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DIY Clothesline
April 1st, 2011 | Author: Angie
Back in Georgia a clothesline is a function of living. When we moved to Virginia and into Steve’s townhouse clotheslines were not allowed. Yeah, home owner’s associations make no sense. When we bought this house there was a clothesline. Not the best, not the most useful but it was there. A line tethered from the grill house to the tobacco barn. When we decided to build the swimming pool it had to come down because it was running right through the deepest end of the pool layout. From then on every spring and summer I asked for a new clothesline. The person who I felt sure would put me up a line never did. The deer caught in the headlights look always met my request. Out of necessity I started putting the clothes on hangers straight from the washer and hanging them along the main stretch of the back fence. It worked but a strong wind would blow them off and sometimes the fence left a powdery imprint on the clothes. It became such a point of contention that hanging out the clothes last fall made me angry. Just angry. I knew I had to do something for this spring and I knew what kind of clothesline I wanted. Then the snow and ice came and I completely forgot about my lack of a proper clothesline.
When I finished the raised bed project I had these timbers left over and there were two 2×3′s from the greenhouse still leaning under the awning out of the rain. I looked at them a few times and wondered what I could do with them. It was about 2am when I woke up knowing exactly what I was going to do with them. I decided I would build my own clothesline.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...esline/cl1.jpgThese treated timbers are approximately 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 8. I decided to use them to construct the T post to support the drying lines with pieces cut from the 2×3 lumber as the support arms.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...esline/cl2.jpgFirst I measured 2 feet from the bottom of the post (the end I planned to put into the hole in the ground). I marked this off on both posts.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...esline/cl3.jpgNext I measure 4 inches from the top of the post and marked this. Then I measure 3.5 inches below this mark and marked it on both posts. Next I cut two 42 inch lengths of the third post to use as the cross T. I located the center of this piece then marked the exact width of my post. Both of the areas I planned to notch so that fit together snug with good support.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...esline/cl4.jpgThe wood chisel is sharp. Very sharp. It will cut right in to the wood with a tap of the hammer.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...esline/cl5.jpgI worked carefully on both pieces until I had notched out about half an inch on both pieces.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...esline/cl6.jpgThen I checked the fit. I wanted them to be snug and tight and pressed together completely.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...esline/cl7.jpgNext I drilled two holes through both pieces as they rested together.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...esline/cl8.jpgI tapped a bolt through each hole making sure that the heads of the bolts where on the post side. Rolling the post over I secured each bolt with a washer and a nut. It is important that the end of the bolts be on this side of the arms. Once the lines are strung you want the force pulling the cross T into the post with the post as your resistance. If you turned it around the other way the lines and weight of the laundry would always be pulling the cross T away from the post and over time the arm would weaken, the bolts would loosen and eventually it would sag and no longer be a strong sturdy line.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...esline/cl9.jpgAlso with the bolt ends facing out you are never in danger of cutting or scrapping your hands on the exposed ends as you work with the lines and hanging laundry.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl10.jpgNext I used a miter box and saw to cut the arms that would support the weight of the cross T. I measured four 2 foot lengths and cut 45 degree angels on each end.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl11.jpgThanks to Evelyn Shepperd and 10th grade geometry I didn’t even have to stop and think about what degree the angel should be cut. See that gorgeous triangle? W00t!
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl12.jpgI used nails to secure the supports to the post and the cross T.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl13.jpgI worked through each side until I had both posts finished.
It took about 4 hours to do this part of the project. This includes set up of my workspace, clean up of the area, lunch for Steven, a phone call and a FB update while I waited for Steven to make up his mind if was going to come back outside (it was cold!) or stay in by the fire and watch GI Joe on Hub. GI Joe won and I finished out the project alone.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...line/cl14a.jpgWith rain in the forecast I really wanted to get those posts in the ground but it did not work out the way I planned. The rain came cold and quick so I had to wait until the following morning to dig the holes. I had to dig the holes manually – that was a real work out!! I used a leftover piece of timber marked at 2 foot to measure my hole depth, a level to make sure my posts where straight and quikrete to anchor the posts in the ground.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl15.jpgA 2 foot hole is much deeper than you can imagine! It is very important that the posts be put in the ground as deep as possible. Weather and temperature changes can cause the earth to heave those posts up. My posts are 8 foot leaving me with 6 foot above ground to work with. If you are in a sandy area you would need to use 12 foot posts and sink them much deeper – 3 to 4 foot deep each.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl16.jpgBags of quikrete are heavy! This is an 80lb bag and I could barely handle it. If you do this I suggest two 40lbs bags instead. Quikrete is a ready mix cement. You don’t have to do anything to it but add water. If your ground is very dry it will pull the water out of your quikrete. When you dig your hole and your ground is dry wet the ground in hole. Spray it with the hose all around the sides and bottom.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl17.jpgOnce I set my post into the hole I poured in a bit of the mix and used a stick to tamp it down tight around the post. Then I used the level and made sure the post was straight.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl18.jpgNext I filled the hole about one third of the way tamped it down tight, sprinkled in a tiny bit of water to get things going then added another layer of cement mix. I repeated the process again and filled the hole to the top. I tamped everything as compacted as possible. With the rain coming and amount of moisture in the ground I did not wet the top of the quikrete as it is exposed at ground level. I waited and let the rain and gravity do that work for me.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl19.jpgIt took me about 25 minutes to dig that first hole. That end of the ground was filled with hard packed clay and rocks. The second hole was easy. It took only about 15 minutes to work down two feet. The quilrete needs 24 to 48 hours to cure. Give it time to set up before stringing lines.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl20.jpgI had saved the cans from kidney beans when I made chili knowing I would find a use for them. Instead of purchasing a post end cap to keep the rain from settling on the post and eventually rotting down into it I used the cans as the post caps. It works. You’ll see this done at many old farms along fence lines. The fence posts will be sporting a tin can cover. I like the way it looks. Colby thinks it is ghetto fabulous. Whateveah!
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl21.jpgI had wanted my hardware to be installed before I set the posts but FedEx did not bring my items on time and I really needed to get those posts in the ground while it was raining. For as long as I can remember I have wanted a clothes line with pulleys. Just something left over form my childhood that I thought was fabulous and deemed one day I would have. Since I was building this one myself I indulged my dreams. I could not find a galvanized pulley in my local shop and what they did offer was more than I wanted to pay. So I ordered pulleys and line tighteners online and had to wait for them to be shipped.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl22.jpgI picked up at my local hardware store the eye screws and the linkage to connect my pulleys to the eyescrews. The links are actually links for chain that come open and you have to pound them closed. They were much less expensive than other linkage options and I didn’t have anything already on hand that I could use. This is my own pulley assembly. You don’t have to use pulleys. You can install the eye screws and hang your lines from there. I chose to indulge myself in something more.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl23.jpgI drilled 3 equally spaced holes on the cross T’s.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl24.jpgIn the cold drizzle of the late afternoon I worked with cold hands and installed all six pulley assemblies.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl25.jpgNext I ran 3 lengths of cotton clothesline. I chose cotton over the plastic coated wire that is now offered for clothesline. I just don’t like the wire and it won’t work well with my pulleys.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl26.jpgNo matter what the package says a cotton clothesline will stretch and relax over time. The weight of wet clothes will pull it down and make it sag. For months after there will be the need for pulling up sagging lines.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl27.jpgUnless you install line pullers. These grip the lines when you pull it tight to remove the slack. It locks in tight with the use of springs and bearings and the line will not pull back through. Once it is tight it will stay tight.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl28.jpgSimply tie off one end on the loop then feed the other end through the device. When you tighten the line make sure you put a knot or two in the tail piece and cut off the leftover length.
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...sline/cl29.jpgNext up? A sunny day and clothes pins!
Clothesline Project Cost:
3 – 8ft landscape timbers $3.97 each (I used these because this is what I had. Cedar timbers are expensive $12 each. 4 x 4 treated lumber is also expensive and not much different in size to the timbers I used.) $7.94
2 – 2 x 3′s @ $1.78 each = $3.56
6 pulleys @ $2.76 each = $16.56 – I chose galvanized pulleys and not the plastic ones at my local hardware. The plastic will degrade over time. In the deep winter of ice and snow they will eventually crack and need to be replaced.
3 line pullers @$2.56 = $7.68 – Kudos to the person who invented this! It works excellently!
6 eyescrews @$1.49 = $8.94 – I used the ones rated for 190lbs.
6 chain links @.49 = $2.94 – Thanks to Beverly at the hardware store for pointing me in a less expensive direction when I was in there looking for linkage.
3 cotton clothesline $5.79 = $17.37 – Old fashion choice that makes me very happy.
Total = $64.99
I think this summer I will easily cut my electric bill by using the clothesline. It will certainly pay for itself over the spring, summer and fall.
This is certainly a doable project for us ladies. If you need a new clothesline go ahead and do it yourself. I think you’ll be far more pleased with your own work and skills as you hang your laundry out on a sunny day.
I have one more upgrade planned for my clothesline. I intend to plant lavender in raised beds at either end of the posts.
Don’t you love the way your sheets and clothes smell when you bring them in off the line? I do!
Posted in Do It Yourself, Laundry
Heres a pretty good site
Home Grown
To-Do List for January
Here’s a zone-by-zone to-do list for the month of January.
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Zone 3
- Check your leftover seeds and make a list of what you need before ordering.
- Order seeds and plants early to avoid substitution.
- Take cuttings from fruit trees for grafting in April. Wrap the twigs in a wet paper towel, seal the wrapped twigs in a plastic bag, and store the bag in the freezer until spring.
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Zone 4
- Organize your seeds: Discard those that are too old; then make a list of seeds to order.
- Order seeds of onions, geraniums, and other slow-growing plants now so you receive them in time to start indoors next month.
- Draw your garden plan.
- Check the condition of your gardening equipment.
- Build a garden trellis.
- Surprise your friends by harvesting Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips from the garden during a January thaw.
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Zone 5
- Start seeds of pansies, snapdragons, and hardy perennials.
- Replenish your supplies, including seed-starting mix and organic fertilizers.
- Where there isn't much snow cover, push back any plants that have "heaved" out of the ground because of freeze-thaw cycles.
- Start a collection of scented geraniums by taking cuttings from a friend's plants.
- If you're growing geraniums indoors in pots, cut back leggy stems by about half, repot the plants in fresh soil, and then set them in a cool, bright window.
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Zone 6
- Study the "skeleton" of your landscape and decide where to put new structures, such as pathways and arbors.
- Keep bird feeders well stocked with favorites, such as black oil sunflower seeds.
- Discard old seeds for the garden; mail orders for new seeds.
- Create a computer database of your garden plants with notes on performance.
- Rake heavy snow off shrubs.
- Start seeds of pansies, dusty miller, browallia, begonias, snapdragons, and delphiniums indoors under lights.
- At month's end, start seeds of onions, leeks, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower indoors under lights.
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Zone 7
- On mild days, remove winter weeds, such as wild onions and chickweed.
- Sow seeds of Shirley poppies (Papaver rhoeas) for bloom in May and June.
- Sow larkspur seeds directly in flowerbeds where you want them to grow; look for blooms by midspring.
- Indoors, start seeds of perennials or slow-growing annuals, like coleus and geraniums, beneath lights.
- Start seeds of cabbage, early lettuce, and at the end of the month, broccoli.
- When onion and cabbage transplants are available at the garden center, select the best ones, then plant them in the garden beneath a row cover.
- Near the end of the month, weed the asparagus bed and strawberry plot, then feed the plants and renew the thinning mulches.
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Zone 8
- Shop local nurseries for asparagus roots, strawberry plants, and fruit trees.
- Cover root crops still in the ground with an extra layer of mulch.
- When cold temperatures are predicted, protect transplants of onions, cabbage, broccoli, and chard with a row cover.
- Sow beets, carrots, radishes, cress, bok choy, and garden peas directly in the garden; cover the planting rows with dark compost to warm the soil.
- Sow seeds of herbs, such as dill and parsley.
- Sow seeds of annual flowers (delphiniums, snapdragons, and larkspur are good choices) anywhere you want flowers for cutting or as a background for other plants.
- Top-dress lawns and garden beds with compost.
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Zone 9
- Use the weather to your advantage: Observe the location of standing puddles left by winter rains; note where you need to improve drainage for plants.
- Finish pruning fruit trees, vines, and bushes.
- Sow seeds of geraniums, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant in pots filled with a peat moss/vermiculite mixture; set the pots on a sunny windowsill or beneath lights until it's warm enough to plant them outside.
- In the garden, "scratch in" wildflower seed mixes and California poppy seeds; plant nasturtium seeds a bit deeper.
- Set out transplants of pansies, calendulas, and primroses.
- As the soil warms, plant carrots, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, cilantro, parsley, and Asian greens.
- Harvest carrots, radishes, and Brussels sprouts—sweetened by frost.
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Zone 10
- It's the dry season—water vegetable plants, nondormant tropical plants, and bedding plants regularly.
- Spray compost tea on roses and bromeliads.
- Mulch peas to extend the harvest.
- Sow pumpkins and winter squash directly in the garden; start cucumbers and watermelons in pots.
- Sow quick-maturing varieties of carrots, broccoli, cabbage, coriander, parsley, and dill.
- Plant heat-tolerant chicory, lettuce, and Swiss chard in shade so that they stay cool when the weather warms.
- Snip off flowers of tropical fruit and young citrus to save their strength while they grow; bring the flowers indoors to perfume the house.
Zone by zone to-do list for gardeners in January: Organic Gardening
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Arc Welding with 3 Car 12v Batteries Video & Demo
Arc Welding with 3 Car 12v Batteries Video & Demo » The Homestead Survival
Bugging Out vs. Hunkering Down
M.D. Creekmore
January 19th, 2013
The Survivalist Blog
Comments (440)
Read by 18,011 people
This article has been contributed by M.D. Creekmore of The Survivalist Blog.
The very idea of leaving the security of your home to “bug out” to the woods has never sat well with me – In nearly every instance it’s better to hunker down or “bug in” than to bug out. I mean, why leave the safety and familiar surroundings of your home, for the open and unforgiving wilderness.
For many people this is their first line of preparation against disaster, unfortunately, most will end up joining the multitude of other refugees freezing in a cave and eventually end up dead or wards of whatever government is still functioning.
I live in a fairly safe area and have prepared to survive at home and can conceive of only a few scenarios that would force me to leave. Even then, I would go to an out-of-state relatives house with whom, I have a pre-arranged agreement, where if need be he can come to my place or I to his after a disaster.
I know what you’re thinking “what about an end of the world as we know it” type event, well if such an event were to take place, there would be no 100% safe place for most of us, and really do you think you would be better of making a go of it in the open wilderness as opposed to hunkering down at home.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should never bug out to the wilderness; we should indeed keep all our options open, what I am saying is that there are better ways to survive most disasters than heading into the bush.
You need to weigh the risks of bugging out vs. hunkering down and make your final decision based on logic and type of threat. That’s the way decisions should be made, unfortunately many people when making plans for survival side with emotion (that emotion being to run and hide) instead of the more tried and true form of decision-making known as logic.
Relying on emotion instead of logic can make for some interesting adventures; however without sound planning beforehand those adventures are likely to be sort lived. For example, I recently asked a fellow in his late 30’s what he would do if disaster struck his area.
He thought for a moment and said he would gather his family and all the food, guns and ammunition he could find and head for the mountains that lay some seventy-five miles to the north of his home.
Depending on the type of disaster, his “plan” might work short term for a lone survivor or a small group of individuals in good physical condition with proper gear and mind-set. But he is a new father and his wife is one of those that think missing an appointment at the nail-salon is the end of the world as she knows it.
Making matters worse he has no outdoor survival training or skills other than watching reruns of Less Stroud’s “Survivorman” and camping at a national park campground with all the utilities and hookups. Why he thinks he can survive off the wilderness while dragging his family along, I don’t know. He isn’t thinking logically.
His decision was based on emotion and as a result if he ever has to put his plan to the test in the real world his family will likely suffer or die because of his decision and “Red Dawn” thinking. Unfortunately, this batman in the boondocks mentality is and will continue to be the chosen survival plan for many who haven’t thought it through.
When making survival plans for your family you have to honestly weigh the risks of your decision based on logic. In almost every disaster scenario, it is better to stay put (bugging in) or head to a pre-arranged safe place at an out-of-town relatives or friends house than it is to head to the woods to eat twigs and pine bark.
For most people an evacuation bag is a better choice than a bug out bag. An evacuation bag should contain the gear necessary to get you from point A to point B, whereas a bug out bag (in most cases) is geared more toward wilderness survival. I have both, but admittedly my bug out bag is an option of last resort.
Knowing when to go is much more important than the contents of your survival pack or even where you will go. You don’t want to jump and run before you need too, but you don’t want to wait too long or you may never reach your destination.
If you wait for the authorities to give the order to evacuate it may already be too late. The roads leading to safety could be blocked and impassable by motor vehicle and walking to your destination may be impossible or too dangerous to attempt.
On the other hand if you jump and run in response to every potential disaster you’ll soon deplete your resources and the patience of your family, school and employers.For example, say you live in an area prone to tornadoes like Texas and you evacuate to Arkansas every time the clouds turn dark or the wind shakes the leaves. You would literally stay on the road. But waiting until the twister is at your door will put you at an unnecessary risk.
There are no easy answers; all you can do is weigh the dangers of bugging out vs. hunkering down depending on the situation and logic. You have to consider the nature of the threat and ask yourself which gives the best chance of survival with regards to the type of disaster you are facing.
Then, there are times when evacuation is a no brainer, say you live on the Florida coast and a category 5 hurricane has been predicted to hit that coast within twenty-four hours, in that case you would be stupid not to go now, even if you have no prearranged bug out location…
On the other hand let’s say there is snow storm heading your way and you have food, water, heat and a way to cook even if the power goes out for an extended amount of time then you are probably better off to hunker down where you are.
In my opinion the bugging out vs. hunkering down debate is moot because it all comes down to the type of threat, your personal situation and preparedness level – in the end you’ll have to make that decision based on that knowledge and common sense.
Do you plan to “bug out” or “bug in” please let us know in the comments below…
Bugging Out vs. Hunkering Down
Survival Of The Most Adaptable
Wednesday, 23 January 2013 04:04
Daisy Luther
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This article was written by Daisy Luther and originally published at The Organic Prepper
Forget survival of the strongest, the meanest, the fastest, the toughest, the fittest or the smartest.
All of those are fine qualities in a prepper but there is one key to survival in nearly any situation that trumps all of the above. That key is adaptability.
adaptability:
The ability to change to fit changed circumstances.
The ability to assess a situation and immediately change gears is a vital skill. It doesn’t come naturally for everybody. Like any skill, it takes practice. You must be able to toss Plan A out the window without a regretful look back and plunge immediately and wholeheartedly into Plan B, C, or beyond. You must possess the ability to change your paradigm without hesitation. You can’t cling to the way you want things to be, or the way they should be – you must instantly adapt to the way things are.
Everyone remembers the story about the soccer team whose plane went down in the Andes Mountains. The handful of survivors had no option but to consume the bodies of their teammates. Those who refused to adapt to that grim reality perished of starvation.
Here are some less horrific examples where adaptability might be key.
1) You’re out for a day hike with your family when an unexpected storm blows up. This isn’t something you can control – you can only control your response to it. You must immediately accept that the storm is occurring and that you are under-supplied. You must look to your surroundings to create shelter from the elements, and possibly find drinking water and food.
2) Your home is well-stocked for any event…except suddenly your home is in the path of a raging wildfire. You can’t cling to the fact that your preps are in your home. Your survival reality has changed instantly and you must evacuate with your family and find a new way to be fed and sheltered.
3) Your environment has suddenly changed. Maybe it’s global warming, maybe it’s global cooling or maybe somehow the earth was rocked on its axis. Suddenly your familiar climate is gone. You now have to learn to keep your body at the appropriate temperature and keep yourself fed in a totally different way.
4) The power is gone. Permanently. Your heat no longer comes from a thermostat dial, your food can no longer be refrigerated in the convenient rectangle in your kitchen and even a light to read by now requires a different outlook. Some people will spend precious time mourning what is gone instead of planning their course of action with what is left.
So, back to the skill of adaptation – it can really be broken down into steps, no matter what the crisis may be. Some things require immediate action, so you have to get through the steps rapidly, while other situations allow you a little bit of thinking time.
“Adaptability is not imitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Accept what is.
You have to accept what is. In the event of a disaster, natural or otherwise, many people suffer some cognitive dissonance. Their psyches are simply unable to assess the reality of the situation and accept that it’s actually happening. Sadly, this renders them pretty much useless in a crisis situation. Cognitive dissonance is defined as…
“the feeling of discomfort when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting cognitions: ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions…Dissonance is aroused when people are confronted with information that is inconsistent with their beliefs. If the dissonance is not reduced by changing one’s belief, the dissonance can result in restoring consonance through misperception, rejection or refutation of the information, seeking support from others who share the beliefs, and attempting to persuade others.”
Sadly, we are surrounded by cognitive dissonance, by people who stubbornly hang on to the way things were yesterday and refuse to adjust to the reality of today. Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt, as the saying goes. Some examples might be:
1) The person who lost his job but continues to spend money frivolously, using a credit card to make up for the lost income.
2) A person in the path of a horrible natural disaster who refuses to believe it’s actually going to hit their home (think those who refused to evacuate when Hurricane Sandy was headed their way).
3) A person who refuses to accept the fact that the debt-fueled lifestyle of the average North American is about to grind to a horrible halt.
4) A person who stubbornly clings to the belief that groups like the national governments, NATO and the United Nations are actually there for the benefit of society rather than the benefit of the wealthy elite.
In a crisis situation, these people can be dangerous to be around. A lack of acceptance of the current reality can cause fatal mistakes, endangering not only the individual, but those included in their group.
When a bad thing happens, the absolute first step is accepting that it’s happening. Believe that the thugs are really at your door, believe that the power is out and it’s going to get cold fast, believe that the economy is making its last gasping breath. Accept what your senses are telling you and move on to the next step.
Take action.
The next step is to take action and do so immediately. In a chaotic situation, the first actions you take can set the course for the entire event. So, if there are gang-bangers kicking in your door, tell the kids to hide and grab your weapon. If a tornado is bearing down, go to the basement. If you’ve lost your job, stop all unnecessary expenditures and hunker down. If the power has gone out in the middle of a snowstorm, curtain off one room and concentrate your heating efforts there. If your instinct tells you it’s time to bug out, grab your bag, the kids, the dog, and get the heck out of Dodge.
In cases like this, it helps, of course, if you have prepared for these events ahead of time. Clearly, no one knows exactly what the future holds, but your basic preparations will stand you in good stead in all of these scenarios.
Adjust to the new reality.
Finally, once the adrenaline wears off, you may be left with a new type of reality. Even the most adaptable person can find this part difficult. It’s one thing to take action when the blood is pounding in your ears and fear is speeding you along. It’s quite different to live a new life in the day to day. Depression and unhappiness can set in when you are removed from beloved and comfortable surroundings. This is the hardest step for many people. If you’ve planned ahead and prepped your family but then for some reason, like a fire or natural disaster, those preparations are gone, then you may feel like it was all for nothing.
It couldn’t be further from the truth, though. As Hubert H. Humphrey Jr. famously said, “It is not what they take away from you that counts. It’s what you do with what you have left.” If you had to start over, right this instant, think of all the things you’ve learned during the time you’ve been awake and aware. You have learned to prioritize for the future instead of satisfying the whims of the here and now. You may have learned skills like gardening, personal defense, food preservation, or chopping firewood. Your MIND is the number one tool to help you adjust to the new reality, whatever that reality may be. Most of all, you’ve learned how to think. No fire can take away the knowledge you’ve acquired. No thieves can steal your learned skills. No natural disaster can undo the mental preparedness that you have built up.
How can we become more adaptable?
If you’re reading this article you are probably more than halfway there! It’s the nature of a prepper to think about the things that might go wrong. That is how we become better prepared for a variety of events, natural and otherwise.
Run scenarios with your loved ones. This is one case in which television can actually be valuable. Some programs and movies can serve as a teaching tool. For example, I watched an older episode of Criminal Minds with my daughter, in which a child her age was approached by a nice looking man and tricked into going into a secluded area, where she was then kidnapped. We watched the scene in its entirety, then we backed up and replayed it bit by bit, discussing the warning signs and what the girl could have done differently. We discussed ways that something similar could happen here in our hometown and ways to respond to similar threats. When terrible things happen in the world, discuss them and determine a few courses of action that could be taken to avoid becoming a victim.
Keep up with current events. Notice trends in the economy, crime and government. Pay attention to things happening in other countries too – what happened in Greece a few years ago is happening in the United States now. Learn from their collapse to predict what might happen during ours, and then prepare accordingly.
Think about your preps critically. Have you ever realized that a preparation you’ve made isn’t all it was cracked up to be? I recently discovered that some food I’d stored away was loaded with bugs (gross!!!!!!!) Luckily, I didn’t lose a great deal of food and I learned a valuable lesson about the way I had been storing that particular item. If you live in an earthquake prone area, are your jars of home-canned food secured against breakage? Do you have “enough” ammo and the means to make more? Do you have back-ups for your primary garden tools? Extra handles and blades? Sometimes adaptability takes a little advance preparation.
Even if you don’t agree with all the conclusions of Charles Darwin, there is much to be learned from his studies of nature. Although he was talking about reproductive evolution in his writings, his premise rings true for those of us who intend to survive challenges, both mundane and extraordinary. You don’t have to be the strongest, smartest, fastest or toughest. You have to be the most flexible. Whatever comes your way, take it and roll with it.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives.
It is the one that is most adapatable to change.”
Survival Of The Most Adaptable
The Ten Commandments Of Survival
Sunday, 20 January 2013 02:01
Gaye Levy
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This article was written by Gaye Levy and originally published at Activist Post
These days, it is easy to go about our business of survival and preparedness without stopping to think about the rules of engagement. For most of us, these rules are not written and are not spoken, but are just something that has evolved over a period of time.
As I have expressed many times in the past, the burden of knowledge – or perhaps I should say the burden of truth – can be a huge weight to bear. That, coupled with the crazy busy task of life during these hard times, can be overwhelming. Getting up each day, going to work, doing chores, balancing the checkbook, taking care of family members – it is all a big job but add prepping and learning survival skills to the mix and you have a recipe for exhaustion and perhaps even a bit of depression and gloom.
To help overcome my own dizzying sense of having too much too do and too much to prepare for, I sat down a couple of nights ago and attempted to put my own rules for survival in to words. I am calling them the 10 commandments of survival and they bring focus and meaning to preparing for hard times.
Commandment #1: Have the will to live no matter what.
Reading about the recent passing Aaron Swartz touched me in an inexplicable way. He was so young and so bright and appeared to be doing much to further the spread of truth.
Having the will to live requires a strong sense of self-preservation and is something we must all work at on a daily basis. To fall into despondency will sabotage our efforts to prepare for that time when supplies are sort, when chaos rules the streets or when economic collapse has bankrupt the world.
Now I am not saying that any or all of these things will happen. But on my own risk-meter, these things are right there at the top along with a regional natural disaster such as an earthquake. The only question is when.
Commandment #2: Be self-sufficient and self-reliant without wanting or needing excessive government assistance.
This goes without saying. When chaos reigns the land or a natural disaster strikes, we need to do our darnedest to take care of ourselves. We need to have our own food, our own source of clean, purified water, our own medical supplies and most important, a robust skill-set that will allow us to live quite comfortably without electricity or petroleum products.
There will still be a need for government assistance, but that assistance should go to those that are truly needy through no fault of their own. That includes the wounded, the sick, the working poor, the elderly and the disabled. This may be a pipe dream but in my sense of right and wrong, taking care of the truly needy is something that governments should do, provided that these same people have gone as far as they can go to take of themselves.
Commandment #3: Seek knowledge as a solution to problems.
There are so many free or almost free credible sources of information these days that the tough part is just that: determining who is credible and who is not. Luckily, it is pretty easy to vet the reliable members of the alternative press. These reports attempt to tell the news without fear-mongering and without getting you to spend money (unless you want to of course).
But before seeking knowledge as a solution, some effort has to be put into both identifying and prioritizing of the problems at hand. And how many people really do that? Why not identity five or six problems and find good solid solutions to those before moving on to the next group?
Furthermore, while we still have a reliable power grid, download free e-books or visit survival and homesteading websites to pick up skills. Take advantage of the wealth of DIY information at your local library for free. Learn do-it-yourself skills, then continue to practice and to drill and to learn some more. Turn problems into solutions by using knowledge as your tool.
Commandment #4: Adapt to the surroundings, wherever they may be.
As comfortable as we may be in our homes, the time may come when you have to leave. It may get destroyed in a natural disaster such as a hurricane, flood or earthquake. Or, due to the woes of the economy and unexpected unemployment, you may have to sell the four-bedroom ranch house and move to something more modest.
The house you live is built of sticks and cement and bricks and mortar. Your home, on the other hand, is where ever you happen to live; and if you are lucky, where you are surrounded by loved ones, even if they are the four-legged type.
Learning to adapt to your surroundings – the people, the geography and social milieu – will allow you to embrace change as an adventure even when the causative circumstances may not be pleasant. And that all translates into less stress.
Commandment #5: Embrace decisiveness as a core value.
Making a decision when the choices are poor to begin with leads to complacency and even worse, doing nothing. On the other hand, making a decision and then pursuing that decision with decisiveness and gusto will likely lead to positive results. Sure, the result may not be perfect, but the willingness to make decisions, even in the face of uncertainty, means you are taking responsibility for your actions and for the outcome of your decision.
And right or wrong, you will learn from the experience. Doing nothing is simply not acceptable.
Commandment #6: Channel fear into positive actions.
Being fearful and running scared is what the PTB wants you to do. Fear translates into submission and submission results in being controlled. Add a bit of brainwashing and the result starts to sound like Hitler’s Germany.
A good way to avoid fear is to be prepared to fend for yourself in all types of situations.
Go back and analyze the most likely risks within your sphere of life and prepare for those first. Go back to commandment #3 and seek knowledge as a solution to problems. Take control of fear by channeling your energy into positive actions.
Commandment #7: Defend your right to freedom and the tenets of the US Constitution.
Embrace freedom and defend your right to liberty. What is liberty? How about:
The power to do as one pleases
Freedom from physical restraint
Freedom from arbitrary or despotic control
The positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges
The power of choice
We currently live in a world of airport pat downs, forced healthcare, mandatory vaccinations, and the unauthorized surveillance of our whereabouts and our communications. Soon we may lose our right to bear arms and defend ourselves.
Don’t give up your rights without a fight. And don’t be so afraid of the power elites that you fail to speak up to defend those rights. Some people will cower and hide. Instead, why not band with like-minded people and make your voice heard. If we don’t do it, who will?
Commandment #8: Respect others and their right to privacy.
Notwithstanding #7, everyone has the right to their opinion and their right to privacy. There are some things that some people simply do not want to talk about or share. Move on and respect their privacy. The time will come when your will want them to respect yours.
Commandment #9: Pursue love and laughter on a daily basis.
We all need a break because, truly, it is all too much these days. Call it down time, call it personal time. Whatever the name, love a little and laugh a little each and every day.
Love and laughter are a big part of living a strategic life and so as difficult as it may be, take ten minutes or take an hour, but do take some time each day to embrace survival in this most essential manner.
Commandment #10: Be authentic and real to yourself and to those around you.
One reason kids matter is that they are not spoiled by life. When they are very young, they only know truth and not deceit and lies.
When things are not going well, it is easy to pretend and fantasize that things are different. There is nothing wrong with that as long that you know in your heart of hearts that reality is quite different. You cannot make reasonable, practical and viable decisions based upon myth. You need facts. To survive, you need to acknowledge these facts and accept the truth.
Truth will lead to trust, and trusting your decisions is paramount to have other trust you as well. To be real means to be true to yourself regardless what others think. And without being real, the other commandments just don’t matter.
The Final Word
These 10 commandments of survival were set down to help me cope with my own anxiety and sense of uncertainty about our future as citizens of the world. As a prepper, I know I cannot prepare for every single one of our global problems, nor can I prevent Mother Nature for doing what she is going to do if and when the time comes.
At best, all I can do is to continue to learn to be self-reliant and independent so that I can keep in check my sanity and my ability to think rationally. Some days it is difficult, and so I will keep looking at these 10 commandments and will continue think of ways that I can do more. At the end of the day, that is all I can do.
The world is scary right now but I can’t help but think that the worst is yet to come. Sadly it is not a matter of if, but a matter of when.
The Ten Commandments Of Survival
How To Dehydrate Sliced Potatoes For Food Storage
Food Dehydrating, Food Storage & Skills
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Dehydrating potatoes is a great way to continue building your food storage over the winter.
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JAN 29
Free Printable Family Emergency Planning Kit
Disaster Reality, Emergency Preparedness
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JAN 28
1940′s Old Time Popcorn Balls Recipe
Recipes
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Homemade Antiseptic Ointment Recipe
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Rise Of The Preppers: 50 Of The Best Prepper Websites And Blogs On The Internet
Michael Snyder
February 1st, 2013
The Truth
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Read by 6,598 people
http://thetruthwins.com/wp-content/u...rs-450x409.jpg Are you preparing for the collapse of society? If so, the truth is that you are definitely not alone.
The number of preppers in the U.S. has absolutely exploded in recent years.
It has been estimated that there are now approximately 3 million preppers in the United States, and “Doomsday Preppers” is currently the highest rated show on the National Geographic channel.
In fact, you could be living next to a prepper and never even know it.
All over America, families are transforming spare rooms into long-term food storage pantries, planting survival gardens, unplugging from the grid, converting their homes over to alternative sources of energy, taking self-defense courses and stocking up on just about everything that you can imagine.
The re-election of Barack Obama and other recent events seem to have given the prepper movement even more momentum.
For example, in January the U.S. Mint broke all kinds of records and sold nearly half a billion dollars worth of gold and silver coins to the public.
Not only that, Americans bought enough guns during the last two months of 2012 alone to supply the entire armies of China and India. When it comes to prepping, nobody can match the passion that Americans put into it.
So what are all of these people prepping for?
Well, the truth is that no two preppers have the exact same motivation.
There is a general consensus among preppers that our world is becoming increasingly unstable, but when you sit down and talk with them you find out that there are a whole host of different civilization-killing events that various preppers are concerned about. Some are preparing for the collapse of the economy.
Others are extremely concerned about the potential for crippling natural disasters and catastrophic earth changes.
To other preppers, the rise of the “Big Brother” surveillance grid that is being constructed all around us is the greatest danger, and many of them warn of the tyrannical agenda of the New World Order.
Terrorism, killer pandemics, EMP attacks, World War III, martial law, solar megastorms, asteroid strikes and societal chaos are some of the other things that many preppers are worried about. There are even some preppers that are not worried about any “threats” at all – they just want to get “back to the land” and want to become less dependent on the system.
Whatever the motivation, it is undeniable that the prepper movement has gotten very large and that it continues to grow.
In fact, there was a recent article in the New York Times about preppers that was actually written by a prepper entitled “The Preppers Next Door“…
To the unprepared, the very word “prepper” is likely to summon images of armed zealots hunkered down in bunkers awaiting the End of Days, but the reality, at least here in New York, is less dramatic. Local Preppers are doctors, doormen, charter school executives, subway conductors, advertising writers and happily married couples from the Bronx. They are no doubt people that you know — your acquaintances and neighbors. People, I’ll admit, like myself.I was absolutely amazed that one of the key mouthpieces of the establishment, the New York Times, would publish an article that was mostly positive about preppers, because the truth is that prepping is essentially a huge expression of a lack of faith in the establishment.
Even the article admitted as much…
PREPPING IS THE BIG SHORT: a bet not just against a city, or a country or a government, but against the whole idea of sustainable civilization. For that reason, it chafes against one of polite society’s last remaining taboos — that the way we live is not simply plagued by certain problems, but is itself insolubly problematic.And that is exactly right. There are millions of us that are entirely convinced that the world around us is becoming increasingly unstable and that “the system” will not be there to take care of us when everything falls to pieces.
With each passing day, even more Americans lose faith in the system and begin prepping. If you are one of those new preppers, there are actually dozens of great websites out there on the Internet where you can get an education about prepping for free.
The list of websites and blogs that I have compiled below contains more articles and resources than you could ever possibly need. Hopefully many of you will find this list to be extremely helpful.
The following are 50 of the best prepper websites and blogs on the Internet…
1. Survival Blog
2. American Preppers Network
3. The Survival Mom
4. SHTFPlan.com
5. Survival 4 Christians
6. Urban Survival
7. Backdoor Survival
8. Off Grid Survival
9. Modern Survival Online
10. The Survivalist Blog
11. The Suburban Prepper
12. The Great Northern Prepper
13. Prepper Website
14. The Survival Podcast
15. Doom And Bloom
16. Provident Living Today
17. Prepper.org
18. Prepared Christian
19. SHTFblog.com
20. Survival Cache
21. Modern Survival Blog
22. Rural Revolution
23. Preparedness Advice Blog
24. Prep-Blog.com
25. Survival And Prosperity
26. TEOTWAWKI Blog
27. The Neighbor Network
28. The Apartment Prepper
29. Armageddon Online
30. The Berkey Guy Blog
31. The Home For Survival
32. My Family Survival Plan
33. Prepography
33. Prepper Dashboard
34. Bacon And Eggs
35. SHTF School
36. Canadian Preppers Network
37. Maximum Survival
38. Survivor Jane
39. Prepping To Survive
40. SaltnPrepper
41. SGTReport
42. SHTF Wiki
43. Jewish Preppers
44. Survival Magazine
45. Survival Week
46. Prepper Forums
47. Survivalist Boards
48. Tactical Intelligence
49. The Prepared Ninja
50. Common Sense Homesteading
The sad truth is that our world is becoming increasingly unstable in a whole bunch of different ways and we all need to learn how to prepare for the difficult years ahead.
Unfortunately, most Americans simply are not prepared for much of anything.
For example, a large percentage of Americans do not even have enough savings to get them through a single financial emergency. According to one recent report, approximately 44 percent of all households in the United States are just one unexpected event away from financial disaster.
Most American families do not have much food stored up either. One recent survey discovered that 55 percent of all Americans have less than three days supply of food in their homes.
Could that possibly be accurate? Do people really keep that little food in their homes?
Another survey asked Americans how long they think they could survive if the entire electrical grid went down and there was no more power for an extended period of time.
Incredibly, 21 percent of those who responded said that they would survive for less than a week, and an additional 28 percent of those who responded said that they would survive for less than two weeks. Close to 75 percent of those who responded said that they would be dead before the two month mark.
So who are the crazy ones?
Are the people trying to become more independent and self-sufficient crazy, or are the people who have complete and total faith that the system will take care of them no matter what happens actually the crazy ones?
I don’t know about you, but I would prefer for myself and my family to at least have a chance to survive if society melts down for some reason.
What about you?
Are you a prepper?
Do you know some preppers?
Do you believe that people should be prepping?
Please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts below…
Rise Of The Preppers: 50 Of The Best Prepper Websites And Blogs On The Internet
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Keeping chickens is easy–and I highly recommend it! To give easy a reference point, having done both I’d say chickens is way less work than a dog, but more than a cat. You only need to consider a few factors to successfully raise hens from chicks, which I recommend over purchasing full grown hens because chicks, while they are actually a fair bit of work (think puppy) are cute and fun to watch grow up. Besides, they grow up Very Fast. Like in 3 months. And if you buy full-grown hens or pullets (adolescent female chickens) off Craigslist, you never know what you are actually getting. We have been majorly underwhelmed. We ended up with 6 cockerels (young roosters) and 2 hens from one purchase of supposedly pullets-only, and 2 very stressed and sick pullets from another transaction, and birds a fair bit older than advertised in a third.
Sometimes I am a slow learner. If you want to buy pullets or hens, do so from someone you know.
All chicks need is feed, water, a warm place to live and cleanliness. But before you bring any of these cute fluff balls home (and have I mentioned stinky?) read through this step-by-step guide and be prepared for them.
I’ll assume before you head to your Wilco store–or equivalent, you will know where your chickens will be housed once they outgrow the brooder box. If not FIGURE THIS OUT FIRST! It is very tempting to bring home chicks once you go look at them. Especially if you take your children with you–which I recommend. While you don’t have to have your coop built/bought/assembled, coop time will come upon you quicker than you’d imagine. If you are building or assembling a coop, give yourself twice as much time as you think you’ll need.
In another post I’ve talked about breed selection, which you should consider, too, although you might find yourself purchasing whatever is available–and that’s okay, too. They all scratch in the dirt, cluck, roost, dust bath, vie for a position in the pecking order, and lay eggs!
So let’s assume you’ve made the leap–that is, decided your breeds, figured out their final home and the little birds are either in transit via the post office (only likely if you are getting 25 or more), or chirping and cheeping away at your local farm and feed store, hoping for adoption.
Remember: care of chicks is not difficult even if I spend more than a few words talking about each requirement.
STEP ONE: Things To Gather BEFORE your chicks arrive. Yes. BEFORE.
1) A brooding box/pen/cage. We start with a big plastic tub for 25 chicks, which they’ll outgrow in a week. We’ll use it to hold 40-50 pound bags of feed later. If you have 3-6 you can keep them here for a 2-3 weeks. A cage for mice or birds or maybe rabbits can work well, too, and will give your chicks more to look at then plastic walls. Since ours are only here a week or two, a tub works for us.
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2) Chick feed. It is important to feed your chicks food intended for chicks and not adult birds. We get ours from Buchanans Feed Store in McMinnville, though Wilco or any place that sells chicks will also sell feed and all these other supplies. I imagine pet stores will be getting into this market if they haven’t yet.
3) Chick grit. Chickens typically consume dirt and pebbles as they eat, and these are necessary to help break down their food. Since chicks are not outside for the first 5 weeks (in our case more like 6-8 since we get them in December) they need grit as a supplement added to their food. Adult birds that are not raised outside will continue to need a grit supplement.
4) Pine shavings or equivalent. Avoid hardwood shavings like oak, as they can be toxic to chicks. I’d avoid shredded newspaper, too, though some people use it. The ink will dirty your chicks, and it seems an unsatisfying bedding choice for new chicks.
5) Paper towels (non-bleached, plain) for the first 2 days. If you use newspaper be sure to shred it or chicks will slip on the surface. Slipping is problematic for proper foot development, so go with paper towels.
6) Water and food dispensers. Those pictured are specifically for chicks. They will need something bigger in about 5 weeks. Though again, if you only have three or four birds, the watering can pictured could work if you swap out a quart jar, but even with a quart jar you’ll have to fill it frequently.
7) Light with a 100 watt bulb if chicks will start in your home somewhere (a laundry room works well), or some heated area. Otherwise, get a heat lamp as well as a white light. If you plan to put them in your garage in early spring, you will still want a heat lamp.
Thermometer (not essential, but handy).
STEP TWO: Set up before the chicks arrive
1) Place about 1/2 inch of shavings in the bottom of your brood space and cover with one layer of paper towels. If you have a cage, lay a plastic bag or old shower curtain down to protect the floor. With our tub we put an old towel down. Partly it marks off chick space from other space. Consider “chick space” dirty. That is, hands should be washed well after entering “chick space”….
2) Put the filled feeder and water directly on the bottom of your brood area for a day. Once the chicks are actively eating and drinking, put a block of wood under the feed and water to raise them a bit. This will keep them cleaner. Separating the water and feed will also help keep both cleaner.
3) If chicks are brand new–that is, they have not had anything to eat or drink yet (most likely if they have been mailed to you), then mix 1/4 c. sugar with a 1 quart of warm water to dissolve. Use this water the first couple of days. The sugar will give the hungry and thirsty chicks an energy boost, and they’ll be inclined to drink because–well, sugar water is just SO tasty! After the second day use tap water. If chicks come from a farm and feed type store and are at least a few days old you can omit the sugar water.
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STEP THREE: When Chicks Come Home
1) If the chicks have come in the mail they will be stressed, thirsty, and cold. So take them out of the box one at a time, dip their beak in your sugar water and set them down by the water. I keep the feed next to the water the first couple of days to be sure they find them both. You may need to dunk their beaks in the food too, if they aren’t finding it. Check them periodically to be sure they are eating and drinking. Occasionally you’ll need to double dip (I think of this as a baptizing of sorts–calling these chicks to life…) a chick who only wants to sleep. BUT sleeping is what they will do a lot the first couple of days.
If the chicks are coming from Wilco (or equivalent), they will be excited to explore their new area, and all you need to do is show them the water and feed. They will likely find them on their own, but set them down in front of it regardless, especially if your feeder looks different from the one in the store.
2) Hang your white light over the brood box. We put a screen on top of our tub and set the light on the screen–you can figure out another system, but you will want to cover the brood box by week 3. Follow these guidelines for temperature:
The first week keep the area beneath the light between 90-95. Every week decrease that 5 degrees by raising the light about 3 inches. By week five you’ll be at about 75 degrees, and depending on time of year, may not need a light anymore. If it is winter, keep their space above 60 at night for another few weeks until their chick fluff is fully replaced by feathers.
Chicks will communicate whether they are too hot or too cold by how they cluster. They will be inclined to collapse into a pile to sleep, but if they spend nearly all the time heaped up under the light they are too cold. If they are spread out away from the light they are too hot. If they are panting, they are too hot. In those cases, raise the light, or if you are using a heat lamp, switch to a 100 watt white bulb. This is why a thermometer is optional. Chicks communicate very well. Especially at this stage.
STEP FOUR: Things to Check in the First Week:
1) Observe to see that they are all drinking and eating. Feel free to hold them, but not overly much the first week. But handle them after that if you want hens that will tolerate petting! Certain breeds are also more amenable to petting than others.
2) When you pick them up, check their vent to be sure it is not plugged with poop. (Anatomy lesson: the vent is used for everything: pee-poop–urine and feces are mixed for chickens, and egg. Maybe disgusting, but true.) We only had this happen with one shipment–which arrived in bad shape. We lost five of the chicks in the first 24 hours, and about 5 of them had plugged vents over the first week. To clear, soak their bum in a small bowl/container of warm (not hot) water. Try not to get any more of the chick wet than is necessary. The poop plug will soften so that you can scrap it away gently. Dry chick and immediately put back in warm brood box. I used a yogurt container which I then recycled. THIS BEARS REPEATING: ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER HANDLING YOUR CHICKS. Not only when you’ve been cleaning pasty butts!
3) Turn off the white light every day 2-4 times for about 20 minutes at a time so they are not constantly under white lights. Imagine if you had to live and sleep under a bright white light 24/7…!
4) Add chick grit to the feed after the first few days. Mix your feed and grit together at this point. The ratio of feed to grit is 20:1. So 20 pounds of feed mixed with 1 pound of grit will keep you from having to make the calculation every time you feed them.
5) You’ll change the paper towels a couple of times a day the first day or two on account of the poop. Once you stop using paper towels, add new shavings on top of the old ones every few days as needed. If you are using a heat lamp you’ll notice the lamp dries the poop and reduces the smell. If you are using a white lamp, you will likely want to replace the shavings every few days. When the smell is strong–it’s time to replace them. For your sake, but also for the chick’s health.
STEP FIVE: Things to Do in Week Two or Three:
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Mostly Continue what you’ve been doing, but you will notice they will muck up their water (so change it frequently–and depending on how many chicks you have, you might want to graduate to a quart jar for water), and you’ll be surprised how quickly they will go through feed.
Clean their water jar at least once a week with a vinegar/water solution. You’ll notice it gets to feeling slimy, and vinegar will keep it clean.
By the end of week two we move our birds to a bigger space–but that means moving them to the cold garage since we get our birds in December. So we add a heat lamp at that point, and leave both a heat lamp and a white light on during the day, and then turn off the white light at night. If you just have 3-4 chicks you’ll likely be able to keep them in your original space for the full 5-6 weeks unless the smell drives them or you out of the house! Better them than you! Since it takes five to six weeks for them to get their warmer set of feathers, heat continues to be an issue even after they appear to be awkward gawky teenagers.
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Here’s our 2nd space–which fits 25 chicks well. We keep it well insulated. Foam pads fit in the sides and I use our backpacking pads and a few towels besides as insulation on the top and front.
Add clean shavings every few days on top of the old ones. I lift the top and take the opportunity to hold them when I add shavings. Mostly they spend week three well insulated like the photo to the left shows. As they get older (and more feathered) I open up a space for them to see into the garage, and eventually open the front up most of the way during the days before we move them from here to the hen house.
More to be added as this set of chicks continue their journey from toddlerhood (where they are now) through adolescence, to adulthood. I’ll use a separate posting for future steps. Good luck!
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FEB04Blueberry, Strawberry & Jicama Salsa Recipe
Recipes
by admin
These combination of flavors complement each other perfectly… enhancing each element creating layers of taste. This is one is now a all time favorite in my household.
Click here: Blueberry Strawberry & Jicama Salsa | Blueberry Salsa Recipe | Two Peas & Their Pod
Stocking Up On Memories
TJ Miller
February 4th, 2013
Beyond Collapse
Comments (165)
Read by 6,622 people
This article has been shared for your reading pleasure by TJ Miller, a long-time contributor to our web site often posting under his online moniker of ‘Odd Questioner’. TJ is the author of the comprehensive and must-have guide Beyond Collapse: Surviving and Rebuilding Civilization from Scratch. You can read an excerpt from the book here. You can also follow his regular thoughts and musings at the Beyond Collapse web site.
Yesterday, I came across something that, while simple, turns out to be pretty profound; it was enough that I got to thinking beyond that.
You have folks that stock up on almost every conceivable thing – bullets, food of every sort, tools, and whatever the big sites have managed to scare them into either buying, building, or improvising. However, that one little post has brought something to light that few preppers ever bother with in their rush to get out ahead of doomsday: Stocking up on good memories.
Certainly, this is covered in the book, and multiple times – enjoying life is a prime reason that we as humans live (right behind reproduction), and one really does need to enjoy civilization while it is still around – else why the hell would you want to bother trying to rebuild it?
There are too many out there who have their heads down, openly eschewing the world as we know it entirely. Some avoid it because they’re fixated (way too much) on whatever their pet prophesy happens to be. Some can’t because they’re too busy working on top of getting the preparations down. Some aren’t able to because they reason that buying an AR-15 before the government bans them all is more important than taking the kids out on a one-in-a-lifetime trip to Yellowstone.
Once Upon A Future Time…
It’s been 45 years since The Big One. Your little community has managed to come together, and in spite of all the death, destruction, and various other hardships, things have become stable, and look to be growing for your little town. Your little group of survivors have turned what used to be an elementary school into your community buildings, and converted its wide grassy fields into a farm from which most of you garden off your own plots and eat. The playground became the market, which has become quite prosperous in the past 10 years. Everyone is reasonably well-fed and relatively happy, and have made their homes and fortifications among the houses along the periphery of the school property.
As the oldest resident, you wound up being the village elder of sorts. At 66 years old, you are among the last to have lived as an adult during the pre-collapse era. Once a week, you sit by the side of the building after church. Almost all of the kids (and not a few adults) all gather around, listening to your stories of life during “The Magical Times”. What exactly do you intend to tell them there, Mr Storyteller? If your answer involves talking about prepper websites and books, and how you packed all your stuff in preparation, then man – is your town ever going to be boring! If your answer involves made-up conspiracies and the greatest editions of The Tinfoil Bulletin? That’s even worse, and I wouldn’t blame the kids for blowing you off and going somewhere else to play. Most of the kids would think: “What a miserable effing experience! No wonder the world blew up – they deserved it!”
Now what if your stories told of wonderful things – wild-but-accurate descriptions of amusement parks, of driving for hundreds of miles in one day just to see a beautiful valley? What if you could tell them of magical gatherings of people to light a Christmas tree, or to celebrate a new year? What if you could tell them of the time you walked the streets of cities across the ocean, and how you got there in less than a day by flying? What about all the basketball games you and your long-dead friends once attended, and how you and thousands of other people shouted and cheered as one? You could even tell them about the games you would play on a box, and play against people from all around the world. Then there was the time you went on this giant ship and sailed to some cool island…
Memories: More Important Than Most Other Preps
As you might have noticed by this point, there’s more to preps and gearing up for a civilization reboot than just stacking, racking, and packing. There’s more to it all than just getting good at the rifle range.
There is civilization itself. It contains a vast catalog of really awesome stuff to see and do. It not only provides you with enough leisure time to prep, it helps give you time to create, to ponder, and to wonder. It has the means to let you do some really cool stuff. While I harp on it in the book, I want to harp on it here, too. Get your ass out there and have some fun once in awhile. I don’t mean fun like in camping and drilling for preps, I mean fun like take a camping trip to a national park. Go out sport fishing some time. Pick a random town on the other side of the continent (or for those in the middle, pick a side) and go play tourist. If you have the means and the world situation isn’t too far gone, pick some spot on the globe and go visit it.
The idea here is that if you’re going to want to rebuild civilization after it’s gone, you need to explain to future generations why they should even bother. That’s where the good memories come in, no?
One Prep, Multiple Benefits
Taking time to make these memories is pretty important for you too, boyo. It does more than provide a lot of cool stuff to talk about, and even does more than help educate future generations. It allows you time to relax a little. It gives you the very needed chance to talk to other people you don’t know, and to get their insights and viewpoints – that alone will force your mind to stretch a little. It prevents you from your own form of normalcy bias… or rather, your growing abnormalcy bias. It helps give you greater insight of your own.
As someone who does prep, I do gain one benefit that most non-preppers never will: I appreciate the things I see – and do so far more than they can ever hope to. In an age where you can see wonders on your television in retina-stretching HD, seeing them for real has an almost transcendental effect. Knowing that it could be gone within a decade or two means that my mind soaks it in just that much more intensely
– I find that my enjoyment of the item, act, and people last long, long after the photos, tchotskies, souvenirs and baubles have broken, faded, or become lost.
I think that if you seriously do prep, you may indeed experience much the same things – you enjoy that which may be gone tomorrow, whereas the typical tourist yawns and wonders when the buffet comes up next.
Your Mission, Should You Decide…
I’d like to close this wee blather with a mission for you: get out there and have some serious fun at least once this year. Plan and take a vacation. Get you and your family out somewhere cool, interesting, and fun. Talk to everyone you meet (just don’t get suckered), and enjoy the hell out of it. Try some new activities, new food, and new stuff. Do something that scares the crap out of you. Don’t forget to buy a cheesy t-shirt of the event.
Most importantly, soak it all up as if it will be the last vacation you will ever get to take. Why? Because you never know – it may well be.
This article has been shared for your reading pleasure by TJ Miller, a long-time contributor to our web site often posting under his online moniker of ‘Odd Questioner’. TJ is the author of the comprehensive and must-have guide Beyond Collapse: Surviving and Rebuilding Civilization from Scratch. You can read an excerpt from the book here. You can also follow his regular thoughts and musings at the Beyond Collapse web site.
Stocking Up On Memories
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Making a Table from Wood Pallets – Picture DIY Tutorial
Making a Table from Wood Pallets – Picture DIY Tutorial » The Homestead Survival
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The yummy life. DIY Natural Room Scents
Add fragrance to your home using simmering waters infused with spices, herbs, & fruit
Instructions at: DIY Natural Room Scents
www.rawforbeauty.com
The Prepper Filter – 11 Questions That Will Help You Be A Better Prepper
Norse Prepper
February 7th, 2013
www.SHTFplan.com
Comments (281)
Read by 12,963 people
I was recently asked by someone in a conversation “What is a Prepper”? I started to answer the question with a knee jerk reaction being that a prepper is someone with a cache of bullets, band aids and beans stored away in the event that the world shows signs of coming to an end via economic collapse, EMP events, Madrid earthquakes or other major disasters. After a long pause, my definition came out of my mouth and it was that a prepper is simply one who prepares.
This led to a short conversation spurred on by the person asking what they are preparing for. We talked for a little bit and ended the conversation both a bit confused because they didn’t understand why someone would can meat when they can freeze it and I couldn’t understand how they haven’t heard about a power outage lasting for more than a week. It was not surprising to see our conversation go in that direction and end the way it did given that upwards of 95% or more of the population just don’t see that there is any reason to think that society can break down, but what was surprising was the thought process I had that followed our conversation.
Make no mistake about it; there will be a crash of some sort and depending on how far we fall will determine how bad it is. We are a hand to mouth society far removed from the habits of our ancestry who stored food in their cellars, produced food in fields and gardens and had food producing animals out in the back 40 to sustain them. Today procurement of food is completed via going continually to the grocery store, eating out and ordering in. Virtually no one is paying attention to how long a person’s family will last if that supply chain is disrupted for any reason.
So, what is a prepper? That is an excellent question with limitless answers and in hindsight, although my initial definition is correct because although we as preppers are preparing for something, we are also preparing for the worst. People with auto insurance are preparing for a car crash or accident. People with life insurance are preparing for death. People with crop insurance are preparing for a devastating hail storm. People with house insurance are preparing for a fire. While all of these things are bad situations, these people wouldn’t fit in the category as a prepper. With proper insurance the majority can weather the storm and life goes on.
I think what separates the prepper from the average Joe who buys insurance is the lifestyle of a prepper. Preppers just think differently than most people. Preppers are independent thinkers who instead of wanting to be taken care of, we want to produce and provide and sacrifice the now for the future.
With the dollar continuing to be devalued through QEinfinity, people losing gainful employment or becoming underemployed and underpaid just to make ends meet and put food on the table, many are finding that there is too much month left over at the end of the money. Choices have to be made by preppers yearly, monthly, weekly and even hourly on what to do with the limited resources we have at our disposal.
I suggest to all preppers that they implement a prepper filter into their decision making. Think of it as a hopper where all of our hearts wants and desires are dropped into the top of the filter including bills, food expenses all the way up to the new Harley. There are stops along the way for each item where it either passes the test or it gets spit out the side. For each item, decisions need to be made. Whatever you want, put it through your personalized prepper filter to see if you really should do or purchase it.
Create your own filter questions, but before you do, I encourage you to write down what your goals are. Everything should be judged with the #1 question being “Is this going to help me accomplish my goals?”
After food, water and shelter are taken care of; here are some examples of questions to ask before you make a purchase.
- Is this necessary? Don’t fool yourself when asking this question. Some things seem necessary, but life would go on without them. Cable TV, smart phone…etc. A vehicle is a necessity, but a beater will get you from point A to point B and settling for a lesser car can put thousands in your pockets that can be used for prepping.
- Can I get it cheaper? Before you purchase a new pair of jeans for $30 to $50 (or more!) have you looked at garage sales and thrift stores? Buying a pair of $5 jeans at a thrift store just saved you $25 that can be used to purchase over 30 cans of food marked down to 80 cents in the weekly sale.
- Will this be able to be used prior to a SHTF scenario AND afterwards? Purchasing something that can be of use now and will still remain useful afterwards is the key here.
- Are there cheaper options available? Sure, the shiny new decked out shotgun is sweet, but could I find a used one that I could pick up for less?
- Will this purchase take up useful time and replace it with useless time that cannot be replaced? For example, to some, gaming systems are fun, but they take up hours and hours of your time and in the end, you haven’t gained a skill or accomplished anything, you’ve just grown older. Avoid time sucking activities that have no meaningful return on your time investment.
- Can I learn something from this? Buy a canner and learn the skill of canning. This is a lesson that will save you money, will grow a yearning for learning how to garden and become more self sufficient and will save you a lot of money by being able to save food that might be thrown away before it becomes spoiled. Buy a book on woodworking utilizing hand tools instead of the latest science fiction novel. Prepping skills learned are an investment.
- If it is necessary and I find it at a good price, can I purchase more? This can help with preps as well as save money in the future.
- If I need this item, but can’t afford it right now, what am I willing to give up to be able to put myself in a position in the near future to be able to afford it?
- Who says I need this? Too many decisions are made to “Keep up with the Joneses”. Children are excellent at playing the emotional strings because “Everyone in my class is going to the concert”. No decision should be made because someone else is doing it. If you have plenty of disposable income and extra, by all means, get $2,000 front row tickets! But if it means you will have a great time and an empty pantry, get the artist’s CD and call it good. Unless someone is actually paying your bills, their opinion on what you do or spend money on doesn’t matter.
- Can this hobby be used in a practical application? Scrapbooking may be fun, but what does it teach you that will be useful some day? I’m not a scrapbooker myself so maybe there is something I’m missing, but I know of people who spend hundreds of dollars doing this activity.
- Does this person identify with my goals, beliefs and will be an asset? Let’s face it, you end up like who you hang around. If being prepared is your goal, you need to guard the gates of your association and limit it to people who don’t take every chance they can to take verbal pokes at your prepping. Find people who are encouraging to your goals. People who have skills they can teach or are hungry to learn from your knowledge.
I have heard the excuse many times from people that they cannot afford to prep, yet they have a satellite dish, the most expensive smart phone with data package, an X Box, drink coffee from Fourbucks every morning and I could go on and on. I truly believe that everyone has within their capacity the ability to prep.
Where we are today is a result of a series of choices we have made in the past. The great part is that today is the first day of the rest of our lives and where we end up in the future will be the result of choices that we make between now and then. Everyone makes mistakes, especially yours truly, but moving forward, setting goals and filtering lifestyle and financial decisions through a personalized filter will give us the best chance to be as prepared as we can be.
I have said in the past that prepping is not a destination, it is a journey. Everyone is at a different point on their journey, but we are all on the same path either learning from those ahead of us or encouraging those behind. Don’t forget to have fun along the way and enjoy these days of plenty, but don’t lose sight of your goals in the process.
As always,
God Bless
Norse Prepper
The Prepper Filter - 11 Questions That Will Help You Be A Better Prepper
What to Do Right Now If The Hard Times Have Begun and You are Not Prepared
Emergency Preparedness
by admin
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Grandpappy blog has some of the most down to earth realistic sound advice about basic prepping for hard times. In this economy, if your not struggling now – I hate to say it but most likely you will be soon.
Click here to read article: http://www.grandpappy.info/hnow.htm
How to Make Cayenne Salve Recipe For Pain Relief
Natural Remedies, Salves
by admin
http://thehomesteadsurvival.com/wp-c...-2-300x177.jpgLearning Herbs shares a picture tutorial how to create a Cayenne Salve that can be rubbed into sore muscles for pain relief.
Click here to read: http://www.learningherbs.com/news_issue_92.html
How to Make Cayenne Salve Recipe For Pain Relief » The Homestead Survival
How to Make a Solar Still to Purify Water Project
Solar, Water, Water storage and purification
by admin
Click here: New skills for survival : How to Make a Solar Still. Make your own distilled water from stream or lake water, salt water, or even brackish, dirty water, using these DIY Solar Still plans.
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How to Make a Solar Still to Purify Water Project » The Homestead Survival
Judy’s Free Pallet Chicken Coop Step By Step Picture Tutorial
DIY Projects, Home
by admin
Judy’s Free Pallet Chicken Coop Step By Step Picture Tutorial » The Homestead Survival
Using reclaimed materials can really bring down the cost of the overall project.
I enjoyed looking at all the pictures, truly inspiring.Step by step picture tutorial
Judy's Free Pallet Chicken Coop - BackYard Chickens Community
How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent DIY Recipe & Video
Cleaners
by admin
Click here: Why Not Sew?: How to Make Homemade Laundry Detergent
You can add Tea Tree essential oil for extra cleaning power