 10% of France’s 60 million citizens are Muslim, the largest such density in the European Union. This number may actually be higher but French law prohibits collecting official statistics about the race or religion of its citizens.

In another more alarming figure, officials in France estimate that more than 1000 of their citizens are involved in the jihad in Iraq and Syria. According to the most recent estimates, the British government has confirmed at least 600 of their citizens are in Iraq in Syria to fight for Islamist groups, though intelligence serves estimate that number could be as high as 2000. Several other EU nations, including Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands each have hundreds of their citizens involved in the fight.

And it is not just the Europeans. U.S. intelligence sources indicate that hundreds of American Muslims are now in the Middle East training with and fighting for the Islamic State.

A VERY REAL DANGER TO THE U.S.

Many of these individuals whom have traveled to the Middle East to train and fight are now starting to trickle back into their home countries, including here in the U.S.. Given the ability of EU passport holders to travel freely to the U.S. without a visa, the threat of terrorist attacks here in America is growing by the day. Additionally, U.S. intelligence sources indicate Islamic State fighters are posing as Syrian refugees in order to enter Europe. While no formal statement has been issued regarding a similar threat involving the thousands of Syrian refugees being resettled in the U.S., simple logic would dictate this would be the case.

FBI Director James Comey has previously warned that jihadists in the Syrian conflict could eventually strike the U.S. (see this, this and this), like those who masterminded the 9/11 attacks in 2001, years after being trained and radicalized for the war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

Over the past year alone, AlertsUSA has warned on a least a dozen different occasions of the growing threat of terrorism facing this country, from radicalized Muslims returning from the battlefield in Iraq and Syria to threats against the aviation sector to so called lone wolf terrorists inspired by calls to wage jihad.

 


WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU

AlertsUSA again cautions readers that despite a lack of any recent large scale terror attacks on the homeland, it is certainly not for a lack of trying. A friendly conversation with any federal agent or member of the special operations or intelligence communities on the topic will reveal that there is a near CONSTANT flow of individuals, organizations and foreign states attempting to do harm to this country and its citizens. To think this is all hype, fear mongering or false flag operations is both dangerously naive and near sighted.

24,000+ Muslim Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Facts are stubborn things, and one which even the most diehard dove or conspiracy theorist cannot deny is that since 9/11 there have been more than 24,000 separate terrorist attacks committed, by Muslims, around the world. Only a small fraction of these attacks are categorized as battlefield actions against U.S. or Western soldiers. The majority are incidents like attacks on schools and churches, suicide bombings on buses, car bombings in marketplaces, beheadings and crucifixions for either not being Muslim, or not being Muslim enough, and so on. And this number does not include other types of terror incidents, such as cyber attacks on financial institutions and other attacks on critical infrastructure.

While it is the popular notion that the U.S. and other Western countries do not fight religious wars, we urge readers to think clearly on this issue. The other side IS fighting a religious war against us and they make their goal of Islam and Sharia conquering the U.S. and other Western nations explicitly clear (see this, this, this, this and this).

These dangers are here, their existence is undeniable and the need to have such threats on your radar is essential.

So as to reinforce the seriousness of the threat of domestic terrorism, the following is a quote from U.S. government’s Worldwide Caution to American citizens issued January 9, 2015:

“Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests. Examples of such targets include high-profile sporting events, residential areas, business offices, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas, shopping malls, and other tourist destinations both in the United States and abroad where U.S. citizens gather in large numbers, including during holidays.”

“U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure. Extremists have targeted and attempted attacks on subway and rail systems, aviation, and maritime services. In the past, these types of attacks have occurred in cities such as Moscow, London, Madrid, Glasgow, and New York City.”

AlertsUSA strongly recommends maintaining an appropriate level of situational awareness when out and about and to be prepared for emergencies.

As has been the case for over 12 years, AlertsUSA continues to closely monitor the overall domestic and international terrorism threat environment and will immediately notify service subscribers of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens, as events warrant.

AlertsUSA.com

 

OTHER ALERTS ISSUED THIS WEEK BUT
NOT DETAILED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ISSUE

1/9 – USGOV issues new Worldwide Caution warning of continued threat of terrorist actions and violence against U.S. citizens and interests globally. Vigilance urged.

1/6 – The FBI has confirmed that a bomb was detonated earlier today outside bldg housing NAACP in Colorado Springs, currently seeking person of interest. Monitoring..

1/6 – US law enf again being warned re incr threats. Multiple attacks on police in last 24 hrs, incl in NY, GA & TX. Incr vigilance and situational awareness
urged.

  

  

* Homeland Security Threat Info Direct to Your
  Mobile Device
* Get Away Early, Give Your Family Extra Safety.
* In Wide Use By Gov, 1st Responders, Travelers.
* 24/7/365 Monitoring. No Hype. Just the Bad Stuff.
* Issued Hours and Days before the MSM.
* On your Cell Phone, Tablet or Email.
* We Give The Clear Truth, Unlike the MSM.
* Over a Decade in Operation!

  

We are NOT part of the government.
In fact, they are our customers!

  

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 
 

Via: threatjournal

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January 9th, 2015
post by policysup | | 0

Terror in Paris

From Larry Correia:

There was yet another Islamic terrorist attack, this time against a satirical magazine in France. Twelve people dead because they believed in free speech.
First off, let’s keep the people of France in our prayers. I know a lot of French people now. They’re good people. They don’t deserve this. Nobody deserves this.

Second, to the moral equivalence crowd, and their inevitable cries about how everybody is all equally the same, and Christians and Jews have done bad things too, and their fears about the inevitable backlash against Muslims that never materializes because the west aren’t barbarians… To you people, to the smug, self-righteous leftists, go to hell.

Just like everybody else, I got up this morning and checked the internet. I read the reports. Those pissed me off, but they aren’t shocking at this point. Islamic terrorists saw people’s heads off, blow up buildings, busses, trains, marathons, shoot up hospitals, shoot up schools, kidnap hundreds of girls to rape them and sell them as sex slaves, on and on and on. They do this often in countries where they can operate with impunity, and they do it occasionally in the west when they can get away with it.

This particular attack hit the west, and it was galling because it struck directly at one of our sacred values, free speech, the ability to speak out against whatever we are feel compelled to speak against. So of course, the apologist cowards in western media started blurring out pictures of the offending cartoons.

It is asinine. Islamic terrorists recently massacred a school. A whole school. Hundreds of kids. Hell, hundreds of Muslim kids, but that didn’t get hardly any attention in the western media. Instead, a fabricated story about some woman in a head scarf getting shamed by racist Australians got more coverage. A lie about how the west might be surly in the wake of hostages being murdered got more coverage than actual evil.

From Alex:

Yes, even in countries with strict gun control laws, bad guys can get a hold of
guns. Seems that, along with intentions to murder, they don’t much care about gun laws. Heck, police are reporting that these might have a rocket launcher. Doubtful they went through legal channels for that one, either.

These murderous bastards had a plan and weren’t amateurs–at least one of the brothers had trained in Al Queda in Yemen terror camp and the other served prison time for involvement with jihadi recruiting. They were a known quantity to law enforcement, well connected to the jihadi community yet were able to plan, arm up and launch the attack without the intel community catching on.

They gunned down two police officers, the staff of Charlie Hebdo and escaped in broad daylight. We’re going on day two of the entirety of French law enforcement hunting for these guys.

They’ll be caught or gunned down eventually, but the comparative success of this attack may well encourage similar jihadis to launch their own attacks. Such an attack doesn’t require a whole lot of logistics or sophistication to pull off…a couple guys with guns, murderous desire and willingness to die for one’s cause.

But, if these jihadis are so excited to get to know Allah better, we’ve got a whole lot of people who would be happy to arrange the meeting…

Gun laws don’t work, good guys with guns are the only thing that stops bad guys with guns.

Get trained, get your carry license and carry. Vote pro 2nd amendment.  Support the police. Celebrate the first amendment and free speech.

And, I hope a couple helicopter loads of door kickers are enroute to the Yemeni training camps right now…


Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via :  BPRE

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January 8th, 2015
post by policysup | | 0

New law: Teachers to spy on children with ‘terrorist inclinations’

It’s been 66 years since George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 was published.

In it, Orwell depicts a future where the UK (and the whole world really) descends into a totalitarian regime that’s in a perpetual state of war, propaganda, and persecution.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the story is the omnipresent government surveillance and complete lack of privacy.

People live in apartments equipped with two-way telescreens so that they could be watched and listened to at all times.

Public spaces are similarly littered with recording devices and microphones so that everyone is kept in check.

Undercover agents pose as normal citizens and report any person with subversive tendencies. Children become government spies. Everyone snitches on everyone else.

A lot of these elements are too familiar today.

There’s a complete lack of privacy online, with governments brazenly snooping on every activity from tracking people’s movements, to trolling social media, intercepting and storing emails and instant messages, listening in on voice conversations, etc.

Most public spaces are full of CCTV cameras.

Financial privacy of course doesn’t exist anymore—financial nudity is the norm today. Everyone from bankers to brokers to payday lenders are forcibly being drafted into the ranks of unpaid government spies.

1984 takes place in the UK—it was Orwell’s view of what his country would develop into in the future.

The irony is not lost on us as we regrettably report today that politicians in the House of Commons in the UK are right now debating legislation put forth which would require teachers in nurseries, elementary schools and other educational institutions to report children between ages 3 to 11 with ‘terrorist inclinations’.

The legislation is part of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill that’s currently in Parliament in London.

It says nurseries should ensure proper training to give staff the “knowledge and confidence to identify” and “challenge extremist ideas which can be used to legitimize terrorism and are shared by terrorist groups.”

It will become teachers’ duty to monitor, track, and report children’s words and actions that show signs of sympathy with terrorists or is a risk of potential radicalization.

Now, this is happening in the UK, but it could easily be anywhere in Western Europe or North America.

Not long ago the West used to stand for something. It was the beacon of freedom, liberty, human rights, and hope. The West gave people the chance to rise in life.

Now, sadly, it’s turning into Orwell’s dystopian version of itself. Soon, a teacher won’t just be someone charged with the education of our children… but rather another unpaid government spy.

Life really does imitate art.

Back in 1984 when the West was fighting Soviet ideology, could we ever have imagined something so intrusive?

And yet, thirty-one years later, it’s sadly happening.

The West is in a perpetual state of decline, both in terms of economics and freedom.

It doesn’t happen overnight (until it does). But when you take a long-term view, it’s hardly recognizable.

Is the country where you’re living the same place you remember a decade ago? Thirty years ago?

This decline is one of the biggest stories of our time. And it’s about time to start looking at options.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via :  sovereignman

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January 7th, 2015
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Homemade Yogurt from Powdered Milk

We must, all of us, be honest. How many of you really enjoy drinking reconstituted powdered milk? Not me!

On the occasions when I have had to drink it, it was with the deepest loathing. It has that stale “powdered milk” taste, and leaves the uncomfortable feeling I am really drinking white water. I think I speak for the majority of us when I say, Ick!

I have a much better use for powdered milk, turning it into homemade yogurt!

I bet some of you are thinking, “Ugh, that sounds pretty complicated. I’m sure it’s not for me.” Don’t despair! While some advocate carefully monitoring the temperature of your milk through the whole process, using special equipment, I am much more laid back. I have been making yogurt on a regular basis for a few years now and have had great success.

The end product is smooth, tasty and completely devoid of all the characteristics I so hate about powdered milk. Once you try this, you will want to make it all the time! This recipe makes eight cups.

Ingredients:

You will need:

1/2 cup yogurt (your “starter”) – This needs to be yogurt with LIVE bacterial cultures. It can be plain grocery store yogurt or 1/2 cup of yogurt from your own last batch. If using your own yogurt, it will have to be less than two weeks old. Any older than that and the cultures die off and the old yogurt will not properly inoculate your milk to turn it into new yogurt. As an alternative to actual yogurt, cheese supply companies sell powdered bacterial cultures that are specifically formulated for yogurt-making. These will keep in your freezer for up to a year.


Enough milk powder to make eight cups when reconstituted – A quick word here about what kind of powdered milk to use: There are many different brands on the market. I’ve tried several different kinds and some work better than others.

To make sure your yogurt is smooth and creamy instead of grainy or chunky, use a brand that is smooth and fine in texture while it is still in powdered form, similar to powdered sugar or white flour. Grainy milk powder will make grainy yogurt. I use a non-name brand that says to use 3 Tbsp of powder for every cup of water. When making yogurt, I round it up a bit and use 1 1/2 cups of powder for my yogurt recipe.

Eight cups of water

A crock pot – If you have a yogurt maker, you can also use it. You may also be able to find online tutorials that use an electric heating pad or a dehydrator. I understand that these methods also work well. I have always used a crock pot and have never gone wrong, so this tutorial will discuss that method.

A whisk

A food thermometer

Method:

1) Put eight cups of water in your crock pot and then add your milk powder and whisk it vigorously until all lumps are gone. If you miss a teeny little lump or two, it’s not a big deal. Put the cover on your crock pot and leave it on low heat for three hours, after which your milk should be in the neighborhood of 180 degrees F.

2) When your milk has come up to temperature and /or has spent the appropriate amount of time in your crock pot, turn off the heat and unplug it. (Unplugging it is very important if you live in a house with little children who live for toggling knobs and pushing buttons that should not be pushed.) Leave it to cool down for about 2 hrs and 45 minutes, when it is at around 110 degrees. Do use a food thermometer at each step to make sure it’s at the correct temperature.

3) Now, take one cup of warm milk from your crock pot and put it in a bowl with your yogurt starter, to temper your inoculant. Whisk it together until it is smooth, pour it all back into the crock pot and stir it together.

4) Cover the crock pot with a beach towel to hold in the heat and let it sit for about 6-8 hours. You might think that a measly little towel isn’t enough to keep it warm – trust me, it is. If you peek under the crock pot lid after a couple of hours, you will be greeted by a warm, slightly sour yogurty smell that will tell you that the live bacteria are doing their little microscopic jobs.

5) After your yogurt has sat on the counter under the towel for the prescribed amount of time, move the crock into the fridge overnight. You might be tempted to stir it a bit at this point, but this is not recommended. In fact, this is a good way to get grainy yogurt. For best results, don’t disturb the gel until it has completely cooled.

Great! Now What Do I Do With Half A Gallon Of Homemade Yogurt?

My children love this stuff and have been known to go through a whole batch in less than four days. One of my sons prefers it with homemade jam, and the other likes it with a bit of vanilla extract and some sugar for sweetening. I also use it to make naan, a variety of Indian flat bread. It can be drained in cheesecloth to make Greek yogurt or even yogurt cheese.

I want to emphasize that none of these instructions are hard and fast rules. I have sometimes left the milk warming in the crock pot for four hours instead of three, and one more than one occasion I have left the crock pot on the counter overnight! It still has turned out fine

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via :  thesurvivalmom

 

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January 6th, 2015
post by policysup | | 0

Decorating your home for survival – Tight Space Prepping

Just because you live in a small apartment or home doesn’t mean that you can’t join the wonderful world of prepping. There are many ways to have a garden, store food, and enjoy your living space – without looking (or feeling) like a hoarder!

House Plants

Filling your home with the right types of plants can be one of the best ways to both beautify your small space and have a few useful emergency tools on hand.

Food

When choosing house plants, pick ones that are useful, not just pretty. There are many types of edible flowers and plants. One of my favorites to keep are mini roses. They don’t take up a whole lot of space and are safe for human consumption, as long as you don’t spray them with pesticide. Also consider adding a few miniature fruit trees. They are great for both decoration and food production.

Medical

Many herbs, such as rosemary, are great for both cooking and medicinal purposes. It’s a pretty little shrub that looks like a fir tree. As a cooking herb it’s great for chicken, but it also aids in the digestion of richer meats. Rosemary essential oil is great for the scalp and reduces dandruff.

Rosemary and other herbs keep well on window sills or the kitchen counter. Aloe, for burns, is another favorite to keep in the house.

Finding Space

A bunch of planters sitting in the middle of the living room is hardly attractive, and few us of have a large outside window sill like the one pictured above. Putting your plants on the balcony would be an obvious go to, but not all apartments have a balcony. In that situation, try hanging your plants from the ceiling in a sunny area, but don’t go overboard. One or two plants per room will do.

Perhaps you would like to start a vegetable garden but don’t have an outside space. That’s where an indoor vegetable garden come in. You can use a specially designed AeroGarden, or simply place a book case across from a large window in a non carpeted room.

No matter what kind of plants you have, an indoor grow light can help. If you have pets or small children, it’s best to keep your plants on the top shelves. Some cats will even try to eat cactus!

Purposeful Decorations

There are some decorations that are pretty but serve no practical purpose. Others are really pretty and can do something useful. When decorating in our home, I try my best to go with the second choice.

Lighting

Candles are my first go to for decorative lighting. They are easy to store and many even come in their own jars. They don’t take up much space because they are on display when not in use. They don’t require a storage of fuel, like oil.  If you have children or pets you could use the LED candles. They require batteries, but so would flashlights.

You could also use decorative oil lamps. You may be able to find a few at thrift store or online. They do require oil, but you can counter that by buying a lamp with a clear oil tank and filling it with a colored oil. The advantage of these lamps is that the light may be turned up or down and they also contribute to warming your home.

Insulation

Insulation is important to any prepper’s home. Covering those windows is the first step I would take to insulate my home.

Thermal curtains are designed to keep the outside heat, cold, and prying eyes out of your home, and they also keep the room extra dark. They are readily available at store like Target as well as online, so there are more than enough options to find something to match any room.

Where permitted, cover the windows with an insulating window film. These come in many decorative designs and serve two purposes. The first is to help block UV light from coming into my home and to reflect sunlight away. The second (an added bonus) is that they may also prevent street viewing inside your home when the curtains are open.

I also love to use floor rugs. It adds an extra layer of insulation to the floors and keeps the apartment carpets from getting quite as dirty.

Concealment Decor

I confess: I don’t like staring at piles of cans in my living room. While I love having my storage, I don’t like feeling as though I live in a tiny warehouse so when I find a way to hide my storage, I do.

Creative Furniture Use

Bean bag chairs are the absolute best when it comes to hiding storage in plain sight. Children and grownups alike, love to sit on them. They are easy to move from room to room as a portable chair and are amazingly comfortable to read on. I use them as advertised. I hide bags of beans and peas in them. When I need a bag of split peas to make soup, I simple evict whichever child is sitting on the food storage for a moment and get what I need.

Creative Shelving

One of my favorite memories growing up is the giant bookcase my parents made. It was made of plywood and buckets, although cinder blocks are a common variation. The buckets contained stored flour and rice. To make this design look more decorative all you need to do is cover the ply wood with self-sticking shelf paper and color coordinate the buckets.

Hide Away Decor

Couch covers and bed ruffles make it easy to hide storage under my furniture, where I am happy not to see it. They also provide a potential fabric source should I need it. They come in a variety of patterns and colors to meet your decorating needs and (if made of the right fabric) can also be used as an extra blanket.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via :  thesurvivalmom

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January 5th, 2015
post by policysup | | 0

How to make and use dehydrated or freeze-dried food to prepare meals in a jar

Guest post by Jacquelyn F

———————————-

How much easier would it be to have a meal ready to cook by only adding water, or adding some meat and maybe some canned tomatoes?  There are many books on the market for making meals in a jar for meat eaters and vegetarians plus dehydrated meals for hikers and campers.  If using dehydrated or freeze dried meat, the only item necessary to add is water.  You can make your own MRE’s at a fraction of the price.  If properly sealed, meals in a jar or Mylar pouch will last easily 7-10 years!  So let’s get started.

The first thing I did was to learn how to make mixes for baking and soups, etc. by reading and by watching youtube.com.  I have several links at the bottom that will introduce recipes; but more important, basic skills to learn.  Improperly sealed jars or pouches means food goes to waste to soon.

The first process I go through in developing a mix or a recipe is to identify which recipes I use that are adaptable to storing in a jar.  I look for those with a majority of dry ingredients.  I lean toward recipes with lots of dried veggies including beans.  You will see a video later on how to treat beans if you want to use them in your meals in a jar.  Pasta in any form is great.  As a Vegan, I do not use real meat, but there are many meat substitutes out there many with beef or chicken flavorings.

I am now buying dehydrated veggies plus my dehydrator s are at work drying the important items: onions, celery, carrots cut in various shapes, cabbage (prepackaged cole slaw mix on sale), broccoli heads and broccoli sticks, mushrooms, potatoes sliced, diced, and shredded, and corn.  I keep a variety of flours in the freezer, instant beans, and dried fruit; particularly, raisins.  Now let’s talk recipes.  First step I did in learning was to learn to make dry mixes for baking.  They can be stored in individual pouches or in large mason jars.

My favorite Vegan snack/dessert is Pineapple Bars.  I computed each ingredient times 10.  Ten cakes 9 x 13 serve the needs of family members visiting for a couple of months.  The mix is stored in 2 half-gallon mason jars with a little left over in a pint jar.  The reason I consider this an ideal mix is the dry ingredients are put in a bowl and all I need to do is mix in a handful of coconut if I want to use it and open a can (2 small or 1 larger) of crushed pineapple with flavoring added to the pineapple.

I stir the wet ingredients into the dry until moistened, pour into a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with something like Pam, and then bake.  I serve it warm most of the time, but it is also good for breakfast hot or cold.  This is my bulk recipe:

Pineapple Bars-10 batches cut into squares to serve

  • 20 cups white whole-wheat flour
  • 5 cups sugar or Splenda/Stevia
  • 20 t baking powder
  • 10 t baking soda
  • For each batch use 2.5 cups mix plus
  • 2 small cans or 1 large can of crushed pineapple
  • 1 t coconut flavoring
  • A handful of coconut (optional)
  • 9 x 13 cake pan sprayed with oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 19-24 minutes or until golden on top.

If the mix is to be kept in storage long term, either put an oxygen absorber in each jar before putting on the lid or vacuum seal the jar.  Individual packages for each cake can be made using Mylar or vacuum seal bags.

Here is a variation that came to me while asleep.  Change flavoring to vanilla, add a little cinnamon to taste, a cup of rehydrated diced apples, and then add enough unsweetened applesauce to moisten.

This is another recipe I like which is also Vegan:

Blueberry Loaf Cake-8 batches of 12 muffins or bread loaves

20 cups of whole-wheat pastry flour

10 tea cinnamon

5 tea ground ginger

10 tea baking powder

5 tea baking soda

5 cups brown sugar (I use Splenda or dry Stevia)

For each batch use 2.5 cups of mix plus

.5 cups applesauce

1 tea vanilla

1 cup milk

1 cup frozen blueberries (wild or tame)

Use a 9-inch bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Muffins bake about 20 minutes.

Other good recipes for mixes are pancakes, biscuits, muffins, cakes, and cookies.  Some commercial mixes include the shortening/butter in the mix.  The inclusion shortens the shelf life so I prefer to add the fat when putting the liquids into the dry ingredients.

The supplies needed to begin storing meals in a jar are dried onions, garlic, celery, carrots, flours, sugars, dried milk/buttermilk, dried butter, dried eggs, and dried cheese.  If not filling individual jars, a very large bowl is necessary for mixing the ingredients thoroughly.  Clean tools and surface is absolutely mandatory.  A calculator helps with multiplying out the numbers of desired portions.

Go to Amazon.com and search meals in a jar to see what is available.  Some are better than others.  I use my own cookbooks plus books and cookbooks like The Preppers Cookbook by Tess Pennington and Meals in a Jar by Julie Languille.  One of my favorite resources is YouTube.  Type in Meals in a Jar or Meals in a Jar recipes.

Your best source is youtube.com.  Below, I list some of my favorite chefs and then a sample of their recipes.

This is a list of chef’s to study for various techniques and recipes.

Perbain

WestCoastPrepperRN

Linda’s Pantry

Honeyville Grain

Chef Tess

Obsessiveprepperaz

Here is a selection of videos with recipes and cooking instructions:


Linda’s Pantry

Meal in a Jar Soup Starters  (I would vacuum pack or use oxygen absorber to extend shelf life)

 


katzcradul

How to Make ‘Quick Cook’ Dry Beans (This video is critical to view as many of our meals will include beans.)

 


Perbain

Meals in a Jar-Pasta Three Different Ways

 


Perbain

Meals in a Jar: Cream Soup with Multiple Uses

 


Linda’s Pantry

How to Make Meals in a Jar-Pouch Rosemary Chicken & Rice

 


Chef Tess

Honeyville Personal-Sized Meals in a Jar (Noodle Base Recipe) with Chef Tess

 

?list=PL1IdoJqTkrdbGwgZ3Xw3noUjljfuDKSVF

Chef Tess

Honeyville Meals in a Jar (Hawaiian-Style Teriyaki Beff & Vegetable with Chef Tess

 


Obsessiveprepperaz

 

Meals in a jar using food storage! Great for Preppers, Hunters and Camping (This is an 11 day food supply for four people packed in a 6 gallon bucket with other items added.)

 

Remember, when the SHTF, we will be very busy and just may be low on fuel.  Most of these recipes can be ready in less than 20 minutes saving that fuel and the jars or pouches will make the storage area more efficient.  Good luck.  Experiment and have fun.

 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via :  thesurvivalistblog

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January 4th, 2015
post by policysup | | 0

WEEKLY THREAT ROUNDUP 1-3-15

From AlertsUSA

Police Targeted From L.A. to Tampa

Jan 03, 2015
On Dec 31, 2014, AlertsUSA issued the following
related Flash message to subscriber mobile devices:
12/31 – Multiple threats against New Year’s celebrations in NYC. Gangs calling event “Kill a Pig Night”. FBI warning US law enf of need for incr situational awareness.
What You Need To Know
Twice in the last two weeks AlertsUSA subscribers were notified via SMS messages to their mobile devices regarding FBI warnings of increasing threats to law enforcement officers in urban areas across the U.S.

Last week, the FBI issued a National Situational Information Report warning of “copy cat assassinations” following the murder of two NYPD officers. The report states that the “recent murders of New York City Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos have spawned numerous threats” against law enforcement personnel. The report also states that Ismaaiyl Brinsley, the man who shot the NYPD officers, claimed to be part of a nationwide group planning to kill police. (See our previous report on Brinsley here.)

This FBI warning was timely as in the past 7 days officers in Los Angeles, CA (see this pic), Durham, NC and Tampa, Florida have reported similar assassination attempts, though they received scant coverage by mainstream news outlets.

WHITE OFFICERS TARGETED

The FBI report also states that the day before the NYPD officers were murdered, another bulletin was issued stating that they had received “reliable information” that members of the gang were planning to target white law enforcement officers “send a message.” This bulletin also indicated that an Ohio street gang known as the “Heartless Felons Gang” gave its members orders to kill white police officers in the Cleveland area to avenge black lives taken by white police officers.

KILL A PIG NIGHT

On Wed of this week, AlertsUSA subscribers were notified via SMS messages to their mobile devices of FBI warnings about threats against police during New Year’s celebrations. This warning was issued, in part, due to threats scrawled in graffiti in different cities across the U.S., as well as on social media outlets by multiple gangs, calling the event “Kill a Pig Night.”

NEW BLACK PANTHERS ENCOURAGE KILLING POLICE

Further, on this week’s official broadcast of the New Black Panthers Party’s “Black Power Radio,” the former national chairman of the New Black Panther Party and current national president of Black Lawyers for Justice, Malik Zulu Shabazz, said 2015 is the time to “build up that army” and go “to the gun range.” Shabazz encouraged listeners to do things that would seem tragic to white America and may even shock our own consciences, “including the killing of police officers.”

POLICE KILLED BY FIREARMS UP 56%

And finally, a new report issued Tuesday by the nonprofit National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reveals that the number of law enforcement officers killed by firearms in the U.S. jumped by 56 percent in 2014 and included 15 ambush assaults.

DANGER AHEAD IN 2015

As we head into 2015, AlertsUSA urges readers to give serious consideration to the overall threat picture that is forming. Lawlessness within urban centers across the U.S. is resulting in increasingly violent confrontations with police. In turn, the police are then demonized by the mainstream media and elected officials, as opposed to demonizing the criminals. The net result is increased lawless behavior.

And this is where it impacts average, decent citizens. Regardless of the location, if the police back off of enforcement actions, lawlessness will surge. This week, media outlets are reporting that arrests in New York City have dropped a staggering 66% since the shooting of the two officers as police feel betrayed by the mayor and fear for their own safety.

Further, police departments in an increasing number of locations across the U.S. are now mandating that all officers must patrol in pairs, dramatically increasing response times and reducing their ability to show the flag.

Remember that police form the thin blue line which separates civil society from all manner of lawless animals who wish to do us harm. The net result of the increased threats, increased demonization by elected officials and the media as well as the resulting pullback of enforcement efforts is increased crime and danger to the public.

While liberal mainstream news organizations intentionally avoid reporting on the dramatic surge in black on white violent crime and black mob violence out of fear of being labeled racist or not being invited to the next correspondents dinner, AlertsUSA has no such concerns. We will call out the threats in the greatest level of detail possible in order to help subscribers most effectively manage their risk.

To this end, AlertsUSA warns readers that if you have not done so already, now is the time to take advantage of your Second Amendment rights and arm yourself. These problems are not going away anytime soon and 2015 is shaping up to be a dangerous year on many fronts. You need the practiced ability to defend yourself and family.

AlertsUSA continue to closely monitor trends in this area and will immediately notify service subscribers of changes in the overall threat environment, as events warrant.

AlertsUSA.com

 

OTHER ALERTS ISSUED THIS WEEK BUT
NOT DETAILED IN THIS NEWSLETTER ISSUE

12/29 – Law enf being warned of new issue of al Qaeda mag which details bomb making, breaching airport security & targeting of passenger aircraft. More info in email.

12/27 – AirAsia flight QZ8501 from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore missing with 162 on board. Airbus A320. Search efforts underway. Monitoring…
* Know Instantly If Ebola is Detected in Your
Child’s School District.
* Get Away Early, Give Your Family Extra Safety.
* In Wide Use By Gov, 1st Responders, Travelers.
* 24/7/365 Monitoring. No Hype. Just the Bad Stuff
* Issued Hours and Days before the MSM.
* On your Cell Phone, Tablet or Email.
* We Give The Clear Truth, Unlike the MSM.
* Over a Decade in Operation!
We are NOT part of the government.
In fact, they are our customers!

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via: threatjournal

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January 3rd, 2015
post by policysup | | 0

DYI MREs – Bug Out Bag Meals

Guest post by Bam Bam


I got a food saver yesterday and I have wasted no time putting it to use. The first project was to seal up 25 lbs. of NY Strip that I bought on sale.

The second project, the subject of this article, was to put together some shelf stable meals for our BOBs. The requirements were that the meals had to be nutritiously balanced and significantly cheaper than MREs. And I wanted the foods to be as close to our ordinary diet as possible so we don’t suffer digestive shock.

I got the inexpensive part down—the meals averaged out to about $3.33 per meal (for one person) with the dinners being slightly more expensive than breakfasts or lunches. The nutritious part still needs work. The inexpensive part was achieved largely by shopping at the dollar store and buying things from Publix BOGO.

For example, I purchased Monet crackers at the dollar store for less than half the price of our grocery store—same brand, same size, half price. To improve upon the nutritious part I plan on replacing the processed food with food from my garden that I dehydrate myself. This is going to be my next big step in meal planning—to take the meals in a jar idea to an all-new level.

(It is absolutely true that there is a learning curve to prepping. You start out by buying stuff that you will need. Then you refine your inventory and get into long-term food storage items. Then you actually learn to make/grow the stuff yourself and how to process it for long-term storage.)

I came up with some ideas that are worth sharing. The best breakfast idea I came up with is to put our regular cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats) into a food saver bag, and add dehydrated banana chips (another dollar store find) and two tablespoons of powdered milk. We can just add water to the bag, stir and eat right from the bag. (What I really want to do is learn to make my own granola from Mormon oatmeal, and then make my own trail mix and food saver that.)


Breakfast

The other important breakfast idea was to include Emergen-C Super Orange electrolyte replacement packets. You pour the packets into a cup of water and drink. I live in Florida and it is very easy to get dehydrated and loose electrolytes. I have also included salt and sugar packets in each meal. (This combo is known as “poor man’s Gatoraid.)

Lunch was more of a challenge. I opted to go with foil packs of premade tuna or chicken salad. (I got these on sale at Publix.) Then I placed individual servings of crackers in food saver bags and sealed them up. (Note: If you have a Food Saver you don’t have to buy the expensive pilot crackers for Emergency Essentials—you can buy cheap dollar store crackers and seal them up—no oxygen, no going stale.) The other lunch option was Top Ramen and canned chicken. I would like to get some freeze-dried veggies to add to the mix. (My dehydrator will be going full speed this year.)

For dinners I planned either Bear Creek chili with crackers or Korr Sides. The Korr sides are somewhat nutritious (they at least have green specks that resemble broccoli) but they take 15 minutes to cook. I am thinking that I can improve upon the Korr Sides by dehydrating my own veggies and adding minute rice and a bouillon cube. I have planned on supplementing the Korr Sides with canned chicken.

In the future, I would like to dehydrate my own chicken. I think this would give me more versatility. I have 80 lbs. of Zaycon Food boneless, skinless chicken breast (antibiotic free and hormone free) on the way (for $1.79 lb. – Whoot! Whoot!). I want to try my hand at cooking and dehydrating my own chicken.


Lunch

Each meal is individually vacuum sealed so as to save space. Each meal contains eating utensils, extra napkins, salt and pepper, a drink mix packet and an individually wrapped wet wipe. I have added to the calorie count of meals by adding granola bars, power bars and Cliff bars. The lunches and dinners also have desserts: cookies, candy, chocolate bars, and brownies. I have not included gum in any of the meal bags, as we have gum packed in our BOBs already.

In terms of calories, I have tried to make each meal at least 800 calories. If we do have to bug out (hopefully in the vehicles so we don’t have to carry all this food on our backs), we will likely be under considerable stress. Having plenty of food is a good idea. It is very likely that we will encounter good Christian folk who need help; so having a little extra will be a good thing.

These meals will be supplemented with boxes of water and we have Berkey Sport water filters. If we are traveling by vehicle, we will have cases of water.

A central problem with this meal plan is cooking planning or rather fuel planning. (If we can remain at home, our preferred option, cooking will not be an issue as we have a gas stove and a propane camping stove with extra propane tanks (and the converter necessary to run a camping stove from a large tank of propane). And we have a forest behind our house for long term cooking needs.) If we bug out, cooking will be an issue. I can warm water for the coffee, oatmeal and grits using a candle and a camp cup. I have some fire bricks for cooking that are supposed to last half an hour. But I have not tested these yet. Another possibility is the cat food container stove fueled by alcohol. If we are forced to bug out, I need to come up with a better way to cook the Korr Sides.

Do you all have any recommendations?

Below are the meal bags I have put together: breakfast, lunch and dinner for three days for the two of us. Since diversity is essential, I would love to hear your ideas. What food items do you have in your BOB? How do you plan to cook these items?

Since getting my hands on a food saver, I have come to an appreciation of a whole new level of prepping. Before I got the food saver, our BOBs contained mostly snack foods—peanuts, jerky, granola bars, etc. But I would not want to be around myself if I hadn’t eaten a meal in three days. I don’t think my family would want to be around me either. So my new focus will be on improving the nutrition of our BOB meals. It would be nice to reduce some of the weight as well. I would estimate that our meal bag weighs 25 lbs. I have some 5-gallon buckets that I am going to clean out. I will put our BOB meals in easy-to-carry buckets.

The next step in meal planning will be to pack meals for our dog and our four cats. I think we are going to need a separate BOB for our pets. That is on the “To Do List” for next week. Check list: canned cat food, dry cat food, dog food, dog cookies, and catnip to keep my cats totally stoned out of their minds. LOL

What do you think?

Breakfast

Day 1

  • Oatmeal (3 packets)
  • Granola Bar
  • Yogurt Bar
  • Coffee (Folgers Singles)
  • Sugar packets
  • Electrolyte replacement drink packet (Emergen-C)

Hard candy

Day 2

  • Grits (3 packets)
  • Granola Bar
  • Yogurt Bar
  • Coffee
  • Sugar packets
  • Electrolyte replacement drink packet
  • Hard candy

Day 3

  • Cereal (with banana chips and milk powder)
  • Granola Bar
  • Yogurt Bar
  • Coffee
  • Sugar packets
  • Electrolyte replacement drink packet
  • Hard candy

Lunch

Day 1

  • Tuna salad foil pack
  • Crackers
  • Chicken Noodle Soup (packet)
  • Power bar
  • Raspberry tea packet
  • Hard candy
  • Fun sized chocolate bars

Day 2

  • Chicken salad foil pack
  • Crackers
  • Chicken noodle soup (packet)
  • Power bar
  • Raspberry tea packet
  • Hard candy
  • Fun sized chocolate bars

Day 3

  • Tuna salad foil pack
  • Crackers
  • Top Ramen
  • Lemon aid packet
  • Freeze dried pineapple
  • Power bar
  • Hard candy
  • Fun sized chocolate bars

Dinner

Day 1

  • Korr Sides: Rice and Broccoli
  • Canned chicken
  • Crackers
  • Raspberry tea
  • Fun sized chocolate bars
  • Cookies

Day 2

  • Bear Creek Chili
  • Crackers
  • Beef jerky
  • Raspberry tea packet
  • Fun sized chocolate bars
  • Cookies

Day 3

  • Korr Sides: Noodles and Broccoli
  • Canned chicken
  • Crackers
  • Raspberry tea packet
  • Fun sized chocolate bars
  • Brownies

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

Via :  thesurvivalistblog

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