Monthly Archives: January 2013

January 11th, 2013
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Wheat Will Be More Expensive This Year

The US department of Agriculture has declared much of southern and central USA a natural disaster area due to continuing drought.

According to Money News:

Crop condition ratings for winter wheat were the worst on record in early December, the most recent figures available. Some experts said up to a quarter of the crop will be abandoned because of poor development. Winter wheat, the dominant U.S. wheat variety, is planted in the fall, goes dormant during the winter and is harvested the following spring.

Corn and soybeans are hurting too; according to Bloomberg Business Week:

The drought that ravaged U.S. corn and soybean crops and spurred record prices may persist, threatening a recovery in production this year that’s needed to bolster global inventories, according to forecasters. “Unless there’s a sudden change to very wet conditions, it sure looks like drought is going to be a feature going into the planting season, spring at least,” Bryce Anderson, an agricultural meteorologist.

Tipster and TreeHugger Emeritus John Laumer makes a prediction:

Wheat based food will become very much more expensive in 2013. US Exports to other nations will fall as production shrinks and Mississippi barge shipping comes to halt, from low water. Similarities may exist for corn. Many implications for diet, budgeting, gardening, beer prices, poverty levels, balance of trade, and the politics of climate.

via: treehugger

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January 10th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Choosing An Evacuation Vehicle

   If the U.S. were to suffer a catastrophic event you will want to evacuate as soon as possible. Unless we suffer an event that destroys your local highways you should be able to travel on these roads. This means one of your most valuable assets will be a reliable means of transportation. For most of us this will be the family vehicle. Although the vehicle that you drive may not be the perfect vehicle for evacuation it may very well be the only vehicle for many of us. If this happens to be the case then you have to use what you have. Many of us cannot afford to go out and purchase another vehicle primarily for the purpose of evacuation. The type vehicles your Group have will play a part in determining the location of your evacuation point. You do not want to choose a location that will be difficult or impossible to get to with the vehicles you have. This means taking a number of factors into consideration:

• Weather conditions: You could very well be required to evacuate in the middle of winter when travel will be difficult due to snow and ice conditions. You could also be required to evacuate during a period of heavy rain where travel to your evacuation point may be difficult due to mud or high water.

• Terrain: As with the weather the type of terrain you have to cross should be determined by the type vehicles the Group will be traveling in. Rough un-improved roads will, in most cases, require four wheel drive with high ground clearance.

• Distance: Gas may be hard to come by; it would be wise to have an evacuation point that can be reached on one tank of gas. Otherwise you will have to have a cache of gas in route or extra gas stored at your house. If you will be caching gasoline then make sure it is in the proper container. It would be very dangerous for you as well as others to bury a can of gasoline or diesel.

• Route: It would be unwise to have an evacuation point requiring you to travel through a large populated area or over bridges.

   These things must be considered when choosing an evacuation point; after all, it will do little good to a have a stocked evacuation point and be unable to get there.

   Other than choosing an evacuation point that is obtainable in your vehicle, the next important point is to maintain your vehicle. Again, it will do little good to have an evacuation vehicle that won’t crank when you need it or if it breaks down in route. This not only means you will have to keep the vehicle in good mechanical condition but also having fuel. This means keeping at least a half tank of fuel at all times. This should also include keeping at least ten gallons and maybe more fuel in fuel cans that you can quickly get to.

   Let’s look at another scenario. Let’s assume you can afford to purchase another vehicle. This can be a secondary vehicle or your primary vehicle.

   If this is to be your family’s primary vehicle then a four wheel drive pick-up truck or SUV would be the ideal vehicle. A vehicle such as this is an ideal family vehicle, then add an aggressive set of tires and you have a vehicle that should be able to reach most evacuation points.

   I emphasize a four wheel drive, because again you should plan for the worst case scenario. When you have to evacuate you want to be able to go regardless of road conditions. Some roads may be damaged, some may be closed. If necessary you want to be able to travel cross country.

   Now let’s look at the best case scenario; let’s assume you can afford to purchase a secondary vehicle. You will use this vehicle as a second vehicle but equip it to be used for evacuation purposes. The most versatile vehicle would, again, be a four wheel drive truck or jeep.

   Let’s look at a couple of important points. First, assuming you are going to purchase a vehicle primarily for evacuation purposes you should, again choose a vehicle with the worst case scenario in mind. Meaning you would have to consider the possibility of an “EMP” attack. As you know in the event of an “EMP” attack all electronics will be destroyed. This of course will include all motor vehicles produced before about 1970. After this computers became more and more common, until todays vehicles are loaded with computers.

   My reasons for choosing a pre-1970 vehicle are not only because of the possibility of an “EMP” but also because of maintenance and repair. Beginning about 1970 it has become more and more difficult for an individual to maintain and repair their vehicles. Everything on the vehicle is computer operated. You need expensive diagnostic equipment in order to tune the engine. Most if not all axillary equipment as well as most accessories are not repairable. Items such as seats, windows even mirrors are electric powered. The same is true for starters, alternators, fuel injectors, ignition parts and etc. These parts must be replaced rather than repaired. With most pre-1970 vehicles you could perform most repairs with every day hand tools. An old saying was that with a pair of pliers and a piece of bailing wire a good mechanic could make any car run. Although a little exaggerated this was not far from the truth. If you had a set of spark plugs, points, and condenser you could make most vehicles run.

   Since there were no SUV’s before 1970 I would choose either a jeep or a truck. There were panel trucks and vans, which would work depending on personal preference and need. In either case, your vehicle of choice should be four wheel drive. The jeep is a relatively small vehicle, although there was a jeep truck. These vehicles will give you the added advantage of extra cargo space plus, in most case more ground clearance. Ground clearance plus four wheel drive with an aggressive set of tires will allow you to travel over rough terrain. This will also allow you to travel through mud and snow. Although not necessary, you add a winch to one of these vehicles and they become almost unstoppable.

   Although you may want to modify the running gear to some extent, other than that I would modify little else. You would not want to upgrade the electrical system in that this would defeat the purpose you have the vehicle in the first place.

   There are a few things to consider and remember when rigging out a truck to be used as an evacuation vehicle. Of course the truck will  perform perfectly well if it is brought back to original condition, with original equipment. There are however modifications that will increase its capabilities such as a winch, spotlights, C.B. radio and etc. This will mostly depend on personal preference. I mean if you have the money and desire this would be really good excuse to build a really nice truck.

Regardless of how much you may modify the vehicle; I would recommend a few basic requirements for the vehicle:

• If a truck choose ½ ton, long wheel base, this will give you much more cargo space.

• Six cylinder, or small V-8 engine. This will give you much better gas mileage, as well as easier maintenance and repair.

• Manual transmission, this way the truck can be pushed to start in the event the starter fails or the battery is dead.

• One or two barrel carburetor, much easier to adjust and in most cases better gas mileage.

• If you choose a truck install a camper shell, this will enable you to carry more passengers and/or cargo if necessary.

• Aggressive mud and/or snow tires depending on location.

• Trailer hitch.

There are items that should be stored in a tool box kept on the truck:

• Hand Tools

• High lift jack

• Tow Strap

• Spare Fan Belt

• Spare generator belt

• Set of spark plugs

• Spare fuel pump

• Set of tire chains

• Spare generator

• Spare carburetor kit

• Spare radiator hoses

• Spare spark plug wires and ends

• Assortment of wire terminals

• Assortment of hose clamps

• Spare thermostat

• At least 4 quarts of oil

• Starter fluid

• Good set of jumper cables

• Tire chains

• Spare fuses

• Shovel

   If you or a member of a Group one of the rules should be that everyone should have a vehicle in good repair and capable of reaching your evacuation point. Now having said that here are exceptions to all rules. There will be situations where it may be necessary or even advantageous, for whatever reason, to share ride. In this case it well be very important to have a plan. Everyone should be well aware of who is going with whom. You surely don’t wait until you are evacuating to figure who is riding with whom.

   Now, once you have reached your evacuation point you need to know what you are going to do with the Group’s vehicles. For the most part this will depend on whether you drive directly to the evacuation point or if you are drive as close as possible and then hike in.

   First of all as stated in “Out Of Harm’s Way” I would, if possible have chosen an evacuation point you have to hike into. The reason for this is because if you can drive to the evacuation point other folks can also. This is a source of trouble. If people find a Group of folks that are doing well they will either want to join or, even worse, take over the camp. Most of the people that will do this lack the ambition to hike very far. The further you are off the beaten trail the better.

If you leave the vehicles behind I would suggest the following procedure:

• Drive as close to the evacuation point and unload the vehicles. Then drive the vehicles at least five miles back down the road and leave them. Scatter them out and hide them as best as possible,

• Before leaving them make sure you remove any thing that may identify you.

• Remove all the gasoline.

• Remove the rotary cap.

• Remove the battery and take to the camp for emergency radio power at camp. (The battery can be removed when you unload for camp, just keep the vehicle running.)

   These precautions are to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to find. This will also make it impossible for anyone to start the vehicle and drive away. Chances are if anyone happens to find these vehicles, they will in all likelihood, destroy it or at least damage them. In either case, the vehicle will have served its purpose by getting you to your evacuation point.

Let’s look at the advantages in buying a pre-1970 truck:

   First, since the truck will be at least forty years old it should be relatively cheap, of course this will depend on the condition of the truck. If the truck is to be bought primarily for an evacuation vehicle it does not need to be cosmetically perfect. However, if you should happen to need a dependable truck you can of course buy a pre-1970 truck completely reconditioned in like new condition. It simply depends on your needs, your wants and your pocket book. You can spend as much or as little as you wish.

   The second and third reasons are due to the same thing and that is, a truck per-1970 will be computer free. It will have a distributor, breaker point ignition system, carburetor and manual fuel pump, and windows will be manually operated. This will mean you will have a vehicle that needs no special equipment or computers in order to tune it up or diagnose an engine problem. This in turn means you will be capable of maintaining and repairing the vehicle yourself. To tune this engine all you need, other than common hand tools is a set of feeler gauges, a timing light and the specs. Another important point is that the auxiliary equipment found on a pre-1970 vehicle is repairable. Items such as a starter, generator, and carburetor, can be repaired where on newer vehicles this auxiliary equipment is sealed and non-repairable.

   With all the newer model vehicles you can perform no maintenance on any part of the vehicle without special equipment.

   A pre-1970 vehicle is immune to EMP or electromagnetic pulse damage. This is due to the fact that there are no computers in these vehicles. In the event the U.S. suffers a successful “EMP” attack all of the newer vehicles will be rendered useless by the bomb.

Via: preparingtosurvive

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January 9th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Simple Flour Based Recipes For Your Survival Kit

Good, practical recipes can help you make the most efficient use of basic food staples in a survival situation!

Here is some great info from: Leon Pantenburg

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One my best learning experiences was serving a year in Volunteers In Service To America on the Omaha Indian Reservation in Macy, Nebraska.

My Omaha friends and I delighted in our cultural differences, but when it came to food, we all loved the traditional Omaha dishes of corn soup, beans and fry bread.

Here’s the story I was told about the food: As the Omahas were forced onto reservations in the late 1870s, they were also forced into survival mode.  The people would be issued monthly rations of flour, beans, parched corn or cornmeal and, if they were lucky, a few cattle.  That would be it until the next distribution.

So the Omahas and other tribes created recipes to use the government-issued food.  Beans were simmered with salt pork.  Parched corn became the basis of corn soup, along with some sort of meat.  Fry bread only had three ingredients.

My friend, Norma Leigh Dixon, made the best fry bread. She laughed when I asked for the recipe.

“What recipe?” she said. “You just mix flour, baking powder and water and fry it. That’s why it’s called fry bread!

Some useful recipes should be included in any prepper/survival/Bug Out backpack. It’s one thing to have staples, such as flour, but another to be able to consume them.  What happens during a survival situation, when you end up with a bag of flour, some baking powder, a campfire and hungry children?

One way to make the best use of basic food staples is to have good recipes!  Here are a couple of suggestions to make flour and water into a more tasty survival ration.

Bannock is the traditional bread of Canada and the Northwest. Native people had no access to flour prior to the arrival of European traders, although some flour substitutes existed, like wild turnips or corn, dried and ground to a powder.

Bannock actually originated in Scotland. Because bannock could be quickly prepared from readily available ingredients, and because these ingredients lasted a long time without spoiling, bannock became a staple of European fur traders and subsequently, the native people also.

Bannock recipe

1 c flour

4 tsp double-acting baking powder

2 Tbs powdered skim milk

Stir ingredients together; stir in water to make dough moist. Knead dough until smooth.  Place in greased cast iron skillet or Dutch oven and bake it about five to ten minutes over the campfire or on coals until it is brown on the bottom, then flip it, and brown the other side.

A handy way to prepare for a backpacking or hiking trip is to mix all the dry ingredients in a Ziplock bag.   Just add 1/2 cup water and knead in the bag. Then take out the dough, finish kneading and spread it in the pan.

(Practice baking the bannock by the campfire.  Put the dough in a greased skillet, and place it near the campfire, propped at about a 60-degree angle with a stick. When the side nearest the fire browns, flip the bread and brown the other side. In a pinch you could bake it on a plank!)

Fry Bread

To quote my friend Norma Leigh: “What recipe?” Use essentially the same combination of ingredients as for bannock, and fry in hot oil in a Dutch oven or skillet.  Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Hardtack

Hardtack is one of the original trail and emergency foods. Hardtack is simple to make, transports easily and will last a reasonably long time if stored in plastic bags or containers. The disadvantage is the bland taste, and traditional toughness.

(It only takes a few additional ingredients to turbocharge the nutritional value of hardtack. To each cup of flour in the recipe, add one tablespoon of soy flour, one teaspoon of wheat germ and one teaspoon of powdered milk. There is no difference in the taste, and these ingredients combine to make the bread a complete protein.)

Hardtack Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups flour (preferably whole wheat)
4 teaspoons salt
Water (about 2 cups)

Pre-heat oven to 375° F
Makes about 10 pieces

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Add just enough water (less than two cups) so that the mixture will stick together, producing a dough that won’t stick to hands, rolling pin or pan. Mix the dough by hand. Roll the dough out, shaping it roughly into a rectangle. Cut into the dough into squares about 3 x 3 inches and ½ inch thick.

After cutting the squares, press a pattern of four rows of four holes into each square, using a nail or other such object. Do not punch through the dough. The appearance you want is similar to that of a modern saltine cracker. Turn each square over and do the same thing to the other side.

Place the squares on an ungreased cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn each piece over and bake for another 30 minutes. The crackers should be slightly brown on both sides.

The fresh crackers are easily broken, but as they dry, they harden

Via: americanpreppersnetwork

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January 8th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Get Rid of Headaches 100% Naturally

I found this great article from Essential Survival :

You’re Prescription for Natural Headache Relief


I have seen a lot of people over the years with headaches.   Since I family who struggled with chronic migraines, I have a personal vendetta against headaches of all types.

While mainstream medicine’s remedies can help kill the pain of some headaches for some people, they rarely get to the root of the problem.  Not only that, they are less than ideal for regular use due to their toxic effects on the liver and kidneys.  And of course, the more you are able to take care of your medical issues yourself, the better prepared you will be for any potential disaster.

If you are sick and tired of headaches, I challenge you to try the solutions I outline below.

Get Rid of Headache in 4 Simple Steps –

Whatever type of headache you suffer from, you can find relief that I’ve found almost always works immediately or within minutes!

<iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ei2tYPoOXL4″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

To Sum it Up:

1) Essential Oils –

Sinus headaches — Peppermint or Purification

Apply 1-2 topically over sinuses.

Tension or Migraine headaches — **Peppermint**, Lavender, or  PanAway .

Apply 1-2 drops topically on area of pain.  PanAway can also be put into homemade gelatin capsules, diluted with a carrier oil, and used internally for severe pain.

Hormonal Headaches — use Progessence Plus

2) Reflexology

Reflexology is the principle that there are areas in the hands and the feet that correspond with all the organs, systems, and parts of the body, and that working these areas on the feet and hands can contribute to increased blood and nerve supply in the body.

Sinus headaches — Firmly massage the fingers, toes, and balls of feet paying particular attention to any sore areas.

Tension headaches — Firmly massage the fingers, toes, and reflexes for the spine and neck (up the arches of both feet from the heels to the tops of the big toes), and reflexes for the  solar plexus and pituitary (see chart below).

Migraine headaches — Massage the areas indicated above for tension headaches, adding the kidney reflexes to the protocol.

3) Acupressure

Acupressure is the art of pressing so-called acu-points along energy meridians in the body, and is part of the Chinese system of medicine.  When these areas are stimulated, it can release blocked energy and can help alleviate unpleasant symptoms including headaches.

Sinus headaches — Using firm pressure applied with the thumb or index finger, hold each of these points for several seconds one-by-one making sure to get both sides of the body.

LI4


St3, LI20, B2


General for all types of headaches –

LI4 (see picture above)

Liv2, Liv3, GB41


4) Take a breather — get some fresh air, pure water, take a break from the stress

Effective, natural headache relief comes through a combination of common-sense habits and knowing and implementing a few powerful secrets.

Now that you know what those secrets are, you will be empowered to get rid of most any headache.  =)

Please comment and let me know how it works for you!

_______________________________________________________

*If you are suffering from a headache of unusual severity or any other worrisome symptoms, please contact your health care provider.  In rare cases, headache may be a sign of a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.

Via: essentialsurvival

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January 7th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

Top 8 Reasons Why You Need to Be as Independent From the Health Care System as Possible

 I have seen people spend years of there life partially-disabled with illness.  It was during that time that I gained a greater appreciation for health.  It was during that time that my entire understanding of health and health care was turned on its head.  And it was at that time that I realized just how vulnerable we would be if there were to be a natural disaster or an economic collapse and if we couldn’t get daily access to the drugs needed just to have a hope of functioning.

In the “prepper” realm, we have long heard about the importance of getting a first aid kit together.  It could save lives, we have been told.  We have been told right.  But what so many neglect to discuss is the importance of getting healthy now and freeing ourselves from dependence on the Western medical system if we hope to survival any long-term disaster or collapse we could face.

After people spending years of emptying their pockets (and sometimes there parents’) going to doctors, getting every blood test under the sun in hopes of finding a “diagnosis” and a magic pharmaceutical “cure”, and also trying numerous natural solutions (some of which ended up working ) and drastically changing  lifestyle, I feel I have something to say about health and true healing.  And while I believe integrative medicine is the ideal, where holistic and lifestyle components of health and the technological advances of Western medicine come together, there may come a day where we may not have that option.   To be truly prepared, I believe we must act now to become as free from the mainstream health care system as possible.

Here are the top 8 reasons why –

1.  Western medicine’s emphasis is on high-cost, high-intervention, and high-risk treatments (drugs and surgery). 

We spend more on health care in our nation than any other and yet have a worse outcome than most other industrialized nations.  Our emphasis on drugs and surgery is to blame.  It is estimated that Western medicine kills 783,936 people in the U.S. each year.  Most of these deaths are due to taking prescription drugs as directed and botched surgeries.

2.  Teaching people how to live a healthy lifestyle — the FOUNDATION for health — is mostly an afterthought in Western medicine.  Not only that, the information given on a “healthy” lifestyle is incomplete at best, incorrect at worst.

While doctors certainly know more than I do about surgery, drugs, diagnostics, and a number of other things, I have been flabbergasted time after time at how little they know about true principles of health and wellness!  The low-fat diet doctors have promoted as a side-note to their prescriptions for heart and diabetes drugs have not only not halted the progression of heart disease and diabetes but in many cases have done the opposite!  And have you ever heard of an oncologist who advises his patients to try anything other than chemo, radiation, or surgery except when he believes these options are clearly untenable?

3.  The dysfunctional system supports Big Pharma, Big Agri-Business, GMO’s from Monsanto — all things that are significant contributors to poor health.  The FDA Watchdogs are in bed with the very people they are supposed to watch.  Medical schools have become little more than indoctrination centers funded by Big Pharma. 

When was the last time your doctor warned you about genetically-modified foods, vaccines, pesticides in our food supply, artificial sweeteners, microwave ovens, or fluoride in the water?  That’s what I thought.  There aren’t even that many who will tell you to avoid McDonald’s and processed foods!

4.  One dirty little secret you will probably not hear about from your doctor (but which, shockingly enough, the head of the World Health Organization herself has admitted) is that right now we are facing the end of modern medicine as we know it.  

It’s true.  Because of antibiotic overuse and increasingly rampant antibiotic-resistant Superbugs, we are facing a time in the not-so-distant future where people could die from a scratched knee or strep throat.

5.  Many of us are able to see through the economic propaganda telling us that America’s economy is doing just fine and can see the writing on the wall that someday we will pay for our lack of economic discipline.  We know we could be facing an economic collapse and meltdown of magnificent proportions.  If such a collapse were to take place (ie when it takes place), medicines and healthcare will be scarce to all except to the elite.

The #1 cause of death in an economic collapse is projected to be lack of access to prescription drugs.

Add ObamaCare into the mix, and things suddenly gets much worse –

6.  Once ObamaCare is fully implemented in 2014, a small “Super-Committee” of 20-30 individuals led by the “Health Choices Commissioner” will be the ones to make all the calls on what treatments are covered by the forced health insurance system for any given condition for every person in America!!!  Your doctor will be forced to follow their recommendations, even against his/her better judgment.

The drugs and surgeries recommended by the “Health Choices Commissioner” will do little to get the real causes of disease, but enslave everyone who participates in the system to a life of dependence on drugs and the only ones who can administer those drugs — themselves!

Gone will be the days of massage and alternative care covered by health insurance.  Health Savings Accounts are already allowing less and less for these things even now!  Poor foods (with GMO’s, artificial sweeteners, processed foods, nutritionally-depleted foods, and factory-farmed animals), a stressful lifestyle, contaminated water (ie flouride), contaminated air (ie chemtrails and more), lack of adequate exercise or rest, dysfunctional thought patterns (encouraged by our media), lack of close ties, and other root causes of disease will continue to go ignored as they mostly are in our current system today.

7.  Healthcare rationing will be another result of ObamaCare.  Babies, children, and people “over the hill” will be at the greatest risk of experiencing long waits to get a gallbladder removed or a hip replaced.   Chances are the disabled will be hung out to dry in the name of efficiency.

No matter how many times officials try to “debunk” this one, common sense says that if you increase demand but not supply of any given product or service, it will become more scarce.  The trend of leaving disabled or sickly babies to die that has taken place in the UK could spread here.

8.  And last but not least, the possibility of overarching control with ObamaCare is another major reason to get as free of the system as you can. 

You better believe they will force you to comply with the actions they deem appropriate — from getting vaccines to who-knows-what — in order for you to quality for health care.  If you want to be free from that control, you will have to be free from the system — plain and simple!

_________________________________________________________

There is much cause for hope — the vast majority of us will never face an illness or condition that makes us truly dependent on Western medicine if we arm ourselves with knowledge, are willing to undergo significant lifestyle changes, take precautions now to be our own doctors as much as we can, and band with like-minded individuals with specialized knowledge whom we can draw upon if need be.

Via: essentialsurvival

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January 6th, 2013
post by policysup | | 0

What is a Prepper?

What is a Prepper?

A Prepper is a person who takes Personal Responsibility and Self Reliance seriously.  Preparedness is an important part of life for a serious Prepper.  They follow the Five Principles of Preparedness while they Walk the Path of the Prepper.

A Prepper is a person who earnestly believes that no challenge is insurmountable with the proper dedication, determination and focus.  A Prepper looks at things that most people would think impossible to survive and says “All you really need is X, Y and some Z!  Preppers are very family oriented people who believe that it is more important to sacrifice leisure and entertainment today so that in a future potential calamity, they will be able to sustain a certain standard of living.

While an inordinate amount of commentary and focus is put on so-called “Doomsday” or Apocalyptic preparedness, in reality this is, or should be, a very minor to non-existent concern for Preppers.  Truly, Preppers focus much more on being prepared for things that will more likely be an issue – such as the family bread-winner losing their job, passing away or being incapacitated.  Other primary concerns for Preppers are: death or serious illness/injury to a family member, all-consuming house fire, flooding or other natural and man-made disasters.  Our current economic environment makes the potential impact of some of these things even more likely.  Indeed, the economic stability of their country is of a huge concern to Preppers because of what it would mean for, not just themselves, but the rest of the country if a severe economic crisis were to occur.

The End Of The World As We Know It or TEOTWAWKI is a common acronym for Preppers to use.  It is perceived from a personal level and indicates the end of a the way we know the world from our own viewpoint.  This can include our viewpoint of the world from a personal, family, neighborhood, town, state, regional, national or world level.  Many people suffer a catastrophic TEOTWAWKI on a family level that their friends and extended family may never be aware of.

A Prepper takes steps to mitigate the long lasting effect of a severe impact on their world.  They do this through stocking items that are critical for their continued well-being – called Standard of Living Insurance.  The most notable and important of these items are Food, Water, and Shelter.  An established Prepper will have large amounts of food stored, will have water filters and access to water established and will have taken steps to create or maintain the livability of their shelter, or home.

Are Preppers and Survivalists the same thing?

A Prepper is not the same as a Survivalist.  A Survivalist typically focuses on learning primitive and other woodsmen skills and have very little focus on actually stocking up supplies and building an extensive repository of every needful thing.  Whereas Survivalists prepare and learn to live off the land, Preppers prepare to maintain their current lifestyle as much as possible.  While they are not synonymous, many Preppers are also Survivalists and are very adept at living off the land.  Likewise, many Survivalists are Preppers and store resources to be able to sustain their Standard of Living.

Preppers typically plan to “Shelter in Place” or “Bug-In” which indicates they expect to ride out any bad situation while living in their home.  Other Preppers find themselves in situations where they recognize that they may need to “Bug-Out” or leave their home for another location, commonly referred to as their “Bug Out Location” or BOL.  A BOL may be a mountain retreat, a home in the country or simply a good place in the woods where they feel they can be safe if things collapse or get really bad.

You don’t want to be at the Superdome!

During Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Government finally got organized enough to set up a refugee camp at the Superdome.  It quickly became a dangerous, even deadly, place to be and the government insisted – and in some cases forced – that you be there.  There are people who literally “escaped from the Superdome”.

When catastrophe strikes – you really do NOT want to end up in a FEMA refugee camp!  Preppers do what they do so they do not have to rely on the government or anyone else to take care of them – no matter what happens.

Myths about Preppers

“Preppers are crazy nut-jobs on the fringe of society”

This is something we hear a lot. It is something that the media frequently attempts to portray us as. Preppers are no more crazy than those wacky people who have home owners insurance. Seriously, why do people have home owners insurance? It’s so that if something catastrophic happens to your house you can get money to buy a new one – and not be homeless. Prepping is basically the same thing – we educate ourselves and purchase items that will be essential to continue our way of life in a catastrophic event, creating a Standard of Living Insurance for ourselves.  Preppers are those who agree with the Federal Government and subscribe to what FEMA has indicated that every citizen should be doing to be prepared.  For the media to call us “nutjobs” or “fringe”is for them to ignore the position of the Federal Government towards citizen responsibility.

There is nothing “crazy” or “mentally deficient” in conceding that bad things are likely to happen no matter what we do and that we should be ready to deal with them.  At the purest level, this is all Preppers are doing.

What really doesn’t make any sense to Preppers is people who refuse to do anything about their personal well-being and safety.  Preppers do not understand Fathers who are unwilling to take extra steps to make sure they are able to take care of their children when something bad happens.  In fact, we consider it down-right irresponsible to be completely unprepared to feed your children and provide them with water and shelter.

“Preppers are Conservative Christians who believe in the Constitution and in smaller government”

This is actually true of many Preppers but is also a generalization – there are liberals and atheists among us and they are welcome.  The Prepper mindset is focused on Self-Reliance and Personal Responsibility, which also happens to lead right into a strong belief in the Constitution and that we need less, not more, government.  Christianity also promotes Self-Reliance and Personal Responsibility.  So, while the a majority of Preppers may be Christian and strong proponents of Constitutional Government – it is certainly not exclusive to that belief set.

The Prepper Movement

Pre-Y2K

Prior to Y2K, Preppers were highly focused on Cold War concerns and how to survive a Nuclear War.  They used the term Survivalist to describe themselves.  Some of their thought leaders included Howard Ruff, Kurt Saxon, Mel Tappan, Jeff Cooper and Ragnar Benson.  There was a lot of discussion of underground bunkers, food storage and water purification.

Y2K Movement

In the late 1990′s there was a resurgence of interest in Preparedness stemming from fears that computer systems would fail and society would collapse due to the “Y2K Bug”.  The Y2K Bug concern revolved around the potential for computers to not be able to handle the year changing back to “00″ which had not previously happened in the lifetime of computers.  While it turned out the the Y2K bug was successfully neutralized, the world stood on edge at the turn of the century, concerned that society would collapse from a catastrophic computer failure.

Concerns during this time were primarily about food, power and fuel because computers controlled all the ordering, shipping and delivery of food and gas across the country as well as the power grid.  The time leading up to the turn of the century saw a huge amount of “mainstream” people rushing out to purchase a years supply of food, fuel and generators.

From a modern Preppers perspective, Y2K was a marketing gaffe which led to millions of people piquing an interest in Preparedness but then throwing everything out when nothing happened.  These people were concerned about a single event and not truly converted to a life of Self Reliance and Preparedness.  This same concern holds for 2012 scare marketing.

Modern Preppers

Terrorist attacks including the 911 plane attacks, bombings in London, Madrid, Bali and many other places, led to a strong online interest in discussing personal readiness and self reliance.  Fueled by United States disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Ike and international disasters including earthquakes and tsunamis in Indonesia, Chile, Japan and elsewhere, the Prepper Movement gained a lot of momentum without having a particular date in mind (unlike Y2K) which led to many people recognizing a need to change their lives to be more prepared and self reliant.

Spurred on later by fears of the 2012 Mayan prophesies of an apocalyptic nature, the Prepper movement is seeing a lot of growth in late 2011 and into 2012.  The advent of many television shows and movies that are collapse oriented has helped to nearly bring  preparedness to the forefront of societal consciousness.  While it is still considered “fringe” by many, the Federal Government is actively promoting preparedness through Ready.gov and many states are developing specific readiness programs.

Modern Preppers have strong concerns about natural and man-made disasters as well as a major concern about the economic stability of the United States.  Preppers also have a large concern about other countries attacking the United States through means such as an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) and Nuclear attacks in general are still a concern.

Via: American Preppers Network

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January 6th, 2013
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Path of the Prepper

The “Path of the Prepper” demonstrates that we become better through the mentorship of others and that in turn, we mentor those who are walking in our previous footsteps.


The 5 Phase Path of the Prepper (American Preppers Network)

Phase 1:

We recognize a new area that we have not previously explored and seek out those who are experienced in this area and are willing to share and Mentor.

Phase 2: 

We study, along with other learners, what the Mentor presents.  Then we practice these new skills along with others through online exchange via blogs, forums, podcasts and videos.

Phase 3:

We begin adapting our lives to accommodate our new found skill through acquiring new items, changing our surroundings or by stocking up.  We begin sharing this information with others who are on this journey with us.

Phase 4:

Through this process we are able to master an area and begin to consider ourselves an expert in this area.

Phase 5: 

We become mentors to others who are now learning this skill, while deferring to our Mentors and continuing to learn.  We continue to repeat the cycle by continuing to learn new skills.


The Path of the Prepper defines our steps while the Five Principles of Preparedness defines our goals.

We all walk the Path of the Prepper and in doing so are able to increase our own knowledge and expertise while sharing our expertise with others.

Via: American Preppers Network

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January 6th, 2013
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The Five Principles of Preparedness


The Five Principles of Preparedness (American Preppers Network)

There are basic principles that keep us and our families grounded that are key to our happiness as a family unit while we Walk the Path of the Prepper.  There is safety and peace that comes from having car insurance, home insurance, medical insurance,etc.  What many families frequently ignore is “Standard of Living Insurance”.  At its heart, this is what Preparedness, Self Reliance, Prepping – however you want to call it – is.  By Getting Started in Prepping, or continuing in Prepping as the case may be, and following these five Principles of Preparedness we can provide our families with the assurance that we will be able to maintain a certain standard of living.  This standard of living is dictated by the level of preparedness we are able to achieve and maintain.

For example, if a family falls into crisis and they have no preparations then once the average two weeks of supplies they have on hand has been used up, they will drop to a poverty standard of living.  If that same family had a month’s worth of supplies stored up, they would have a buffer of a little more than a month before they suffered consequences of their situation.  Likewise, if they had a year’s supply of essentials stored, they would effectively be giving themselves a year to be able to recover and plan in the event of a paradigm changing event.

Standard of Living Insurance, or Prepping, provides us with a hedge against calamity.  There is much talk recently of “Doomsday” events – which are inappropriately and improperly titled.  After all, Doomsday literally means the last day before the end of the earth.  What point is there in preparing for that?  Massive, widespread crisis, such as; an EMP, Nuclear War, Coronal Mass Ejection, Economic Collapse, and so on is a frequent topic as well.  While these things are important to consider in preparing, it is a mistake to hyper-focus on them.  There are many other immediate, closer and more likely scenarios that make sense to focus on such as the loss or major injury of a breadwinner, loss of a primary job, extended sickness, accidents and other personal calamities.  These happen every single day and each of us likely know someone to whom this has happened.  These are the things that are most essential to develop a “Standard of Living Insurance” against.

The most common effect of living an abundant life, as many of us do, is complacency.  As we progress and develop disposable income the complacent tendency is to adjust our standard of living upwards by purchasing a bigger house, a new vehicle, a boat or other recreational toys instead of investing that money to insure the standard of living that we previously grew accustomed to.  It is most prudent to instead, in times of largess, not expand your standard of living right away but to choose to ensure that if the current boon withdraws the family is not affected by it.  Complacency however, leads us down the path of seeing increased income to the home as play, expendable, or rewarding money – all of which it can be with the proper perspective.  That perspective is to view this blessing as an opportunity to ‘play’ at increasing our stores as much as possible, to purchase as many ‘expendable’ goods as possible – that can go into storage, or to ‘reward’ ourselves by adding a more expensive item to our storage that will significantly increase the amount of coverage our Standard of Living Insurance provides us.  It also gives us the opportunity to scrutinize our funds and storage to determine if the family can splurge a little and enjoy some recreational time without it impacting the bottom line of our Standard of Living – but adamantly without changing our cost of living.

Following the Principles of Preparedness allows heads of households to reduce stress, find peace and be comfortable in an ever-changing and tumultuous world.

Practice thrift and frugality

Principle 1

The depression era saying of “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without” sums up the practice of Thrift.  Living thriftily is not a popular concept in our “Staying up with the Jones’s” mentality, but the folly of that mentality is that if one thing goes wrong and your family slips into crisis, you will have to learn all about “Staying above water”.  Living thriftily is a very simple, effective and immediate method to increase your spending power.  Imagine being, instead of a consumer; a creator, a repairer, or simply abstaining.  It is phenomenally financially wasteful to eat at restaurants on a regular basis, in addition to being typically un-healthy, it also takes away from time spent together as a family creating a personal dining experience at home, together.  Thrift is a practice of not wasting anything including time and money.

Frugality dictates that we live within our means and “Waste not, want not”.  It requires us to be prudent with how we spend our money and to cautiously and guardedly decide how to distribute it.  Why do Americans work themselves so hard and as soon as the paycheck comes in, they throw it to the wind as quickly as they can – leaving them with no reserves, no safety and no peace?  It is because we have come to accept abundance as our standard.  We foolishly assure ourselves that there will be a check next pay period – which there normally is, until there is not.  It is the high possibility that at some point something critical will happen in our lives that brings us to the conclusion that it is very likely that at some point, that check will not be there.

One massive waste that Americans have become very comfortable with is living on credit.  We have become extremely complacent with our finances in this regard.  Instead of doing without for a short time while we save, we finance everything and as a consequence, pay financing fees and interest that we somehow justify as necessary.  It is not necessary that we ever pay financing fees or interest for anything, even a house, if we are willing to be prudent.  Instant gratification is the bane of thrift and frugality.  We Americans have deceived ourselves into believing that we ‘deserve’ to live a better lifestyle than our parents (which took them a lifetime to achieve) – when in reality – we DESERVE to be secure and at peace in our lifestyle.  It is ironic that as a society, we will dicker over $3,000 on a new vehicle and then finance it for 5 years – wherein we condemn ourselves to paying several times that in financing fees and interest.

What good have we done ourselves by shaving $3,000 of off $30,000 when we just finance it?  If you’re willing to pay astronomical fees for the pleasure of immediate gratification, amortizing $3,000 does NOTHING to our monthly bill.  A frugal person would take 3 years and save monthly as much as they would have paid out on their car payment with a little bonus savings here and there over time.  In that short period of time they would accumulate enough cash that they could go into the car dealership and lay down a pile of $23,000 in cash and say they want to walk out with either their money or that $30,000 car.  They’re going to walk out with the car because the dealer wants the instant gratification of the cash versus selling an amortized note at a discount.

Living a thrifty and frugal lifestyle is truly simple.  Use it up.  Wear it out.  Make it Do.  Do Without.  Waste Not.  These things lead us to not being left wanting when a crisis strikes our family.  These two highly empowering tools not only give us the ability to build up our Standard of Living Insurance, they also bring an assured peace and allow us to live a truly abundant lifestyle where we are in control of our money instead being a slave to lenders.

A Prepper who successfully follows this principle for a few years will find themselves in a position where they are able to spend time not working without it affecting the family in an adverse manner.

Seek to be Independent

Principle Two

Debt can be crippling and crushing to a family, making them unable to move forward due to the demands of making payments on things they potentially don’t even own anymore.  Seek to become Independent from debt!  Learn to abhor the idea of being forced to labor and earn money that is not yours as a consequence of choosing to “live a little better” by going into debt.  Living independently means being free to choose what is pertinent for you and your family to do with your money.

As you avoid going into debt and gain greater control of your money, establish savings that will grow and serve you as you become the master of your money.  Learn to budget and responsibly manage your money as it is a very powerful tool to either enslave or empower you.  You can begin to build wealth while you’re getting out of debt by putting together a wise plan like the ones Dave Ramsey teaches in his Financial Peace University.

Independence doesn’t just mean money though.  Seek to be Independent of the influences of the world such as; caffeine, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, un-healthy yet addictive food, medications (where possible) and so on.  All of these things not only make you a personal slave to addictions, it also indentures your wallet to spending wasteful amounts of money to satiate your personal weaknesses.  Strive to become Independent of all these things and you will not only find a healthier you, you will also increase your income as you free a daily outgo to servicing your demons.

Live Independent of the entrapping influences of society as much as possible.  Free your mind of thinking you need a better looking car, a prettier house or better clothes.  Do what works for YOU, not what you think others will think highly of.  Live independent of the fear of judgement of others and become secure in your own person.  There seems to be a farcical belief in our society that we should appear as wealthy as possible.  The idiocy of this belief is that it fails to take into account just how damaging it is to our self-esteem, our lives and our livelihood.  Break free of these childish societal ‘norms’ and live a life independent of the influence of advertisers, marketers and peer pressure!

Prepper families who learn to live independently will find themselves prospering greatly – in ways that may not be apparent to the enslaved masses of society.

Become Industrious

Principle Three

Learn, Explore, Do.  Manage your circumstance to your advantage, be enterprising and fully explore opportunities that come your way.  Seek always to discover ways to create benefit to you and your family.  When opportunity presents itself, work hard at redefining and reshaping yourself, your position and your knowledge to be worthy of the success that opportunity can provide.  Be resourceful, always looking for a new way to create what you need in order to succeed.

Common ways to be industrious include furthering your education – your whole life – and constantly working to develop new skills.  By exploring opportunities, we are able to assess their potential, weigh risk and make a decision as to whether our conclusions merit committing to an opportunity or walking away from it.  By improving ourselves constantly, we open up even more opportunity that can potentially bring success.

Idly standing by and waiting for success to land in your lap is a poor strategy.  Being industrious means getting up and attempting something – even if it has the potential to fail.  The Farmer who fails to put in a crop because he doesn’t think there was enough snowfall during the winter loses out when spring rains finally bring plenty of water.  When you commit to something, work hard at it, throw in everything you’ve got.  Getting up and going is truly the only way to end up somewhere else.

Preppers who industriously seek out opportunity will soon find the one that will create a change in the direction their lives have been heading.

Strive Towards Self Reliance

Principle Four

The Principle of Self reliance is predicated by, and builds upon the first three principles.  They are unavoidably intertwined and interdependent.  Self Reliance is, in its simplest form, being able to create or provide all needed things  as the result of labor using a developed skill or talent and being able to provide resources as a result of a judicious practice of storing needful things.  Therefore, becoming Self Reliant is the actual process of developing skills and talents while putting away resources.

When combined with Thrift and Frugality, Self Reliance is providing needed things for yourself that you would otherwise have had to pay money for such as; growing a garden, sewing or repairing clothes, building furniture, building a home, fixing your vehicle and so on.  It is being willing to enjoy the fruits of your labor versus the blandness of buying something commercially produced.  It is accepting things for their functionality, not for the logo that was stamped on them in a plant somewhere.  It is being willing to use something that may be less than perfect in its manufacture but is pure in intent and purpose, knowing that the next one you create you will be able to work out flaws and produce something better.

Self Reliance, when combined with Independence, drives us to be truly reliant on ourselves in all areas.  It teaches us to discover a vocation where we are able to create an expandable income using our talents and labor instead of falling into a career where our income is constricted by salaries and our progress in hindered by being boxed into a job description.  A truly independent person creates income opportunities for themselves and others while staying free and clear of debt and interest.  A Self Reliant person builds their own storage and is not dependent on a grocery store to be stocked and operational for them to feed themselves and their family.

Your Industriousness should not be just financially motivated.  Self Reliance is the act of being free of needing others, including companies, the government, or your community to provide for or support you.  It is learning how to; make soap, grow your own food, provide your own energy, defend yourself, create the things you need and so on.  It requires research, learning, experimenting, failing, experimenting more and finally succeeding – in gaining a new skill, accomplishing something new or developing a new vocation.  An industrious and self-reliant person is truly a creator and experiences the joy of creation on a daily basis.

A Prepper who begins to become Self Reliant experiences a mental shift and begins to see things such as a grocery store as a warehouse that is utilized to stock up their own storage.


Aspire to have a year’s supply of every needful thing

Principle Five

The natural outgrowth of becoming truly Self Reliant is to feel compelled to store things up that are essential for our family’s ensured safety, comfort and existence.  Every needful thing teaches us to consider the possibility of storing up a supply of every item that we purchase which we truly need.  What is a need?  Simply put, it is something that it would be difficult or impacting to have to live without.  This includes; food, clothing, water, heat, power, home medical supplies, fire starters, light and so on.

It is obviously not prudent to just purchase a year’s supply of every needful thing.  Instead, it is a goal that is pursued relentlessly by the Self Reliant Person and is adjusted for each item of consideration.  For example, it is quite inexpensive and easy to acquire a years supply of ketchup – at most a family will probably use 2 bottles a month.  Therefore, purchasing 24 bottles would give you a years supply.  However, a year supply of something like water, which is consumed every day, requires a very different approach.  It is not feasible to store a year supply of water unless you have your own water tower.  There are other options available though which include such things as; drilling a well, installing a rain catchment system, being situated near a body of water.  Several of these options would require filtering the water that you acquire.  For the money spent on a filtering system, such as a Berkey filter, it becomes prudent to purchase filtering capability for the system that will last several years.  Each item is adjusted in quantity and time by its own consideration.

One year is not a magic number.  It is, however, a measure which provides us with a lengthy buffer to recover from whatever has happened.  It also allows us to be charitable towards others who have fallen on hard times without it creating a severe impact on us.  Imagine an unprepared neighbor or friend having their bread winner incapacitated for a period of time and not being able to provide for themselves.  You are not impacted by their crisis and because you have a year’s supply stored up, you have the opportunity to assist them by opening your storage to them and allowing them to take what they need without it causing you an economic impact and with very little added risk to yourself.

Begin by striving to build up a 3 month supply, then double it and double it again.  Once you’ve accomplished the first three months, you will have an idea of the amount of time and money it will take to acquire a year’s supply.

The Prepper who is striving to build a year’s supply of every needful thing will experience a dramatic reduction in stress and inverse increase in peace as they begin meeting goals on the path to achieving this principle.

The impact of living The Principles of Preparedness

When teaching these Principles, the question is inevitably asked “What if nothing ever happens that I need my supplies for?”.  To which I respond, “That would be wonderful!”.  Most people don’t get it right away, but let’s consider it.

Consider if you adjusted your life and lived for years under these principles.  What impact would there be if nothing happened that required you to survive off your stores?  Might it be possible that in following these principles you will have created a new life for yourself that is infinitely better than it would be otherwise?  Would you possibly have spent that time living in peace, without stress and with a much higher level of confidence, satisfaction and self-esteem?  I can testify to you that this is indeed what will happen!  In fact, the mere application of these principles in your life will allow you to weather small crises without them even registering a bump in the continuity of your life.  When you are living a Self Reliance lifestyle with a full year’s supply, not having an income for a month is inconsequential.  If you fully commit to living these principles, do you see how this would be the outcome?  Would that serve you to be able to live that way?

Consider also that as you develop a year supply of every needful thing, you are to live off of that supply.  You don’t just package things up and leave them in a corner to gather dust.  You consume your supply each month and at the end of four weeks, go to the “warehouse” (aka grocery store, etc) and replenish your supply with six weeks worth of what was consumed.  This allows you to continuously grow your storage with little to no visible impact to you.  And, if times are tough financially, you can extend to 8 or 12 weeks without it stressing your family.

As you become these Principles, you will experience breaking free of the slavery of debt, a ‘career’, of “keeping up with the Jones’s” and most importantly, the stress of trying to live month to month.  What you will find instead is that you are able to fully experience life and truly enjoy the blessings of your family.

All the while knowing that the secret to a happy life is wrapped up in a little concept called being a “Prepper”!

– Inspired by a talk by James E. Faust

Via: American Preppers Network

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January 5th, 2013
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Ammo Shortages

Just a short note for those interested.

I have been hearing for a while how Ammo shortages have started showing up.

At the end of last year it started coming home to some of the places I visited.

Every so often some ammo just was not to be had.

Now with many pushing for more gun control and reports on FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and DHS (Department of Homeland Security) as well as other government agencies buying up large amounts of ammo, it seems to be coming true.

Read more : DHS Preparing for Disaster: Buying Bullets, Food Supplies, Activating Detention Camps

: Why Does Homeland Security Need 450 Million Rounds Of Ammunition?


: Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Buy Ammunition

Check out this picture from Walmart this week:

I wish I could say it was a one-time event or even one location, but this seems normal across the board now.

I have been to this store chain and several other retails and seen the same thing now for several months, with it only getting worse.

Since it is one of my plans to be able to defend family and friends and well as hunt if needed as part of my overall plan to be prepared, this is a big issue. Since as the saying goes, “a gun without ammo is an expense club”.

Some may not think my way or even want this, but others will, so I will be adding some posts involving guns and some other ammo updates as I watch and get more info.

For those who do not want this information, please feel free to skip these posts, but for others, please chime in as to what you’re seeing and your thoughts.

In the end we are all in this together and need to be prepared for whatever may come our way.

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January 5th, 2013
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Comfrey- The Miracle Healer

What would you expect an herb called “knitbone” or “gum plant” to do?  If you guessed that it can knit or gum things back together, you would be correct! Commonly known as comfrey, this is one miraculous healing herb you need to know about.


Anytime you need some bone, flesh, or cartilage knitted back together, comfrey is your herb. For 2000 years it has held the distinguished honor of being the healing herb of choice for civilizations around the world.

It has been a part of folk medicine since 400 BC, and soldiers would always carry this herb with them to war, knowing it would heal broken bones and wounds. That is why the Greeks called this herb symphytum, or “to make grow together.” Smarties, those Greeks. The Romans also didn’t miss a trick, calling comfrey confera, or “knitting together.” Are you starting to see a pattern here? In AD 50 an ancient Greek botanic physician, Dioscorides, wrote about the invaluable medicinal properties of comfrey. You might not have heard of Discorides, but surely you’ve heard of his travel companion, Alexander the Great, who used comfrey to help heal his army’s wounds.

The reason comfrey knits better than your great grandmother is because it is a cell proliferant, meaning it heals at the cellular level, rebuilding cells from the ground up with its main constituent allantoin. This is a substance that helps create new cells and heals wounds like magic. Try this magic on a bruise, sprain, burn, cut, or broken bone and be amazed. For even better results, add a great antibacterial herb like goldenseal and be the beneficiary of the best natural healing available.

Comfrey can be used in many forms. If you’re looking for fast healing, drink the dried leaf or root in a tea several times a day, rub comfrey ointment on your skin, and make a comfrey poultice or fomentation  for the area needed. Some of the afflictions comfrey will help are: sciatica, boils, rheumatism, neuralgia, varicose veins, bed sores, wounds, ulcers, insect bites, tumors, muscular pain, pulled tendons, gangrene, shingles and skin problems. You can add it bath water and give your skin a special treat.

Do you want to learn some new vocabulary? Comfrey is a demulcent, which soothes mucus membranes, a pectoral, which relieves chest and lung problems, an alterative, which cleanses the blood,  a vulnerary, which heals fresh wounds, and a styptic, which arrests bleeding. It’s also an astringent, nutritive, tonic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and mucilage.

Ok, in layman’s terms…comfrey will help indigestion, stomach and bowel problems, excessive menstrual flow, hoarseness, bleeding gums, thyroid disorders, diarrhea, ulcers, hernia, coughs, lung conditions, hemorrhaging, cancer, anemia, sinusitis, lupus, and lowering blood pressure. If you see it growing wild, you can use the fresh leaves on wounds, bruises or sprains, as nature’s first aid gift to you. Thanks, Mother Nature.

In recent times, comfrey has received a bad rap because of some irresponsible studies done on rats, with the intention of discrediting this amazing herb. For 600 straight days (about the lifespan of a rat), the rats were injected with a dosage of only certain constituents of comfrey which had an equivalent dosage of 29 pounds of comfrey for humans. The results showed the rats developing liver toxicity, but that will happen when isolated alkaloids in comfrey are injected in such huge amounts directly into the bloodstream every day of your life! The point is, unless you know how to isolate alkaloids in comfrey and plan on injecting 29 pounds of them into your arm every single day, all ages are absolutely safe to use this herb internally and externally.

Comfrey is so full of vitamins, minerals and protein, it has been popular fodder for livestock, on the dinner table in salads, and as a fantastic and beloved organic fertilizer. Its roots reach far down into the soil picking up all kinds of wonderful nutrients that will be a boon to your garden, especially nitrogen and potassium. Add comfrey leaves to a barrel of water, cover, and let sit for 3-5 weeks and you will end up with a rich liquid fertilizer that your garden will love.

Growing comfrey is very easy. Just make sure you keep it well fertilized, weeded, and that it has lots of space to grow. Don’t harvest it in the first season since it needs to get established, but do remove any flowering stems in the first year so they won’t weaken the plant.

When about 2 feet high, you can harvest it, which happens 4-5 times between spring and fall since it will grow so quickly. Harvest it about 2 inches above the ground, and it’s best to wear gloves since its hairs irritate the skin. When drying, be careful with the comfrey leaves since they bruise easily, and keep them from touching each other. You can either hang them or lay them on screens until they are dry. Store in amber jars away from light for 3-5 years.

No self- respecting herb kit would be complete without comfrey

Via: essentialsurvival

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