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Friday, October 27, 2017

5 Essential Items You Need To Survive if North Korea Sends Nukes


nuclear explosion, nuclear war
nuclear war
You don’t have to watch the nightly news long to understand that we are under constant threat throughout the world — and that nuclear weapons threats are a reality.

While no one hopes that we enter another nuclear age, it seems it may be only time that is by our side. What would you do if we were attacked by a nuclear weapon — as many people throughout the world have experienced at the hands of unjust governments.

Would you be prepared?
If you’re worried that you wouldn’t know where to begin, then there is something you can do. Read on to get our five essential tips for surviving a nuclear weapons attack from a formidable enemy, such as.....More from the Source.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

24 Surprising Vicks VapoRub Uses You’ve Never Heard Of

Vick's Vapor Rub, Vick's Vapor Rub uses
Vick's Vapor Rub



1. In treating headaches

Vicks VapoRub has basic ingredients like Camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol in it, which helps in treating headaches due to sinus or tension and even migraine.

2. In relieving achy muscles

The menthol in the Vicks helps in increasing blood circulation which provides relief to the achy muscles. So massage with it gently over the achy muscles and cover the area the area with a dry, warm towel.

3. Instant relief from Insect Bites

Menthol has a cooling action which soothes the itching sensation post an insect bite, reducing the risk of infection. So wash the affected area and apply a mixture of Vicks VapoRub and table salt (a little).

4. Fight Toenail or Fingernail Fungus

Thymol present in Vicks has antiseptic, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties which help in suppressing the growth of fungus. It is a proven effective aid in the treatment of onychomycosis.

5. Helps in clearing acne

The presence of menthol in it helps in quick relief from pain and sensation. So apply the gel on the affected area for about 30 minutes and rinse it off with lukewarm water. Here’s more of it in detail.

6. Healing cracked heels

The ingredients present in Vicks helps in retaining the moisture and healing the cracks. So before going to bed, clean your feet with lukewarm water and apply a considerable amount of vaporub on cracked heels and put on your socks and sleep.


Read more from the Source

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Why you should never get a microchip (Could also be the "Mark Of The beast")

human microchip
human microchip

Microchips and the human dangers

How microchipping will control the populationEquifax data breech? Don't ever get a microchip inserted.Implanting a microchip stings, but here's the real sting ~ the day
may come when you can't buy food, can't get a paycheck, can't
get medical help, can't get a driver's license, and can't leave the
country because you don't have a microchip.


Super human powers or super control?Is a microchip implanted under the skin destructive to the welfare
of a free and open society? Sinister forces say no; however, you
need only look to mythology and literature past and present to
understand the potential destruction a microchip has. Certainly,
and in the beginning, people will feel super human for having a
microchip implanted, but as soon as the novelty fades, the
manipulation will start to creep into your veins, quit literally.

With an alluring microchip under your skin you'll be able to:


  • Secure access to buildings, mobile phones, and computers
  • Open car doors (keyless entry)
  • Start a motorcycle or car (keyless ignition)
  • Light the way to your front door and pathways inside your home.
  • Load music preferences in your car or home.
  • Get money from the bank with a wave of the hand!
  • Enjoy VIP treatment (free latte or exclusive park use) as a marketing ploy.







    • More from the source



      Tuesday, February 21, 2017

      5 Ways to Use Hot Rocks in a Survival Situation

      cooking on rocks, open fire cooking, primitive cooking
      open fire cooking with hot rocks
      Enlarge
      Tim MacWelch
      Cooking on rocks is a great option in a survival situation—you just have to pick the right rock. Here's what else you can do with a pile of stones in the field.
      Fighting the cold? Need help cooking? Don’t underestimate the power of hot rocks! Stones can hold a lot of heat, and radiate that warmth for a long time when properly insulated. Start with rocks from a high, dry area. Never use rocks from a wet area. They may have trapped moisture which can cause them to explode when heated. Avoid glasslike or crystal filled stones. Don’t use slate or shale, either. These are prone to explosion and breakage near heat. Just grab some plain old ugly rocks from a high dry location, heat them up and enjoy the results.

      1. Bed Warmer

      For a warm and comfortable night, heat large flat stone to about the same temperature as scalding hot tap water. Wrap it in tough cloth or clothing, and put it in your bed or sleeping bag. The heat will soak into your cold bedding and you’ll drift off to a snug night of slumber. I’ve had rocks remain warm as long as seven hours this way.

      2. Rock Boiling

      Rock boiling can be used to prepare soups and teas, and boil your water to disinfect it. Collect about two dozen egg sized or slightly smaller stones to rock boil 2 to 4 quarts of water. Heat them in your fire for 30-45 minutes. Use sticks or split wood tongs to pick up the rocks and drop them into your water. Use one or two at a time, and rotate “cool” ones out and hot ones in.

      3. Rock Frying

      For small cooking tasks, chuck a flat rock into the fire for ten minutes to heat it up. Once hot, slide it out of the fire with a stick and dust off the ashes. Drip a little oil on the stone and set your food on the rock to cook. This is a dead simple way to make delicious fried foods, and you don’t even need a frying pan! And for a more permanent set-up, place a large slab of stone over a trench or on top of stone legs. Build a fire underneath, heat the stone, drop your food on top and listen to your meal sizzle!

      4. Heat On Injury

      For sprains, strains, cramps and other maladies, a warm rock can provide soothing comfort when held against the affected area. Warm stones can even help with problems that are severe, like hypothermia (cold exposure that can lead to shock and death). To treat this with hot rocks, place a warm stone under each armpit and between the thighs of the exposure victim. Wrap them up and repeat the treatment until their body temperature rises.

      5. Punch Holes in Ice

      Want some fresh fish, but you lack the tools to bore a hole through the ice? Step back a few thousand years and use something our remote ancestors would have used – a hot rock. Simply burn a large fire on the shore, heat up a large stone in the blaze. After an hour of heating, use a shovel to carry the dangerously hot stone to your ice fishing spot and set it on the ice. It will begin to melt the ice immediately and work its way downward. Soon the rock will melt through the ice and drop into the dark water below. Your ice fishing hole will be open, smooth and ready to fish.

      Source: http://www.outdoorlife.com/5-ways-to-use-hot-rocks-in-survival-situation

      Friday, February 17, 2017

      5 Reasons To Bug In & 5 Reasons To Bug Out

      bug in or bug out
      bug in or bug out


      The bugging in versus bugging out debate is probably one of the biggest in the survival community, most likely because it’s impossible to predict the future. Everyone’s got an opinion. You have your extremists (who see themselves doing either one or the other) and then you have those who prep for both.
      Instead of siding with either of the two, let’s try to find good reasons for doing either so we can at least figure out which one is more important for our unique situation.
      Read More From The Source http://urbansurvivalsite.com/5-reasons-to-bug-in-5-reasons-to-bug-out/

      Thursday, February 16, 2017

      Doomsday Prepping

      survival, pencil sharpener
      pencil sharpener

      Common Sense Survival Basics

      With December 21 of 2012 just around the corner I'm not standing on a street corner saying the end is coming but I thought I would do a Hub Page on some basic common sense survival basics. If you live in the coastal areas of the American southeast you should also be getting ready for hurricanes before the hurricane season even gets here. I'm not telling you to become a doomsday prepper but I am telling you to be prepared.
      Well if you're reading this then we all know that December 2012 has come and gone. But let me ask you a very important question. If something really bad were to happen tomorrow are you and your family prepared? Are you ready if something really bad does happen.  Continue reading from the source.

      Friday, February 3, 2017

      17 Basic Wilderness Survival Skills Everyone Should Know

      wilderness survival skills, basic survival skills
      17 basic wilderness survival skills


      We frequently hear stories in the media of people getting lost in the wilderness. Getting lost might not be such an issue if everyone were equipped the knowledge of some basic survival skills.
      Whether you are just going camping for the night, hiking on a busy trail for an afternoon, or backpacking across the Rockies, you need to be prepared for any situation! Today we will share 17 basic wilderness survival skills everyone should know. Read more from the Source

      Thursday, February 2, 2017

      Stuck in a blizzard? Here's an inexpensive emergency heating system

      emergency heat
      emergency heat


      The record-breaking winter storm that hit the Deep South was especially harsh to residents of north Georgia, and turned the entire metro Atlanta road network into an immobile mass of gridlock. As of presstime, there are still countless drivers stranded in cars and students stuck in schools or on buses, where they've been since yesterday afternoon.
      Of all the reasons you don't want to ride out a winter storm stranded in your car, the most obvious is the danger of freezing to death. In an immobilized vehicle, running the engine to generate heat is a bad idea for two reasons: one, even with a full tank you'll run out of gas in a few hours, thus leaving you unable to move even when traffic does eventually clear out; and two, if falling or drifting snow or ice blocks your car's exhaust pipe, you and everybody with you could easily die of carbon monoxide poisoning.
      Fortunately, it's easy to make heat without running the engine, and you can put together an emergency automotive heating kit for less than five dollars. You only need three items: an empty metal coffee can, metal-cup “tea light” candles, and some matches. (Well, make that four items: you'll want a resealable sandwich bag, too.)
      First, the coffee can. Make sure it's actual metal, not one of those cardboard cans with a metallic coating. Remove the label, but keep the lid for storage purposes. Inside the can you store the sandwich bag, which in turn holds the candles and matches. (Regarding the matches: a box of wooden safety matches is better than a book of paper matches, because if your fingers are stiff and clumsy with cold, the wooden matches will be much easier to light.)

      Tea lights


      Photo
      Coffee can radiant heater with tea lights burning on the bottom. The coffee can is sitting on the heat-resistant glass plate from my microwave oven's rotating carousel--in a power outage, the microwave is useless but some of its accessories still come in handy (Staff photo)
      Tea light candles, or tea lights, are sold in disposable cups, usually made of metal. (They might also be sold under other names, including “potpourri candles”; what you're looking for is about the width of a votive candle, but less than an inch high.) The more upscale candle stores sometimes offer tea lights in glass cups, which definitely look more attractive than metal-cup lights.
      But for heating purposes you want to stick with metal-cup tea lights, for two reasons: they're cheaper than glass and, more importantly, metal transfers heat far more efficiently. The cheapest tea light candles I've found are sold in the candle sections of discount department stores for as little as four to five cents apiece (when you divide the number of candles by the cost of the bag or box). Such tea lights are usually plain white, and unscented. You can also find fancier colored candles in a variety of scents in various upscale stores, but these can cost well over a dollar apiece, which is far too expensive for heating purposes.
      Once you have these items, turning the coffee can into a radiant space heater is simple: put the can on a stable, level, fire-resistant base where nobody is likely to knock it over, and burn three or four tea lights in the bottom of the can. Your average tea light burns about four hours before running out of wax, and the wick usually doesn't need to be cut or trimmed at all.
      By the way: if the wax candle falls out of its disposable cup, which often happens, make certain you put it back in the cup before you light it. A tea light candle, when lit, quickly melts into liquid wax, and without the cup to contain it, the wax will simply puddle all over the bottom of the coffee can, rather than be drawn up through the wick to feed the flame.

      Coffee cans


      Photo
      When not actively used as a heater, the coffee can stores the matches and tea light candles, with room left to hold some high-energy snack bars, too. (Staff photo)
      I personally can vouch forthe effectiveness of coffee cans as radiant heaters – though, granted, in a well-insulated apartment rather than an un-insulated automobile. In October 2011, I was living in Connecticut when a monster blizzard knocked out the power to half the state. So I had no electricity and no heat; living in a hotel for the duration would've been monstrously expensive, but neither did I want to sleep in the emergency shelter the city set up in the middle-school gym.
      Fortunately, with coffee-can heaters sufficient to burn about 40 tea lights at a time, I was able to get my apartment's common areas up to 66 degrees at night, even as outdoor temperatures dropped to the high teens or low 20s. With four tea lights burning in a can, the heat rising out the top was so intense, I couldn't hold my hand directly above the coffee can without its getting scorched. Of course I never left a burning candle unattended, and extinguished all flames before going to bed (fully dressed) at night.
      Granted, I lived in an all-adult household, with no small children, rambunctious pets, or other residents unable to show a healthy fear of and respect for fire. And my apartment, unlike most cars, was full of metal appliance-tops, tile floors and other nice, flat, fire-resistant surfaces on which to place a coffee-can space heater. (Also, when using tea lights and coffee cans for at-home emergency heat, a long-handled barbecue lighter is much better than short matches, to light the tea lights in the bottom of the coffee can. However, a liquid- or gas-fueled lighter isn't the sort of thing you want to keep in your non-climate-controlled car even if it is small enough to store inside your average coffee can.)
      But then, even with no heat at all, your average dwelling is a lot more survivable than a car stranded on a highway; if nothing else, you can put on extra layers of clothes, snuggle down beneath extra blankets and stay in bed until things warm up again. Which is why you need to add such things to your car's winter emergency kit: the space-heater setup I mentioned is only a start. You'll also want a warm blanket (or more than one, if you usually drive with passengers), a hat that can be pulled down low enough to also keep your ears warm, mittens or gloves and, ideally, a good scarf and an extra pair of warm socks, too.
      Pillows for everyone are not strictly necessary, but if you have the misfortune to sleep in your car they'll certainly make things less uncomfortable. You'll also want some individually wrapped, high-calorie snacks, like granola or energy bars, because your body requires fuel to generate heat just as much as your coffee-can space heater does.

      Source:
      https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/stuck-in-a-blizzard-heres-an-inexpensive-emergency-heating-system-012914.html

      Saturday, January 14, 2017

      The Most Powerful Natural Antibiotic. Kills Any Infection In The Body



      If you don’t trust in pharmacies and you’re looking for a powerful antibiotic, natural and very healthy, this is your recipe!
      Infections in the body should not always be treated with different antibiotics. Nowdays you can find many natural based remedies and try to kill your infections by them.
      This remedy is easy to prepare at home and rejuvenates your body, making it work flawlessly.
      For the body to function flawlessly, it’s essential to have a strong immune system. Say goodbye to inflammations and infections, and trust me that this remedy will protect you against any infection and bacteria.
      Ingredients:
      3 cups of apple cider vinegar
      1/4 cup of chopped garlic
      1/4 cup of chopped onion
      2 fresh chili peppers
      1/4 cup of grated ginger
      2 teaspoons of grated horseradish
      2 teaspoons of turmeric
      3 teaspoons of honey
      This tonic has helped many people to cure many viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal diseases and even plague! Its power should most certainly not be underestimated.
      How to prepare:
      1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, except for the vinegar.
      2. Transfer the mixture to a Mason jar.
      3. Pour in some apple cider vinegar and fill it to the top. It is best if 2/3 of the jar consist of dry ingredients, and fill in the rest with vinegar.
      4. Close well and shake.
      5. Keep the jar in a cool and dry place for 2 weeks. Shake well several times a day.
      6. After 14 days, squeeze well and strain the liquid through a plastic strain. For better results put a gauze over it. Squeeze well so the whole juice comes out.
      Store the tonic in the fridge. For maximum potency, let mixture infuse for six weeks. If you have a need, you can use the Master Tonic earlier. Take one or two tablespoons a few times a day as needed.

      Source

      Friday, January 13, 2017

      3 Ways to Make Survival Bread (Without an Oven)

      homemade bread, open fire bread
      homemade bread
      Enlarge
      Tim MacWelch
      Ash cakes cooked on campfire coals.
      The coals of your camp fire can bake up some tasty bread (if you have the secret ingredient to make your dough). When I started experimenting with camp breads years ago, I turned to old outdoor texts to find the recipes for bannock, damper, hard tack and every other kind of camp bread and trail biscuits you’ve heard about. The recipes themselves were simple enough: some flour here, some lard there, maybe some baking powder in more modern incarnations of this ancient, oven-free bread. But those simple ingredients didn’t leave much room for error, and usually yielded something closer to ceramics than biscuits. I finally stumbled upon the “only add water” complete pancake mix for camp bread, and I’ve never turned back. Next time you’re out there, try these simple techniques to make camp bread.
      Ash Cakes on the Coals
      First take one cup of complete pancake mix, and some extra water on your next primitive cookout or camping trip. Build up a medium-sized camp fire, and then let it die down into ashes and coals. Better yet, take advantage of the drying coals from a fire you used for another purpose.
      When your coals are ash covered, but still very hot - pour 1/3 cup of the pancake mix into a container (or a clean hand). Start adding water, one spoonful at a time, and stirring the mix around with a stick or your clean finger, until the mix forms a ball of dough. You’re looking for a soft bread dough texture, a little softer than Playdough. If it’s too sticky, add more dry mix. The real test of consistency is that you can pat it into a ¼ inch thick pancake. Use some of the dry mix on your hands before patting the bread flat, to avoid gluing your hands together.

      Next, toss the flat cake into the bed of coals and watch it closely as it starts to fluff up. You’ll cook it about one or two minutes on one side, depending on the heat of the coals. When it becomes rigid (like a little flat biscuit), and the very bottom edge begins to brown – use a stick to flip the cake over and cook it for 30 to 60 more seconds.
      Use a stick to move the cooked cake out of the bed of coals, wait a few seconds for it to cool, then blow on it briskly to remove any lingering ash. A little ash won’t hurt you, a lot will taste nasty. Top your finished ash cake with butter, jam, honey, or maple syrup. Or, just eat it plain.
      Bread On A Stick
      Remember that ashcake dough? Instead of patting it out as a cake to drop in the coals of your campfire, roll it into a long roll (like a bread-stick) on a flat surface. Once you have your dough roll, spiral wrap it around a stick that you can stab into the ground near your fire. Rotate the stick once it browns on the side, to cook your dough evenly. When all parts have a bread-like consistency, enjoy your bread-on-a-stick.
      Tin Can Baker Get a food can with the lid still slightly attached. Burn it in the fire to “clean” it out and to remove any possible plastic lining in the can. Then make your bread dough into a roll that fills less than half of the can. Fold the lid closed, and set it on its side on the ground. Place a few scoops of embers from a fire around the can, and turn the can every 10 minutes. Add more embers as they burn down, and periodically check your dough. Once the “roll” looks finished, allow it to finish baking in the dying embers. Remove the roll from the can when you think it’s done (about 30-45 minutes), and enjoy while warm. Have you ever made bread with a campfire? Please share your tricks and tips by leaving a comment.



      Source

      Wednesday, January 11, 2017

      The Homesteading Economy

      For many people today, the threat of unemployment is a constant.
      The economy – global, regional or local – is often precarious or even downright collapsing. Yet most of us don’t want to face the fact that it might happen to us – until it does. Most of us are trapped by the economy around us and feel helpless.
      Now, personally, we live in what is considered an economically depressed region. Our entire province struggles with both unemployment and underemployment and has for decades.

      This post may contain affiliate links.
      My grandfather once said that hardly anyone noticed the Great Depression in the Maritimes – it was just a few more unemployed people, a few more hungry people.
      When job loss hits, there is often not another anywhere in the horizon because job loss in an economically depressed region (or era!) rarely means just one more person is looking for work.
      Time to panic?
      Well, maybe. If you have already begun homesteading, realize that you have been creating a lifestyle of self-sufficiency, increasing your reliance and skills in order to thrive no matter what the economic circumstances. You have skills and you have resources … and you have a job.
      Unemployment is capitalism’s way of getting you to plant a garden. – Orson Scott Card
      My homesteading friends, take a step back and realize that you have a job, one that the entire family can (and really should) do together, and one that never has layoffs or economic depression. Another nice thing about this job is that it asks little regarding credentials. If you are willing and even moderately able, you can do it. After all, this job is tailor designed for you, your interests and your abilities!
      Of course I’m talking about homesteading – however that looks for you. It’s going to be different for all of us. Have you ever thought of the self-sufficiency skills and resources that you have which will allow you to live on a very low income? (As a note: This was written when we were off-grid, living in the woods. Read through for ideas on customizing it for your own situation)

      growing plants
      growing plants
      Save

      Garden

      I have a huge box of seeds that is just waiting for the ground to warm up a little bit more.
      Beets, loads of beans and cucumbers, corn, seed potatoes, carrots, lettuce and hardy greens. Some of the hardier ones will be saved to grow in the greenhouse during the fall, assuming we can put together the money to fix it this summer. We will also be building some cold frames, using thirteen old glass window frames we picked up when some neighbours were renovating.
      Do you garden?
      Perhaps you live in the heart of a city and rely on your CSA or the farmer’s market. That makes it a little more difficult to be self-reliant.
      If you’re considering using your awesome homesteading skills to decrease your need for a cash income, look at ways to grow something, somewhere. Community gardens are one option, but so is hooking up with someone who might loan you some land. Get creative.

      Pressure canning

      I LOVE opening a jar of carrots, corn or beans in the winter that was prepared essentially for free. Every year my canning has increased in importance and this year it will be vital.
      In order to pressure can vegetables, you’re going to need a pressure canner – your two main options are the All-American pressure canner and the Presto pressure canner – both are workhorses that will last for years. (The All-American is initially expensive and it weighs a lot but it has no parts that need replacing, while the Presto is less expensive and more lightweight but it has rubber gaskets that need replacing regularly. Those are the only essential differences and both are great canners!)
      To help keep it organized, I will be taking an inventory of what I currently have, listing what I need to get us through the next year, and checking things off as they’re preserved.
      Don’t forget other low cost methods of food preservation, too! Dehydrating, pickling, wine-making, lacto-fermentation, curing – there are many other ways to preserve food.
      I do not recommend freezing as a reliable preservation method unless you are running it on renewable energy.

      Chickens

      There are four roosters destined for the soup pot very soon (over due, to be honest!), and a couple of the hens who are definitely not pulling their weight. The hens that are inclined will be allowed to go broody this year and those chicks will be earmarked for slaughter in the late fall. This should provide us with a decent amount of canned chicken and broth for the winter.
      We are planning out our future chicken coop, but if funds remain tight this year, that may have to wait.
      I have learned that I am not likely to selectively cull birds during the winter. Water is scarce here when temperatures drop below freezing, and chicken cleaning uses a lot of water.
      goat, goats milk
      goat
      Save

      Goats

      Currently we have Nanette, who is nursing her twins and hasn’t a drop of milk to spare, and Emily, who seems to have got pregnant mid-winter. We will soon be separating Nanette and the twins during the day, which will give us some milk, and then we’ll get milk from Emily after she kids. The twins are a castrated male, who will be the companion goat as necessary, and a little replacement milker. We’re hoping for another doeling from Emily.
      However, I recently read something “Don’t get livestock animals to save money.” Yea, no kidding. It’s a good thing I love those goats because they haven’t exactly been cheap!
      Other animals – rabbits and pigs are also great options on the homestead. Although I have been warned by other farmers that pigs are quite expensive. The best way to afford them, I’m told, is to breed a sow twice a year and sell most of the piglets. We’re probably not getting pigs this year, but if we can get hutches built, I’d like to add rabbit to the mix.

      Foraging

      During the summer and fall, at various times, I can step outside and pick dandelions (yum!), lambsquarters, wild strawberries and blueberries, crabapples and wild apples (they make great applesauce), elderberries, choke cherries, violets (yes, they’re edible), sheep sorrel and much, much more.
      And I know that I’m only beginning to learn the many edible plants around me. If you don’t know the wild foods around you, it’s time to learn. No matter where you live, there are foods to be foraged.

      Hunting

      We have talked a lot about this, but we keep putting it off, mostly because the mister is working full days during training sessions and hunting season. He now has his hunter safety course and his license, so we’re well on our way to having game in the freezer.

      Daily bread

      I have returned to my old habit of making bread daily, now that I’ve learned the trick of keeping a pot of boiling water in the oven when the bread is rising!  Except for in the summer, our place is generally too cool, sometimes out right too cold, to raise bread.
      Homemade bread is probably the most cost-effective way to fill hollow legs and increase the food budget. If you are able to source whole grains for a good price and can grind your own fresh before making the bread, that’s even more cost-effective, but do not feel guilty about buying purchased flour.  I know that my grandmother bought her flour by the barrel because she was just too busy to be grinding flour every day.

      Scratch cooking

      Not just bread! Knowing how to bake a batch of beans, a simple casserole, quick pancakes or other inexpensive and belly-filling meals means that you are not at the mercy of convenience foods or, worse, restaurants.
      Eating restaurant meals is a rare treat for our family. Last week, the mister was taking a $100 cheque to the bank to cash. I joked that that would almost take our family of six out to dinner … and then I realized that it was close to the truth. At an average of $15 per person, we can easily spend $100 for a single restaurant meal.
      Or I can buy enough groceries to last us more a couple of weeks! That’s easy math.

      Wood heat

      As I write this, the mister is outside, getting a headstart on the firewood for next fall. We have enough wood on hand for this coming year, and have just ordered our wood to carry us through until the spring of 2018. Although our property is partly wooded, the trees are immature and not ready for harvesting.
      Still, firewood remains the least expensive source of heating fuel. Once our wood cookstove is installed, it will also be our main cooking fuel.

      Low expenses

      One of the nicest things about being off-grid is that we have very few bills to worry about. The property tax comes due in the summer, and we have our phone and internet and insurance to pay, but our fixed monthly expenses come out to a shockingly low number. We have no water bill, no electricity bill, no monthly fuel bill, no sewage bill.
      Look for ways that you can lower your various utility costs. Can you replace even small amounts of your electricity with solar-powered devices? Are you in a place where you can save rainwater in order to have a lower water bill? Try turning off the hot water tank, at least in the evenings – why heat water through the night when everyone is sleeping?
      However, even “free” eggs and milk come at the cost of feed, hay and other necessities, and wood needs to be bought in the spring. I have yet to find a way to grow shoes in the garden.

      Barter

      So far I’ve bartered fresh eggs for some good quality second hand clothes. This is one reason why I don’t try to sell eggs – they’re more useful as a barter item! We have bartered time and labour, too. Bartering is useful!
      Unfortunately, the government will not accept fresh cucumbers in lieu of taxes. Wouldn’t it be nice if they did?

      Cottage Industries

      There are so very many ways that homesteaders can bring in extra money. The trick is to stop thinking in terms of thousands of dollars. Instead, diversify and think small ….
      My Old Order Mennonite friend explained to me that, when BSE (a.ka. Mad Cow Disease) devastated the beef industry, many of their farms lost huge amounts of money.
      To keep families afloat, the wives and mothers stepped forward.
      The men continued traditional farming while the women expanded their gardens, goat barns, rabbit hutches and chicken coops. They sold pickles and jam by the jar, a zucchini for fifty cents and a pumpkin for a dollar, eggs for two dollars, and plant starts for a quarter. They took in sewing projects or made quilts.
      She showed me the little cash box where she kept her earnings – quarters, dollars and fives, every bit of it. With her garden, goats and chickens, she earned about the same amount as her husband.
      For me, that includes this blog (like the very carefully selected ads that I display with products and services I recommend, and Adsense which is customized to your browsing history), but it will also include selling at the local market this summer and fall.
      I plan to have pickles (lacto-fermented and vinegar), pickled eggs, fudge and various produce – like foot long “Rattlesnake” beans and Lyaluk cucumbers – and maybe some baked goods. Zucchini bread, maybe?
      And of course, it can include outside work. My grandfather cut and sold logs, and he sold hay in the winter. My grandmother sold butter but she also cleaned houses at times when logging and haying didn’t bring in enough. Outside work does not always have to mean a regular job, though.
      Your homesteading economy is not going to look exactly like mine, but have you ever thought about what you have – resources and skills – to help you live without a regular job? Many people talk about preparing for “SHTF” but for many of us, that isn’t a far off event in the future. It’s daily life. Homesteading is PREPAREDNESS IN ACTION.

      How to Get Started – Country or Town!

      First step

      Figure out ABSOLUTE MINIMUM you need in cash to pay your annual bills, but also what you need to survive with a bit more comfort. Our first list would include our phones (basic flip phones), internet, insurance, taxes, any debts owing to private people, vital medication, as well as feed for the various animals.
      To add a little more comfort, we would want some grocery store food, building supplies, health care expenses (glasses, dental care), gasoline, a bit of propane. Still, don’t go overboard – you’re thinking necessities here.

      Second step

      Figure out what assets you have to help you meet your needs with little or no financial input.

      Third Step

      Look at what you can do to make up the difference between what you can generate with your homesteading activities and what you need to live.

      Fourth Step

      Work on getting some luxuries! Don’t plan to live your life on a bare bones budget.


      Source:
      http://www.justplainmarie.ca/the-homesteading-economy/

      Monday, January 9, 2017

      Root Cellar Ideas

      Root Cellar Ideas
      Root Cellar Ideas
      root cellar ideas

      Root Cellar Ideas
      The idea of root cellars has been around for centuries, way before refrigerators were invented, and is still being utilized today. It’s an effective way of storing and preserving root vegetables and fruits such as carrots, potatoes, beets, turnips, apples, etc.

      The major principle used in preserving produce this way is the natural insulation provided by the earth. Root cellars keep food from freezing during the winter months and prevent spoilage by keeping produce cool during summer.
      If you have produce more than your existing refrigerator can handle, storing them in your backyard in a root cellar is a great idea that can keep you from increasing your power consumption.
      There are lots of ways to build your own root cellar, and most of them won’t cost you a lot.
      Here are some ideas to help you decide what type of root cellar suits your needs, available space and budget…
      Click on any image to start lightbox display.Use your Esc key to close the lightbox. You can also view the images as a slideshow if you prefer 
      Buried Freezer Root Cellar
      Trash Can Root Cellar
      Repurposed Tank Root Cellar Storm Shelter
      Strawbale Root Cellar
      Barrel Root Cellar
      Eathbag Root Cellar


      Saturday, January 7, 2017

      Five Ways to Preserve Eggs



      preserving eggs, 5 ways to preserve eggs
      preserving eggs
      From The Source:
      Boil ’em, bake ’em, freeze ’em and more… I have an abundance of fresh eggs and they just keep coming. It’s that time of year, of course, the chickens are working overtime! My friend sells them to me for $2 dollars a dozen and they are so good I just can’t pass them up. I currently have five dozen eggs and more on the way. I’m on a mission today to find ways to preserve my egg abundance. 5 ways to preserve eggs | PreparednessMamaRaw eggs will last about 30 days in your refrigerator without losing any quality. We will probably eat this 5 dozen eggs in 5 weeks, but it takes up a lot of space in my frig. So I’m looking for alternative ways to save, freeze and extend the bounty. Before you begin to preserve your eggs always do a float test before using it. Just fill a bowl with cold water and place your eggs in the bowl. If they sink to the bottom and lay flat on their sides, they’re very fresh. If they’re a few weeks old but still good to eat, they’ll stand on one end at the bottom of the bowl. If they float to the surface, they’re no longer fresh enough to eat.

      Floating = spoiled.

      Read On Here


      Portable Solar Cooker

      Friday, January 6, 2017

      14 Survival Tips That May Save Your Life Someday Vol. II

      survival tips
      homemade arrow

      In the case of an emergency, doing the right thing or having the right skill could make the difference between life and death, it can save your life or someone else's life. We have compiled a collection of some of the most crucial information and skills you should have to know what to do in an emergency or a disaster. It's really important that you and your family and your friends to have this knowledge.
      More from the source

      Thursday, January 5, 2017

      Kentucky Bourbon Beef Jerky

      beef jerky, Kentucky Bourbon Beef Jerky
      Kentucky Bourbon Beef Jerky


      Looking for a rough and tough beef jerky made for a REAL man? You just found it. Bourbon + Beef Jerky = A Super Manly Beef Snack!
      When I think of Beef Jerky, I think of a meat snack that is made for the rough and tough man. I eat most of my jerky while working on a drilling rig in South Texas. It just feels right tearing into a dried tough piece of meat in order to give you enough protein to make it through the day.
      I don’t know about you, but what is more manly than making your beef jerky with bourbon? Nothing, that is the obvious answer to this question. Here's The Recipe

      Wednesday, January 4, 2017

      How to Prepare Acorns for Food and Medicinal Uses

      Acorn, Prepare Acorns for food and medicinal uses
      Acorn
      Acorns represent one of the biggest (and most widespread) calorie jackpots in the annual wild plant food harvest, if you can beat the squirrels to them. These high calorie nuts were a staple crop to many of our ancestors around the Northern Hemisphere and we can still rely on them for food today. Coming in at 2,000 calories per pound, this abundant of a food crop is too valuable to ignore. You can even use them to make medicine. Here’s how.

      Tuesday, January 3, 2017

      How To Dry Meats, Fruits & Vegetables In A Car

      How To Dry Meats, Fruits & Vegetables In A Car
      dehydrating meat



      How To Dry Meats, Fruits & Vegetables In A Car

      Drying is one of the oldest techniques used by man to preserve food. Native Americans would dry strips of elk, buffalo and rabbit in the sun. Later, the American pioneers dried their meat by draping it on the side of their wagons on their days-long trips. Today we have access to ovens and dehydrators, which saves time and effort…but it’s still important to know and learn the skills of harnessing the sun’s heat for our advantage, especially when it comes to food.
      Unfortunately (but fortunately for other reasons), temperatures reach above 100 degrees only in few places across the United States, making it tough to use the sun alone to dry meats, fruits and vegetables. Without high temperatures, what’s there to do?

      Using A Car As A Dehydrator

      Even on a relatively cool day, the temperature of the inside of a car can swell to over 100 degrees. At 70 degrees, after about half an hour, the inside of a car can reach an average of 104 degrees. After an hour, it can go up to 113 degrees. That’s 40+ degrees of added heat, which is crucial when you’re trying to dry meats, fruits or vegetables outdoors…especially with a limited amount of time. If temperatures outside of the car reach up in the 90’s, the inside can produce some sweltering heat perfect for dehydrating.
      All you gotta do is thinly slice your meats, fruits and vegetables and place them in your car…more specifically on the dashboard, where the sun hits directly. After a few hours or days, you should have nicely dehydrated food, ready for storage or consumption! Not only is it easy—it’s cheap, saves energy and money and is a great skill to know.
      Check out below for more info.

      Dry Meats, Fruits & Vegetables In A Car

      Drying Meat In The Car

      1. Thinly slice your meat and season it with salt, which helps the preservation process.
      2. Arrange the meat on a few cooling racks and place them across the car’s dashboard. Make sure the front window of the car is in direct sunlight for the majority of the day.
      3. Close the car doors but open the windows just a tiny bit so that moisture can escape the car.
      4. Let the meat sit in the car for 5 to 6 hours, flipping it over every couple of hours or so.
      5. Remove and place in an airtight bag.
      beef jerky
      image via Driven Dotty

      Drying Fruits In The Car

      1. Pick fruits and vegetables that are at peak ripeness. Apricots, plums, strawberries, tomatoes, peaches, berries, pumpkin, corn, celery and greens are just some of the better options. Really though, you can dehydrate pretty much anything.
      2. Wash and then either quarter or slice the fruits/vegetables into 1/6 inch thick pieces.
      3. Place the fruits/vegetables in a cardboard box or on a flat baking sheet and put it on the car’s dashboard.
      4. Let the fruits/vegetables dry for a day or two. How long it takes all depends on the temperature. Check on it every few hours to make sure the fruit doesn’t get cooked.
      5. When done, store the dried fruits/vegetables in an airtight container and keep them somewhere cool.
      dried fruit
      image via The Tangled Nest

      Bonus: Drying Herbs In The Car

      1. Remove the leaves from the stems and toss them all over a baking sheet or piece of cardboard.
      2. Place the herbs on the car dashboard and let them sit for anywhere between an hour to a couple of days.
      3. Preferably you want the car temperature to be at 105 degrees or lower so that the herbs don’t lose their nutritional content. Be vigilant and check on the herbs every few hours.
      4. Once they’re done, remove them and store them in a ziplock bag.
      herbs-drying-in-car
      image via Up Pastured Farms
      Source:
      https://survivallife.com/drying-meats-fruits-vegetables-car/