Thread: BASIC LIST / SUGGESTED ITEMS FOR LONG TERM SURVIVAL

Red Alerts: The American Survival Blog

Making 18th Century Spunks



Uploaded by historicaltrekking on Feb 27, 2011The author demostrates how to make 18th century spunks. These are sulphur tipped splints used for lighting fires or candles.

CAUTION: Burning sulphur will stick to the skin & spunks when lit can drip fire if you use too much sulphur. No reposibilty is taken by the author for dammage, loss or injury whilst using or practicing this period skill.

Pioneer Living Online Survival
Back To Basics Pioneer Essentials

* Building an Open Fire Pit for Cooking http://www.pioneerliving.net/buildingopenfirepit.htm

* Soap Making http://www.pioneerliving.net/soapmaking.htm

* Making Charcoal http://www.pioneerliving.net/charcoalmaking.htm

* Tanning Hides http://www.pioneerliving.net/tanninghides.htm

* How to Wash on a Washboard http://www.pioneerliving.net/washboard.htm

* Rendering Lard http://www.pioneerliving.net/renderinglard.htm

Repost: Which Oatmeal Should I Get?

Many links on this post

I looked through some of our older blog posts from years gone past and realized that we should recycle some of them as many newer visitors will have never come across the information, so without further ado here is an oldie but goody!

Oats are an incredibly versatile and valuable whole grain like wheat, barley, rye, and corn. Like all whole grains, oats have three major parts:

* BRAN: a protective outer covering which is a mostly inedible but rich in fiber which the seed used to nourish itself until it germinates and sprouts. Most oatmeal purchased in stores have the bran removed
* ENDOSPERM: the largest portion of the seed the provides the energy the germ needs to grow and sprout and gives the grain its starchy texture. The oat endosperm contains no gluten but is grown and processed parallel with other grains to such an extent gluten may be present in the final product.
* GERM: a small nutrient packed portion of the grain that is essentially the baby plant which will germinates and sprout.

When purchasing oatmeal there are really three major considerations: nutrition, cooking/preparation time, and shelf-life. Generally, grains which have undergone less processing will retain more nutrition and have a longer shelf-life, but will take longer to prepare. At the Ready Store, we carry the most common products of oat grain: regular oats and quick oats.

Quick oats and Regular oats will have virtually the same nutritional value, but quick oats have usually been steamed or wetted before being rolled, cut, and partially cooked. This reduces the cooking/preparation time significantly, which is a valuable attribute for emergency situations, but the shelf-life is slightly reduced and regular oats will retain a more appealing texture and flavor than quick oats. So, if you want shelf-life and flavor then regular oats is the way to go. If you are more concerned with convenience and ease of cooking/preparation during a disaster, then quick oats is the solution for you.

The longest shelf-life of 20+ years and most nutrition would be gained from purchasing whole oat grains, but they require much more preparation time and equipment such as a grain mill or grain roller/flaker. Instant oats will give you the fastest preparation time at 1 minute, but the shelf-life is significantly reduced to 2 years which makes them a less valuable candidate for long-term food storage.

Below is a list of the most of the common oat products with details about each… Hope this helps you and your family make wise and educated decisions regarding your food storage and emergency preparedness.

WHOLE-GRAIN OATS

* Names: whole-grain oatmeal
* Contains: Bran, Endosperm, Germ
* Uses: Hot Oatmeal & Oatmeal Porridge, Baking
* Processing: None
* Preparation: Grind, Roll/Flake
* Cooking Time: 80-120 Minutes
* Advantages: Longest Shelf-Life, Better Taste and Texture, More Nutritious
* Shelf Life: 20+ Years

OAT GROATS

* Names: whole oats, whole oat groats
* Contains: Endosperm, Germ
* Processing: Bran Removed
* Uses: Hot Oatmeal Oatmeal Breakfast Cereal, Baking
* Preparation: Boil/Steam
* Cook Time: 60-80 Minutes
* Advantages: Longer Shelf-Life, Better Taste and Texture
* Shelf Life: 15-20 Years

STEEL CUT OATS

* Names: Irish oats, Scotch oats, pinhead oats, coarse-cut oats, steel-cut oatmeal, Irish oatmeal, Scotch oatmeal, pinhead oatmeal, coarse-cut oatmeal, porridge oats, porridge oatmeal
* Contains: Endosperm, Germ
* Processing: Bran Removed, Cut
* Uses: Oatmeal Porridge Breakfast Cereal, Baking
* Preparation: Boil
* Cook Time: 30-40 Minutes
* Advantages: Longer Shelf-Life, Better Taste and Texture
* Shelf Life: 15-20 Years

REGULAR OATS

* Names: rolled oats, oatmeal, rolled oatmeal, old-fashioned oats, old-fashioned oatmeal, flaked oats, flaked oatmeal, oatflakes
* Contains: Endosperm, Germ
* Processing: Bran Removed, Rolled/Flaked
* Uses: Hot Oatmeal Breakfast Cereal, Baking
* Preparation: Boil
* Cook Time: 5-10 Minutes
* Advantages: Longer Shelf-Life, Better Taste and Texture than Quick Oats
* Shelf Life: 15-20 Years

QUICK OATS

* Names: quick-cooking oats, quick oatmeal, quick-cooking oatmeal, easy oats
* Contains: Endosperm, Germ
* Processing: Bran Removed, Steamed, Rolled/Flaked, Cut, Partially Pre-Cooked
* Uses: Hot Oatmeal Breakfast Cereal, Baking
* Preparation: Boil
* Cook Time: 3 Minutes
* Advantages: Longer Shelf-Life, Faster Cook-Time Than Regular Oats
* Shelf Life: 10-15 Years

INSTANT OATS

* Names: instant oatmeal
* Contains: Endosperm, Germ
* Processing: Bran Removed, Steamed, Rolled/Flaked, Cut, Fully Pre-Cooked, Sweetener and/or Preservative Added
* Uses: Hot Oatmeal Breakfast Cereal
* Preparation: Add Hot Water
* Cook Time: 1 Minute
* Advantages: Longer Shelf-Life, Fastest Cook-Time
* Shelf Life: 2 Years

http://www.thereadystore.com/dehydrated ... t-oatmeal/

http://www.thereadystore.com/blog/

Chicken Alfredo - Asian Style Seasoned White Chicken

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

This month we have a special buy of Freeze-Dried (FD) Asian Style Seasoned White Chicken. http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_ ... sid=ppblog When I first saw it in our catalog I thought it would be great for stir-fry or other Asian style meals but I didn't give it much thought until we got this review from one of our customers:

"There is nothing Asian about this wonderful chicken except the faint hint of (spices) and the substantial, satisfying slab (ribbon) style of the cut. I tried this chicken straight out of the can. It re-hydrated in 3 minutes with very little hot water. Ingredients said "soy sauce" (undetectable) and "salt" (much less salt than others I have tried)...The substantial pieces, (not dust) in this can make it my favorite chicken-- starting right now."
-- PB, Georgia


Rehydrated Asian Style Seasoned White Chicken

When I opened up a can of this chicken I found large pieces, similar to precooked grilled chicken purchased at the grocery store. After rehydrating some of the chicken I tried it and found that it didn't have the strong Asian flavor that I was expecting. The seasoning was perfect and the chicken tasted great by itself. This got me to start thinking about some of my favorite chicken dishes and I decided to add some to Chicken Alfredo. It was amazing! In fact, I would recommend this chicken for almost any recipe.





We have a limited supply of this FD Asian Style Seasoned White Chicken on sale this month



http://preparednesspantry.blogspot.com/ ... soned.html

10 Tips on Hiking with Little Ones

Wednesday, June 15, 2011



With summer vacation here for many around the country, here are ten great tips to keep in mind if you want to take a hike with children.

1. Choose hikes with a specific destination such as a lake, a spectacular view, or a waterfall. Start small children on short, easy trails at first; gradually increase difficulty as their muscles and ambition grow.

2. Keep hiking speed and distance within physical as well as fun limits. A good way to judge the pace of a child is to take turns letting them assume the lead. Maintain their pace when you are in the lead.

3. Enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Stop frequently to observe nature and the little things that a child finds fascinating. They may even discover things you have missed before.

4. Make your child's feet a priority. Sturdy boots that fit properly will allow a child to focus on the fun and adventure of a hike. At the first sign of redness or blistering feet, apply moleskin.

5. Take only pictures; leave only footprints. Teach respect of the outdoors. Set an example by carrying out trash and following park or forest regulations.

6. Take plenty of food your child likes to eat. Familiar foods will be more appetizing to a child than traditional hiking fare and even the pickiest eaters seem to have a larger appetite in the outdoors.

7. Have each child carry a small backpack or fanny pack. The pack should contain water, a survival whistle, flashlight or lightstick, a brightly colored poncho, emergency blanket, extra socks, extra food, and a small first aid kit. Depending on the age and ability of your child the items may vary. Teach your child how to use these items in case they are lost.



8. Take frequent rest breaks and drink plenty of water. When exercising, children lose water faster than adults and are not likely to notice the affects.

9. Pack extra clothing and be prepared for rain even if there isn't a cloud in the sky.

10. Have fun! An enjoyable experience will increase the chances that your child will want to venture out again and again.

Posted by Emergency Essentials® at 3:40 PM

http://preparednesspantry.blogspot.com/ ... -ones.html

Daily Survival


http://daily-survival.blogspot.com/

Daily Survival

Pickled Okra

Friday, June 24, 2011

Original Article http://www.wilderness-survival.net/foru ... ckled-Okra

from Wilderness Survival Forums by your_comforting_company
The gentleman decided to come over to my house to show me how to make his very delicious pickled okra, instead of me hauling everything over to his house. There's only a few ingredients, and the recipe can be adjusted from one jar to a hundred easily. Here's what we did.

Boil your jars lids and rings to sterilize them, and in the meantime gather your ingredients:

One clove of garlic

Dill seed http://www.amazon.com/WHOLE-FRESHLY-PAC ... ive=392969

White vinegar

non-iodized canning salt (optional)

peppers (I used jalapeno)

Wash okra well and dry it. Stuff as many in one of your sterilized jars as possible, leaving enough room to add a few slices of peppers, a teaspoon of dill, and a peeled clove of garlic.

put 1 cup of vinegar to one cup of water PER JAR into a saucepan and add about 1/8 cup of canning salt per jar. Bring to a boil.

At this point it's a good idea to put your jars into a pan of hot (not boiling) water to help adjust for the shock of pouring boiling liquid into it.

Pour your vinegar concoction straight into the jar leaving as little headroom as possible and while it's still good and hot, use a towel to tighten the lids and rings on, then turn upside down and allow to cool.

Don't open or eat for 21 days.









In my case, I'm using pint jars and had enough pickle to make one more jar, but this is as much okra as I've picked yet.

The Gentleman invited me to his house to pick plums for jelly, so that's today's project.. Plum jelly, and jam (If I don't eat em all before we get done!)

This recipe makes very crisp and delicious okra pickles. The flash boil is supposed to stop the enzyme action while not making the okra soggy. The Ball canning guide I mentioned in another thread says that some of these practices are "inferior or obsolete" but this man has been making pickled okra this way for 50 years, and since I already ate two jars he gave me, I'm certain that this method works just fine.

http://daily-survival.blogspot.com/2011 ... -okra.html

A Pocket Guide to Animal Tracks

Identifying animal tracks is an important skill for the trapper, and a handy guide like this can be a big help if you are new to trapping. This particular guide comes from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Wildlife. You can print it out and stick it in your pack-basket for future reference.

A larger version can be found here http://www.cityofmelrose.org/department ... tracks.jpg



http://trappingsupplies.blogspot.com/20 ... racks.html

The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

http://trochronicles.blogspot.com/