First a general definition of the “Stand Your Ground Law” different states my differ slightly in their interpretation of the law:

Stand-your-ground laws allow someone to use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of a threat, without an obligation to retreat first. Generally, these laws require the person to (1) have a legal right to be at the location and (2) not be engaged in an unlawful activity.

State with Stand Your Ground Laws in Place

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
  
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington

Castle Doctrine Definition – again my differ slightly depending on each state (source http://cga.ct.gov/2012/rpt/2012-R-0172.htm:

The Castle Doctrine is a common law doctrine that designates a person’s abode (or, in some states, any place legally occupied, such as a car or place of work) as a place in which the person has certain protections and immunities and allows such a person in certain circumstances, to attack an intruder instead of retreating. Typically, deadly force is considered justified homicide only in cases when the actor reasonably feared imminent peril of death or serious bodily harm to oneself or another. The doctrine is not a defined law that can be invoked, but is a set of principles which is incorporated in some form in the law of most states. Forty-six states, including Connecticut, have incorporated the Castle Doctrine into law.

States with Castle Doctrine laws in place

• Alaska
• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
  
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

What do you think – are Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine law a good idea?

Don’t get me wrong, having a bug out bag is a good idea, however a back-up plan, for your backup plan is even better – let me explain. Depending on the situation, getting to your bug out bag may not be an option and let’s not forget the possibility of loss to fire, theft or other unforseen event that could make your bug out bag unavailable to you.

If the bug out bag is plan B, the cache kit should be considered plan C.

I know what you’re thinking – what is an “cache kit” and how do I get one? For the purposes of our discussion, an cache kit is basically a cache of protected supplies, hidden in a secure location. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any ready-made cache kits, or at least none on par with what we need, so you’ll have to assemble yours yourself.

Obviously the first thing you’ll need is a container for securing your cache kit. I make mine from four-foot sections of 6-inch Schedule-40 PVC pipe with a permanent end cap on one end and Clean-out adapter and Threaded Plug on the other, both held in place with PVC cement. But the six-inch opening is limiting to what you can put in the cache, and larger pipe can be difficult to find.

Storeguns.com has a wide variety of cache tubes, in fact, I recently purchased one of their MonoVault, 248s caches.

Contents will depend on location and need - every situation will be different with kits being modified toward specific individual and their needs. Here are several areas to consider…

• Shelter – Space Blanket, Plastic Trash Bags, Thermals.
• Fire – Matches, Flint and steel, Magnifying Glass. Cotton wool.
• Water – Sterilizing tablets, Filter, Collapsible Canteen and Cover.
• Food – Fish-hooks and Line, Snare Wire, Slingshot Rubber, as well as ready to eat foods such as MRE’s.
• Cooking – Sheet of Aluminum Foil, Small Cooking Pot and Utensils.
• Medical – First-aid kit and Related Gear.
• Tools – Mora Knife, Swiss Army Knife, Multi-Tool, Ka-Bar Kukri Machete.
• Navigation – Compass, Topo Map of Area.
• Light – LED Flashlight, Headlamp and Batteries.
• Rope and Cordage – Fishing Line, Spool of Dental Floss, Para-Cord.
• Repairs – Sewing kit, Duct Tape, Crazy Glue.

It’s a good idea to pack items with a potential for leakage at the bottom of the tube, and items of an immediate need (first-aid kit, handgun, ammo etc. ) near the top.

Remember this is an essentially an escape and evasion kit, a last-ditch effort at survival, you could be wounded, pursued or both. Keep those items near the top and within reach.

Since you won’t be checking or replacing contents often, food items should be of low moister and suitable for long-term storage. You may find it a good idea to have a separate cache of food items aside your main cache kit. I have one stuffed full of Mountain House Pouch foods and another with beans and grains.

After you get your tubes assembled and filled, it’s time to start thinking about security, or more specifically where and how to hide your kit. You don’t want to go through all this trouble and expense, just to have some two-bit thief or jackboot thug come along and steal what you’ve worked so hard to put away.

The cache kit should be hidden away from your home or retreat and not buried in your backyard. Remember this is an effort of last resort. The cache acts as an insurance policy should you lose or be denied access to your home storage or bug out bag. Having it buried in your backyard would be self-defeating.

These tubes (if constructed properly) are waterproof and could be submerged under water without risk of damage to the contents. But erring on the side of caution, I look for a well-drained area not easily accessible to heavy machinery such as logging or construction equipment is best.

When moving to the cache site, it’s a good idea to have someone scout the area ahead of you, hopefully averting the possibility of you being seen. The last thing you want is to run face-to-face with a group of hunters, hikers or police. It’s best to go at night and during a week day, to lower the possibility of running into anyone.

The scout can move ahead alerting you, by two-way radio if anything is out of the ordinary or if someone is heading your way, allowing you time to react and avoid detection. Just be sure that the scout is someone that you trust.

When digging, it’s best to go slowly – stop often and scan the area for potential threats and listen. Again, the scout can offer security by watching the most likely avenues of approach and giving advanced warning. Use a manual post hole digger to excavate a hole straight down and as deep as possible. Insert the tube in a vertical position into the hole and back-fill with dirt.

Carry an old tarp to pile the dirt on as you dig. Dispose of this in a discreet manner out of sight and away from the cache area – when you finish, the area should look the same as it did when you started.

Tips for foiling metal detectors when needing to hide guns or gear from operators.

• Bury in a junkyard or a dump.
• Seed the area with ferric chloride
• Litter the area with metal shavings and debris
• Old abandoned farms usually have pre-existing metal debris
• Abandoned surface-mines are naturally seeded with discarded metal
• Deserted log landing and yards can be good areas
• So can old long abandoned home sites, as long as there is no chance of future construction.

It’s best to conceal in an area with “naturally” occurring and pre-existing metal debris in fact seeding an area with metal can have the negative effect of drawing attention to it.

Look for locations where such metal deposits would be considered normal and if needed add to this. Remember the best security is keeping your mouth shut. A bug out bag is great for getting out of dodge in a hurry – a bug out bag combined with strategically located cache kits and you just might make it.

What do you think…?

I know many readers are interested in setting up and running a small homestead on small acreage and The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre, can help to get you started in the right direction.

It doesn’t take a lot of land to have a self-sufficient homestead. I have five and a half acres, but use about half of that for my, garden, fruit and nut trees, henhouse, grape vines, goat lot, rabbit hutch, bee hive, compost pile, home and yard. You don’t need a lot of land.

But you do need to know how to use your small acreage efficiently, The Backyard Homestead will help you do that.

Within it’s 368 pages you’ll find easy to understand, straight forward instructions covering a wealth of information, that’ll help you get the most from a small homestead or even your backyard.

The thing that stood out most was the detailed planning diagrams and breakdowns for different sized plots, arrangements and lists of possible yields from each. Of course the actual yield harvested, would depend on many factors. But the suggestions give something to work for and compare your progress against.

The Backyard Homestead covers a range of topics, all geared toward those of us homesteading on small acreage, such as: vegetable gardening, fruit and nut trees, herbs, grains, poultry, rabbits, pigs, goats, sheep, cattle, preserving, making wine, cider, vinegar, herbs, making cheese, yogurt and butter and a lot more.

On the back of the book, it tells you that on a 1/4 acre, you can harvest:

• 1400 eggs
• 50 lbs of wheat
• 60 lbs of fruit
• 2000 lbs of vegetables
• 280 lbs of pork
• 75 lbs of nuts

The Backyard Homestead is a great book for anyone interested in self-reliance on a small acreage. Copies of The Backyard Homestead, The Encyclopedia of Country Living, and Barnyard in Your Backyard will cover just about everything that you will ever need to know when setting up and running a small homestead.

My only complaint (I have to complain about something – no matter how trivial) is that some of the suppliers mentioned are no longer in business. This can be expected as businesses come and go and any such listing is guaranteed to become dated. This isn’t a big deal as other sources and alternatives are easy to find.

I also thought it strange that there were no plans for composting or homemade composters. This isn’t a big deal as this info is all over the web and detailed in just about any book on gardening or homesteading.

Would I recommend this book? Yes; I would. It is a gold mine of information for those of us homesteading on small acreage.

What about you? What books would you recommend for those homesteading on a small plot of land?

Join thousands of preppers and get all my survival tips for FREE! Subscribe to The Survivalist Blog dot Net via RSS or via e-mail.

The Best of M.D. Creekmore

1. Start a survival/prepper blog

man with a megaphone Top ten ways to blow your operational securitySometimes, I think that there are as many “survival blogs” and “doomsday prepper” sites as there are preppers – why 90% of people that’s been prepping over a week feel that they have to start a “survival blog” is beyond me. There are thousands of such sites online already, and most get little or no traffic and it’s a sure way to blow your operational security.

And to make matters worse the more popular a blog or website gets the less secure the owner is. Trust me, you can use a “pen name” or list your location as somewhere “west of the rock mountains” but if you run a blog and the federal government becomes interested they will have no problem finding out who is behind it.

I’ve read a lot of comments from folks expressing concerns about reading or commenting on such sites – but really, if they start rounding up ”survivalist” and “preppers” who do you think will be first on their list? Yep, that’s right… James Wesley Rawles, Mac Slavo, Jack Spirko, Lisa Bedford and you guessed it M.D. Creekmore.

2. Telling your neighbors

We all know that long-term survival takes a community, after all no one survivor can know or do everything needed themselves. We need the labor, skills, companionship and protection that is offered by a group. Unfortunately, most people aren’t prepared, and will try to take what you have if they need it and know that you have it. And that includes your neighbors – It’s best to keep your mouth shut for now, then see how they react after theballoon goes up.

After a while people will naturally start to form groups and communities for their own survival and you can become part of (or the leader) that group if you have skills to offer. Skills are more important than “stuff” when trying to join an existing group after a major long-term SHTF event, because they will need your skills but they might just take your stuff…

3. Telling anyone other than your immediate family

See number two above. Not keeping everything on a strict need-to-know basis is one of the surest ways of blowing your operational security and chances of survival. Think before you brag, boast, rant or run off the mouth to anyone, because that stranger that you struck up a conversation with at the local hardware store or salon, and causally mention that you’re prepping and stockpiling will probably be the first on at your door when the crunch hits.

4. Not keeping your children under control

Kids like to talk and brag almost as much as adults, it’s in our nature. If they’re teenagers make sure that they know not to say anything about what you’re doing or stockpiling. And heaven forbid that they would actually, take their friends down to the storage area and show them everything that you have. I know a guy that this happened too – he wasn’t very happy.

With younger children you’re probably better off letting them know as little as possible about what you’re doing. But remember they listen to everything you say, and know far more about what is going on in your home than you would think. Some “teachers” like to interrogate their pupils in an attempt to dig up dirt on the parents, so if possible home school your kids.

5. Get raided by police

I don’t believe that any of my readers are into or engage in illegal actives, such as drug dealing or manufacture, child abuse etc. and if you are then I hope that you do get caught. But some might have some “shady” stuff, that the law would frown upon and give you a 3:30 AM no-knock visit if they knew you had it. While I don’t advise that you have or own anything illegal, I know that some of you won’t listen and will do it anyway, if that’s you then go back and read numbers two, three and four.

6. The scorned ex-lover

It’s a fact that most marriages and relationships don’t end well – and that most of the time the ex-lover knows details of your life that you probably, would not want them to “share” with others. A great (and funny) example is a former female co-worker that I worked with several years ago. To make a long story short, she started dating one of the guys that also work there, they dated for a while, and eventually slit up. Well she decided to tell everyone his secret desires that involved a strap-on, lube and his anus. It got so bad that he had to quit his job.

The lesson here is to keep your preps on a need-to-know basis and pointy things away from your anus.

7. Go on national TV to tell the world you’re a prepper

Doomsday Preppers – need I say more?

Probably, 98% of the population in any given town in the U.S. isn’t prepared for even the most basic disaster, but most everyone watches TV. It isn’t difficult to figure out what will happen to those “Doomsday Preppers” who’ve appeared on the show, when their neighbors get hungry…

8. Join a “survival group” or “survival community”

Joining a survival group or community may sound like a great idea, after all there is “safety” in numbers and everyone wants to belong. But the trouble is that many groups and their organizers/leaders have their own agendas and not the interests of the group in mind. And making matters worse – most groups have federal agents or informants embedded within the group structure.

See number two above:

After a while people will naturally start to form groups and communities for their own survival and you can become part of (or the leader) that group if you have skills to offer. Skills are more important than “stuff” when trying to join an existing group after a major long-term SHTF event, because they will need your skills but they might just take your stuff…

My advice is to stay away from survival groups unless they’re made up of very close, long-term friends or family. And don’t let any strangers in. Never.

9. Allowing people to roam around your house without having your stocks well hidden

Let’s face it… most people are nosy. When you have company at your home, I can guarantee that they’ll be scanning the area and your stuff. When they go to the bathroom, they’ll be looking in your medicine cabinet and under the sink. And if no one is around they’ll stick their head in and have a look inside any room that isn’t locked. Keep your preps locked up and away from prying eyes. And don’t leave any prepper / survival type books or magazines out in the open when just anyone can pick them up and start reading….

10. Lay off the booze

The only people who like to brag and run off from the mouth more than people in general are drunk people. Yep, drunks have big mouths, and being a drunken prepper isn’t cohering with keeping your operational security intact. Lay off the booze. Or at the very least, be like George Thorogood anddrink alone then you can talk and brag all you want without blowing your operational security.

The Best of M.D. Creekmore

IRS to Spy on Our Shopping Records, Travel, Social Interactions, Health Records and Files from Other Government Spies.

U.S. News and World Report notes today:

Starting this year, the IRS tools will be able to track all credit card transactions, for starters. The agency has also instructed agents on using online sources such as social media and e-commerce sites including eBay, as well as the rich data generated by mobile devices. In one controversial disclosure in April, the ACLU showed documents in which the IRS general counsel said the agency could look at emails without warrants, but the IRS has said it will not use this power.

While the agency has declined to give details about what third-party personal data it will use in robo-audits and data mining, it has told government and industry groups that its computers are capable of scanning multiple networks at the same time to collect “matching” comprehensive profiles for every taxpayer in America. Such profiles will likely include shopping records, travel, social interactions and information not available to the public, such as health records and files from other government investigators, according to IRS documents.

But then Americans Are The Most Spied On People In World History – and it’s getting worse. But of course, it’s to “protect you from the “terrorists” that want to take your “freedom”.

They (our keepers in the federal government) know pretty much everything we do 24 / 7 – they track where you are and where you’re going using methods such as:

Facial recognition (via Business Insider, Inc)

Trapwire is, according to Russian-state owned media network RT (apologies for citing “foreign media”… if we had a free press, I’d be citing something published here by an American media conglomerate): “Former senior intelligence officials have created a detailed surveillance system more accurate than modern facial recognition technology – and have installed it across the U.S. under the radar of most Americans, according to emails hacked by Anonymous.

And lets not forget your cell phone (via Pro Publica)

The device in your purse or jeans that you think is a cellphone – guess again. It is a tracking device that happens to make calls. Let’s stop calling them phones. They are trackers..

Most doubts about the principal function of these devices were erased when it was disclosed Monday [2] that cellphone carriers responded 1.3 million times last year to law enforcement requests for call data. That wasn’t even a complete count, because T-Mobile, one of the largest carriers, did not initially reveal its total [3]. It appears that millions of cellphone users have been swept up in government surveillance of their calls and where they made them from. Many police agencies don’t obtain a search warrant when requesting location data from carriers.

But then you might be a terrorist if… (via Wired)

These are some warning signs that you have turned into a terrorist who will soon kill your co-workers, according to the U.S. military. You’ve recently changed your “choices in entertainment.” You have “peculiar discussions.” You “complain about bias,” you’re “socially withdrawn” and you’re frustrated with “mainstream ideologies.” Your “Risk Factors for Radicalization” include “Social Networks” and “Youth.”

I know how hard you folks in the federal government spy networks work to spy on everything the American people do (after all we pay your salary) so to make it easy for you today, here’s my report – I woke up at 7:05, urinated shortly after, washed my hands, drank a glass of water, went outside for a few minutes, came back in and fixed breakfast, ate it, had a healthy bowl movement, washed my hands again and now I’m writing this…

Now since we have that out-of-the-way, you can go “keep someone else safe” for a few hours… be sure to check myFacebook for future updates… Thank you…

And ammo for many calibers is still unavailable in most areas of the U.S. for the most popular and used calibers.

It’s gotten so bad that retailers have started rationing ammo, selling only one or two boxes to each customer, when supplies are available. I know that the shelves at my local Wal-Mart have been empty for months, and the clerk told me that there are people who come into the store everyday, to by any .22, 9mm, .40SW, .38, .357, .223 and 7.62X39 ammo before it is even put on the shelf.

From the Daily Caller:

“The current political climate has caused extremely high demand on all shooting industry products, including ours,”according to Hornady. “Empty retail shelves, long backorders, and exaggerated price increases on online auction sites – all fueled by rumors and conjecture – have amplified concerns about the availability of ammunition and firearms-related items.”

I have a habit of going by the ammo case every time that I go into the Wal-Mart, just to check on what is / isn’t available and they recently, had two AR-15?s on the shelf, I almost fell over! I had not seen an AR for sale anywhere in months, and then bam there it was behind the glass…

Well even though I didn’t really need it, or could afford it, I decided to buy one of them, so I rushed to the bank to get the money needed and then back to sporting goods to buy my newly found treasure. I wasn’t gone over 30 minutes, but by the time I made it back, both rifles had already been sold!

I wonder how many AR-15 rifles have been sold during the past year? I searched but could not find a reliable source, for the actual numbers… Anyone…?

According to ABC News reporting on the total number of sales in 2012:

Record gun sales were recorded in December 2012 with over 2.7 million background checks being conducted through the FBI’s National Instant Check System (NICS), the agency said today. For 2012, more background checks were conducted than any year since 1998.

In December, 2,783,765 total background checks were carried out to purchase firearms, surpassing the previous record from November 2012 when 2,006,919 checks were performed.

For the year, 19,592,303 background checks carried out for firearm purchases – a 19 percent rise from 2011.

Each check doesn’t represent a single gun, just a single background check transaction.

Go back and read that again… yep, you read it correctly the first time, but it never hurts to take a second look to be sure – almost 20 million guns sold in 2012 alone. Folks that’s a lot of iron that equals a lot of firepower in the hands of the U.S. population… A rifle behind every blade of grass…

And let’s not forget the magazines (and no they aren’t “high-capacity” they are standard capacity magazines), my local hunting and fishing supplies store used to have stacks of Magpul Pmags available for $19.99 each not they have none, and it’s been that way for months. They did have a couple of used generic AR-15 magazines a couple of days ago priced at $45.99 each.

According to The Blaze:

Brownells, the largest gun parts supplier in the world, is claiming that it has had an “unprecedented” demand for AR-15 ammunition magazines of late. In fact, the demand is allegedly so great that the company allegedly sold 3.5 years worth of magazines in just three days during December of 2012.

And with the lack of inventory on the shelves, magazine sales are still going strong and I doubt it will slow in the near future…

But the question is – why are Americans still buying massive amounts or ammo, firearms and magazines, despite the fact of having already bought huge numbers of each over the past few months? Before the easiest answer and most logical answer would have been a “fear of more gun laws and or bans” but even now with the failure of expanded background checks in the senate and any “assault rifle” restrictions or bans and magazine capacity limits DOA for the time being, Americans are still buying and stockpiling…

The only logical answer is that folks are seeing the writing on the wall and know that the poop is about to hit the fan (whether it be gun bans by executive order, U.N. treaty of a wide reaching disaster or complete collapse of the system)…

I just hope that they’re also stockpiling food, grain mills, non-hybrid garden seed, water filters, and other survival gear and aren’t just planning to use their new firepower to take what they want from others that have prepared with a well-rounded survival plan (YOU).

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…

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M.D. Creekmore [send him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant. He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian mountains and is the author of 31 Days to Survival and The Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat both published by Paladin Press. To connect with M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival Blog.

The Best of M.D. Creekmore

I’ve had this post floating around in my head for the past several months, but never did anything with it. Other things, kept getting in the way or another post seemed more timely. However, if you just discover one great book, product, or resource from this list, then reading the article is invaluable to you.

Everything here is a genuine recommendation, meaning that I actually read all the blogs, have read all the books, and use all the products. I would love to make this a community discussion as well, so please feel free to share your favorite resources in the comments below.

6 Blogs

While these aren’t the only blogs and websites that I read, these are my favorites. No, I may not agree with everything that is said all the time, but each has something to offer. I’ve listed them below (in no particular order):

SurvivalBlog.com

I don’t have to say much about Jim Rawles site SurvivalBlog.com, since I’m sure 99% of you know it anyway. He has some great guest posts, but I mainly visit for the links posted in the ”Economics and Investing” and “Odds ‘n Sods” sections.

Bison Survival Blog

James M Dakin has been blogging for years, and while he does have a tendency to run on about nothing from time to time, he writes about what he feels regardless of who it rips. If you’re easily offended then you would probably be better off skipping this blog, however if you like a good laugh with an occasional bit of survival advice thrown in you won’t be disappointed.

Living Freedom

Living freedom is a blog by Claire Wolfe that is published on the Backwoods Home Magazine website – for those of you who don’t know Claire is the author of several books including The Freedom Outlaw’s Handbook: 179 Things to Do ‘Til the Revolution, Don’t Shoot the Bastards (Yet): 101 More Ways to Salvage Freedom, I Am Not A Number!: Freeing America From the ID State, and The Bad Attitude Guide to Good Citizenship.

Ask Jackie

This is another blog hosted on the Backwoods Home Magazine website – it is a great blog loaded that is loaded with hands on homesteading know how and advice. Jackie is an expert gardener, preserver and homesteader. Well worth the time to read her posts.

Say Uncle

This is one of the first blogs, I ever read and still read regularly. Expect five or more short posts per day, with some great links to other sites related to firearms. If you’re interested in any aspect of firearms, gun laws or self-defense, then you should definitely check this site out.

The self-sufficient Gardener

Authored by my blog friend Jason Akers, this blog features advice one gardening efficiently, responsibly and sustainably. If you remember, Jason did a video for The Survivalist Blog entitled ”How to Build A Quail Tractor” and a guest post “4 Unique Ways to Preserve Food“. The Self-Sufficient Gardener is another blog to keep an eye on.

13 Books

The Bible

Need I say more… I read at least one chapter everyday. This is the greatest survival book of all time.

The Encyclopedia of Country Living (by Carla Emery)

A wealth of information related to homesteading and survival – in this book you’ll find advice on gardening, preserving, saving seeds, maple sugaring, raising, feeding, and caring for all types of livestock, beekeeping, butchering and more. This was my go to book when I first moved off the grid.

The New Self-Sufficient Gardener (by John Seymour)

If you raise a garden then this book is a must – loaded with information on growing fruits, vegetables, composting, whole gardens, greenhouses, chicken coops, trellising, beekeeping, pruning, grafting. This is a must have book in the survival library and one that has a place in my bookshelf.

The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! (by Carleen Madigan)

Most of us don’t have 20 or more acres to grow food and raise livestock, instead we have to get it done on one or two acres and this book will help you do it. You can read my full review here. If you want to become more self-reliant on your small acreage then you need this book.

Where There Is No Doctor and Where There Is No Dentist (by Hesperian Foundation)

Both of these books are a must for the survival medical library, if you don’t have these get them now. Both are available for free download from Hesperian.org, so even if you’re broke (or just cheap) you have no excuse – I suggest you buy a paper copy or print and bind the pages in a notebook.

Survival Poaching (by Ragnar Benson)

According to my survival plan, harvesting wild game will be of utmost importance in supplementing my garden and food storage. Survival Poaching includes many detailed plans for traps, snares and deadfalls that can be used to procure deer, elk, bear, moose, beaver, mink, muskrat, trout, salmon, grouse, pheasant, duck and more. Also get a copy of Buckshot’s Complete Survival Trapping Guide and Into The Primitive: Advanced Trapping Techniques to complete your survival trapping library.

How to Live on Wheat (by John Hill)

This is one of my favorite books on using wheat. It includes information on types of wheat, how to store, essence bread, pan bread, sprouting, sourdough, food combination, baking, bread making, gluten meat substitute, pasta, improvised bread making, dumplings, cast iron cookery, salads, biscuits, pancakes, hominy, corn bread, tempeh and more. You can read my full review here.

Barnyard in Your Backyard (by Gail Damerow)

Basic information to get you started raising chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, goats, sheep, and cows. This book offers a great overview for each animal with a lot of ground covered, but I suggest you also get another books specific each animal you are raising.

Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving (by Altrista Consumer Products)

You can find this book at most supermarkets and hardware stores where canning jars and lids are sold. In my opinion, it’s the best how to do it (canning) book available, with a wealth of photos, charts and instructions. If you preserve your own food then you need this book.

Secrets of Self-Healing (by Dr. Maoshing Ni)

As you know, I’m not a big fan of prescription medications or western medical thinking, preferring instead a more natural solution if possible and this is the book, I turn to most often. Secrets of Self-Healing covers diet, exercise and natural remedies for more than sixty-five common ailments, such as sore throat, dandruff, headaches, high blood pressure, sunburn, insect bites, indigestion and more.

3 Products

Mora of Sweden Knives

At less than $20 each Mora Knives are hard to beat, I have one in my bug out bag, in my tool box, fishing tackle box, in my hunting pack and in the kitchen. They are light weight, sharp and well made. This is the knife carried by Cody Lundin on Duel Survival. Get several.

Wonder Junior Hand Grain Mill

I’ve used this mill for a couple of months now and I have been delighted with the performance thus far – a top of the line product. If you use whole grains in you survival food storage plan then you need a mill – for the price, the Wonder Junior is as good as it gets. Read my full review here.

Big Berkey Water Filter

In most cases acquiring a good at home water filter should be your first survival priority – my favorite is the Big Berkey System. It’ll purify raw water from lakes, streams and stagnant ponds etc. I use mine to filter all of my drinking and cooking water. Find out how to make a cheap homemade version here.

Join thousands of preppers and get all my survival tips for FREE! Subscribe to The Survivalist Blog dot Net via RSS or via e-mail.

M.D. Creekmore [send him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant. He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian mountains and is the author of the book The Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat published by Paladin Press. To connect with M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival Blog.

The Best of M.D. Creekmore

According to dallasnews.com cold has crippled 50 power plants, triggering blackouts for thousands across the Dallas-Fort area. Power outages are nothing new and thousands of homes are without power every year in the U.S. most for only a few hours, but some for days or even weeks — would you be prepared if the power stayed off for several days or even months?

Such extended power outages are a real possibility after a serious hurricane, winter storm or even the result of a terrorist attack affecting the power grid or an EMP strike. The U.S. runs on electricity, without a functional power grid the U.S. would come to a standstill. Without electrical power, gas pumps no longer work, scanners at the supermarket will fail, radio and television stations go off the air and computers fail to connect to the web.

Could you provide for your family?

Everyone should plan for and prepare for the possibility of being without power for an extended period of time, but where do you start. What do you need to put away so the next blackout won’t become a nightmare. Let's take a look…

Have Safe Water

Every emergency kit should begin with a safe supply of drinking water. Granted, if you are on a municipal water supply your water may not be affected by a power outage, but you should still stock up. If backup power fails at water-treatment plants then that water may become unsafe for drinking or cooking and need to be boiled, or treated before use. Including water in your emergency kit is always a good idea no matter how secure you think your current method of supply.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends storing at least one gallon of water per day per person for emergency use. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking they state. You'll also need to take into consideration age, physical condition, activity, diet, and climate to determine needed qualities. And don't forget about your pets, they need water too.

I live off-the grid with most of my water provided from a nearby spring, but I still include stored water in my emergency kit. The easiest way to store drinking water is to simply buy bottled water from the supermarket shelf. But it is cheaper to store water from your own tap. I store most of my water in six-gallon water jugs bought in the sporting goods department at my local Wal-Mart for the purpose. But you can use cleaned 2 liter plastic bottles instead.

Some of the readers of The Survivalist Blog, have asked about using milk jugs for water storage, and I always recommend against it. While milk jugs can work short-term, they are prone to leakage and the plastic deteriorates quickly. Milk jugs are also more susceptible to bacterial growth because of milk proteins that are often left in the container even after cleaning. A much better solution is two liter plastic soda bottles.

If using two liter plastic soda bottles the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends sanitizing the bottles after cleaning with dishwashing soap and water, by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water. Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces. After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water.

Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, there is no need to add liquid household chlorine bleach to tap water before storage as this water has already been treated by the water utility company. In this case all you need to do is fill the bottles to the top and tightly screw on the cap.

Emergency Food

Next you need food. This should include things your family already eats you just need to store extra for your emergency kit. Canned soups, meats, nuts, fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, dried fruits and vegetables and crackers for example will last at least a year if stored in unopened airtight containers.

Self-rising flour, corn meal, sugar, salt, rolled oats and other died goods should be stored in air tight, food safe containers made of plastic or glass to keep out pests and moister. One mistake a lot of people make is not using what they've stored. They buy up a bunch of foods for emergencies; they put it on the shelf and end up throwing it out when it passes the listed expiration date.

This can be avoided by implementing a simple food rotation program.

Date each container with a permanent marker or date stamp and use on a first-in first-out basis (FIFO). As each item is used in your normal everyday meals, replace that item with a new product of the same value, date and repeat. If you follow this simple principle you will never have to discard food from your emergency kit and will always have a fresh supply on hand for emergencies. With canned foods this rotation can be automated by building or buying a building a rotating canned food shelf.

I suggest you keep at least a two-week emergency food supply on hand at all times, several months to a year would be even better, but isn't practical for most people. This food storage calculator is a big help when determining needed amounts, but it isn’t exact and you will have to make the final decision based on your family’s eating habits.

Heating and Cooking

Most power outages in the U.S. happen during periods of extreme weather. For example, in 1993, I was without power for three weeks after an ice storm blanketed my area. Luckily, I had a fireplace for heating and cooking and a supply of wood to keep the fire burning. But, many folks aren't so lucky and need to make other preparations for cooking and staying warm.

Kerosene heaters can be used for heating and even cooking with certain models, for example the Alpaca Kerosene Cooker. Kerosene can be stored in large quantities for long periods of time without any special treatment. It has been estimated that a gallon of kerosene will provide about the same heat output as a wheelbarrow load of wood!

Kerosene is easy to store and has a longer storage life than does gasoline. I store kerosene in blue cans marked for its use. Mistakenly pouring gasoline into a kerosene heater, could have dire consequences. Following a color-coding system helps avoid this possibility.

The main disadvantage to using a kerosene heater is that they can be smelly if not used properly, they have to be refilled every few hours and the wick needs to be replaced every few months depending on how much the heater is used during that time.

The standard fuel container color-coding system is blue for kerosene, red for gasoline, and yellow for diesel. I suggest you follow this system. You'll need roughly two — three gallons of kerosene per day with continues use, so for two weeks you would need a minimum of 28 gallon.

Keep in mind that this is only an estimate and actual usage will depend on several factors. Including but not limited to the type of heater, quality of the fuel, condition of the wick (don't for get to add an extra wick to your emergency kit) and environmental conditions where the heater is used.

Propane heaters like the Mr Heater Buddy can be used indoors and in my opinion they are safer and more efficient than the kerosene heaters mentioned. I've used one of these heaters for the past two winters to heat my travel trailer with no problems what so ever. They work great and I like not having to refill the tank every few hours or needing to replace the wick as is the case when using kerosene.

I drilled a two-inch hole through my floor beside the outside wall and connected a 100 lb propane tank to my Mr Heater Buddy heater via a hose adapter and filter then sealed the hole around the hose with expanding foam insulation. This also has the advantage of keeping the fuel source outside. One 100 lb tank will last me over a month even in the coldest weather, if I keep the heater burning at the lowest setting.

The downside to the Buddy heater are that they are difficult to cook on and you'll need a stove just for that purpose if you don't already have a gas cook stove in your home. I suggest a small propane Colman camp stove; these can be found in the sporting goods department at your local Wal-Mart or Kmart.

It is recommended that portable gas camp stoves not be used indoors as the fumes can be deadly. Using the stove in a ventilated area will help reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. In other words crack a window or door and have a working carbon monoxide detector if you must use the stove for cooking indoors. And make sure the stove is turned off after use.

Miscellaneous Suggestions

Most of these items can be stored in some sort of bug out bag, five-gallon plastic bucket with gamma seal lid or plastic totes until needed.

• A good first aid kit
• A sleeping bag for each family member
• Several pairs of wool socks for each family member
• Thermal underwear for each family member
• A battery-operated or crank radio and extra batteries
• A deck of cards, jigsaw puzzles, and board games etc.
• Flashlight and batteries
• Battery-powered lamps or lanterns
• Non-electric can opener
• Prescription drugs and other needed medicine
• Rock-salt to melt ice on walkways
• Chemical fire extinguisher
• Battery powered smoke alarm
• Battery powered carbon monoxide detector
• Disposable plates, bowls and utensils (to avoid wasting water washing dishes)

If you have any other suggestions or questions feel free to ask in the comments below. Stay safe my friends.

Join thousands of preppers and get all my survival tips for FREE! Subscribe to The Survivalist Blog dot Net via RSS or via e-mail.

M.D. Creekmore [send him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant. He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian mountains and is the author of the upcoming book (Release Date March 1, 2011) The Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat published by Paladin Press. To connect with M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival Blog.

The Best of M.D. Creekmore

Recently by M.D. Creekmore: 14 Lessons I've Learned About Survival

You may remember my post “10 things to do now!”, if not go read it before continuing – go on I’ll wait… Done. great. Now let’s go back to the shopping center with another survival food and gear list and ten more things to do now. Ready? Great.

1. Go to the grocery department and pick up 5 lbs of powdered milk or the equivalent of canned, now go over to the next aisles and throw in 5 lbs of rolled oats and a case of Ramen noodles. Ramen noodles aren’t the most nutritional food but they are cheap, add bulk to the diet and store well – just don’t rely on them to provide all your nutritional needs. And don’t forget a good manual can opener.

2. While you’re in the grocery department be sure to pick up an assortment of spices to taste, such as Basil, Chili powder, Cinnamon, Garlic, Sage, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme and Black Pepper. Spices can go along way toward making unfamiliar foods palatable. Also, while you’re in that area add 5 or more lbs of salt to your shopping cart, as you know salt has 101 uses.

3. Okay, counting what you bought during our first trip to the shopping center, that should do it for the grocery. Now go over to the area near the pharmacy and pick up 3 large tubes of toothpaste, 3 brushes, 100 double edge razor blades, (note: if you don’t have a razor you’ll probably have to order one from Amazon.com and don’t forget a brush and bowl), I’ve used this type razor for years and think it is a cheaper long-term solution than disposable.

While your there, add the most comprehensive first-aid kit that you can find to your cart and don’t forget over the counter pain meds (Tylenol, aspirin etc.). If you’re a woman (or have one in your life) go over a few shelves and pick up enough “feminine” supplies to last three months or longer.

4. With all that food in your pantry it’s only a matter of time before you have to poop. I know, it’s shocking but we all do it. If you have a water source such as a stream or lake nearby you can still use the toilet in your bathroom, all you have to do is manually fill the tank in back and flush as usual. If this isn’t an option, you’ll need to look for other alternatives such as the Portable Toilets sold in the sporting goods department or making a sawdust toilet from a five-gallon bucket.

5. What’s next? You guessed it toilet paper. If you poop you need to wipe, if not you probably need to start. You could use a corncob, cloth, Roman sponge on a stick or paper from discarded books or newspapers but I would wager most of you prefer the softness of Angle Soft. Get enough to last at least a month, more if possible and remember women need more than men so plan accordingly.

6. While you are in that area of the store pick up a supply of disposable plates, bowls and plastic utensils. Don’t go overboard here but having a small stockpile of these items on hand can save a lot of water that would otherwise be used to wash dishes. Also add two or more gallons of regular, unscented bleach to your cart.

7. This is a biggie and can’t be done (legally) at the department store pharmacy without the signature of a doctor – that is stocking up on prescription meds. Getting more than a 30-day supply, at least in the U.S., can be difficult if not impossible. But there are ways to get most of what you need for long-term survival. See this post and this one and this book (note: some of the information in the book is dated but there is still good advice to be found).

8. Now push your cart (man this thing is getting heavy) over to the hardware department of the store and pick up a carpenters hammer, vice grips, adjustable wrench, screwdriver set, duct tape, electrical tape, axe, pry bar, crosscut saw, hacksaw and large can of WD-40. This is your bare minimum survival tool kit.

9. After you get your tool kit, go over to sporting goods and in the camping supply aisle pick up a propane camp stove and 5 or more 1 pound propane cylinders or a bulk 20 lb tank and hose adaptor – yes the pressure in the small bottles is the same as a 20 lb cylinder or even 100 lb tank, just be sure to get the proper adapter and hose assembly. Another alternative and the one I prefer is the Volcano Stove because I can use propane, wood and charcoal.

10. Okay, we are just about done for today – only a few more steps pushing the cart and you’ll be out the door. You’ll need a way to keep in touch with your group so go to the electronics department and pick up the best two-way radios that you can afford – I have these. Don’t forget a battery-powered radio and extra batteries for both. While not necessary, I prefer a radio capable of receiving AM/FM and shortwave broadcasts – I have this one.

This shopping list will have you better prepared than probably 90% of the U.S. but it should not be signify the end of your preps only a good start. There’s always something to do and learn never become complacent – remember the quote “On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of those who on the very threshold of victory sat down to rest, and while resting died.”

What did I leave out? What would you add? Let us know in the comments on my site. If you enjoy this list you might also like to subscribe to my email updates to keep up to date on more posts like this on prepping and survival. Also, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

M.D. Creekmore [send him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant. He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival Blog.

The Best of M.D. Creekmore

In early 1988
I first heard the word survivalist from my then girlfriends father
when he gave me several books related to survival including back
issues of Kurt
Saxons now defunct The
Survivor newsletter.

Within two
days I’d started my food
storage program (25 lbs of dried beans) since that time I’ve
manageged to build my preps up to an acceptable level (despite having
to start over more than once) but along the way there have been
many challenges and I’ve learned from each, so today I thought I’d
create a list of 14 things, I wish someone had told me in when I
started.

1. You Can’t
Do It All At Once

This is a mistake
that I, and I’m sure many others have made when starting out, we
want to get it all done — yesterday. You run around all frantic,
shaking and scatter brained determined to become prepared for a
major disaster within a week of starting. But all you end up doing
is wasting money and time. Relax, make a plan and work toward your
goals and you’ll get there sooner than you think.

2. You Don’t
Have To Be Rich

By reading
some survival blogs (know who you are) and books you get the expression
that you need to spend $100,000 to reach a suitable level of preparedness.
Unfortunately, this causes many to give up before they start. You
don’t have to prep like the rich — you just need to prep
smart.

3. Make Your
Own Plan

No two survival
plans will be exactly the same – granted there will be some
semblance but each will have to be different to meet the needs of
the individual. For example, I often suggest wheat
as the backbone of the survival
food storage plan but a small percent of the population are
allergic to wheat and will need to store other foods in equal or
greater value. You need to take a long look at your location, skills
and needs and plan accordingly. Make your
own plan.

4. Preparedness
Isn’t Measured By How Many Guns You Have

I’m sure many
of you have made this mistake. When I started prepping I worried
more about finding the perfect survival gun and building a battery
than building my other survival preps. Guns are fun and it is easy
to get lost in the appeal just don’t let other areas of you preps
suffer while you try to build your dream
arsenal.

5. Skills
Are More Important Than Gear

We’ve all heard
the expression "he who dies with the most toys wins,"
I’m still trying to figure out what the winning prize is. I have
nothing against using the latest technology and gear — just don’t
depend on it. Things break, get lost, stolen or don’t work as intended.
Your most important piece of survival
gear is your brain — learning
survival skills should be your number one priority.

6. You’re
Not Rambo

Most of the
Rambo
want to be’s won’t last long. Many new survivors fall into
what I call the Rambo mind-set, they can’t wait for the collapse
and breakdown of law and order, then they will take to the woods
and engage in one firefight after another. They see themselves as
the ultimate killing machine taking down the bad guys in a burst
of gunfire.

7. Get A Life

Preparedness
is a serious business and it is easy to become obsessed — don’t
do it. I love learning new skills, reading survival
books and planning for different possibilities and all this
takes a lot of time, but I’ve learned that unless I take time off
the rest of my life tends to fall apart. Go see a movie, spend time
with family and relax. Then when you come back to all this you will
do so with a fresh and rested mind which will allow you to get more
done and make fewer mistakes. The key is balance.

8. Don’t Just
Read About How To Do Things

Most books
on survival and self-reliance are never read or used. They are bought,
flipped through and put away — never tested or learned from. This
is a mistake. Read the books, study and try it for yourself. This
is the only way to learn and know what actually works.

9. Have A
Backup Plan

When I started
prepping I thought all I needed to be prepared was a full pantry.
We have all heard the warning “don’t put all your eggs in the same
basket” this is good advice in life as well as in survival planning.
To many things can go wrong and probably will. You need a back
up plan, which brings us to our next point…

10. Remember
The Number Three

You need to
have at least three independent sources to meet all of your essential
survival needs. Let’s take for heat, you could have a wood stove,
propane heater and cold weather sleeping bags. Power might consist
of a back up generator, small solar set-up and a stockpile of disposable
batteries. Food could include in home food storage, home garden
and secret cache in a secure location a way from home.

11. Include
Your Family

If possible
get your family on board so your prepping becomes a family affair,
where you all can learn and spend time together. A family working
together toward their preparedness is the best survival group. For
example, take a first aid class, hunter safety course, self-defense
class, or shop course together. Try to make it fun, interesting
and include your family as much as possible.

12. Diversify
(learn different skills)

Diversification
ties in with number nine and ten above and the age-old advice of
not putting all your eggs in one basket. Learn as many survival
skills as possible. Being a master
gardener for example is a great skill that can be made even
more efficient by also learning to keep
what you grow. An expert
trapper can increase their chance of survival by also learning
to find eatable
plants. You get the idea.

13. Try To
Do Something Every Week

The “what did
you do to prep this week?” segment is included here to keep everyone
motivated toward this end. At one time my preps were random — one
week I would do a lot and the next two or three nothing. By setting
a goal of doing at least one thing each week you will meet your
goals earlier and be more efficient doing it.

14. Eat What
You Store

Most of us
have been guilty of this at one time or another, we fill our pantry
with unfamiliar foods, thinking we will adapt our diet "when
the time comes" but this is nonsense. You need to learn
to prepare and use your storage foods now so they become familiar.
What are you waiting for get cooking…

Write your
own “lessons” list and let us know about it in comments below. If
you enjoy this list you might also like to subscribe
to my email updates to keep up to date on more posts like this
on prepping and survival. Also, make sure you subscribe
to my RSS feed!

November
26, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.

The
Best of M.D. Creekmore

Survival Food
Storage is one of the most essential elements of emergency planning.

The art and
science of food storage involves strategically choosing what you’ll
need in the correct amount and storing it properly. With the goal
of having it available and palatable when needed in an emergency.

So, whether
you're looking to protect your family in an emergency or simply
want to save money by buying your foods in bulk, you'll need some
information before you start.

10 Steps to
Effective Survival Food Storage

This tutorial
is designed to get you up and running with the basics of building
your pantry in ten easy lessons. Afterward, you'll get recommendations
for books and links to other resources. Let’s get started.

1. 10
   Things To Do Now!

2. Top
   10 Smart Ways to Build Your Food Storage
3. Comfort
   Foods
4. Food
   Shelf-Life Recommendations
5. Food
   Storage Prep
6. Are
   You Making This Food Storage Mistake?
7. What
   You Should Know About Food Grade Plastic Buckets
8. What
   You Should Know About Wheat
9. Don't
   Buy a Grain Mill Without Reading This!
10. The
    perfect survival food

Recommended
Food Storage Books

• Emergency
  Food Storage and Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton (food storage
  and emergency preparedness)
• Cookin'
  with Home Storage by Vicki Tate (cooking and using basic storage
  foods)
• Making
  the Best of Basics — Family Preparedness Handbook by James
  Talmage Stevens (food storage and prep)
• Crisis
  Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage
  and Physical Survival
• How
  to Live on Wheat — The Complete Guide To Selecting,
  Storing, Preparing and Cooking Wheat and Other Grains

Links to Other
Resources

• Food
  Storage Calculator: Gives a Basic Estimate Of Needed qualities.
• Prudent
  Food Storage: Questions and Answers

Emergency
Food Storage List For One Person For One Year

• 300 pounds
  wheat
• 100 pounds
  of legumes
• 100 pounds
  of other grains (corn, millet, oats, buckwheat, etc.)
• 100 pounds
  of dried and canned fruits and vegetables
• 50 pounds
  of dried milk
• 50 pounds
  of canned or dried meats
• 25 pounds
  of honey
• 5 pounds
  of salt
• 25 pounds
  of oils (coconut and Olive)
• 2 pounds
  of baking powder
• Multiple
  vitamin and mineral supplements and extra vitamin C

Have anything
to add or advice to share please do so in the comments on
my website.

If you enjoyed
this post, make sure you subscribe
to my RSS feed!

November
6, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.

The
Best of M.D. Creekmore

M.D. — I have been asked this question and I wonder if we could get your feed back? A family with children, say 6 to 10 years old, male and female parent. If they have to leave for 2 days or a little more before they can come back, what should they have in each bag to get through? Thought I would ask, I have my thoughts but input would be good.

Thank you, OLD SCHOOL

That depends on the bug-out location, weather, overall health of the group and other factors. Realistically a group of healthy individuals could make it just fine with nothing but the clothes on their back (2—3 days) weather permitting.

However it wouldn’t be much fun, at least not for you, when the spouse and kids are screaming at you, because of their discomfort and your lack of preparation.

The first consideration should be climate. If cold pack your bug-out bag accordingly — thermal underwear, coats, gloves, headgear, insulated boots, sleeping bags etc. Warm weather — sunscreen, shorts, tee-shirts, extra water, snake bite kit etc.

Your second consideration should be the health of your group. If everyone is healthy great, if not you will need to figure out how to provide for their needs.

For some, this could be as simple as packing enough blood pressure medication to make it through. Others may require full-time medical assistance and, or medications and related equipment.

Under stressful situations it is important for you to appear relaxed, confident and in control of the situation — even if you are a shaking bag of nerves on the inside. The last thing children need is extra stress brought about by a tense and out of control parent.

Another consideration is familiarity. During a bug-out situation you will be away from home this can be extremely stressful especially for children. It is important to eliminate as much of the stress of unfamiliarity as possible.

If they have a favorite blanket, pillow, stuffed toy or whatever gives them comfort and protection be sure to pack it before heading out the door. This is very important.

Children tend to bore easily, so adding things to extinguish their boredom is a good idea. You may want to put together a pack just for them, consisting of toys, books and games. Don’t forget extra batteries.

You will of course want to pack the basics — food, water, first-aid, extra socks and underwear, toothpaste and brush, toilet paper, baby wipes, hand sanitizer etc…

If you have other bug-out advice for Old School please share with us in the comments on my website.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

M.D. Creekmore [send him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant. He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival Blog.

The Best of M.D. Creekmore

As a group, we survivalist/preppers don’t always agree and that is a good thing. The occasional disagreement on the how to and what if’s increase our chance of survival, because it gets everyone involved thinking and looking at their preps and making adjustments if needed.

Over the past few month’s, we have had several such thought-provoking debates here on The Survivalist Blog — three come to mind, “What Do You Do When You’re Given The Deadline For Teotwawki?” “TEOTWAWKI: Vote Yes or No This Week Only” and recently “The Most Probable Ending ” by Chris F.

After posting Chris’s article, I was bombarded with email from readers giving their thoughts on the possibility of War on US Soil. Many said there wasn’t a chance in hell while others agreed with his theories, and while China probably won’t be invading our shore next week (but who knows what could happen) one thing is certain his post stirred up debate.

Many of the emails asked what I thought was the most likely trigger event — or the most likely reason for needing to break into our food storage and go into survival mode. This is a complicated question, with many variables and lacking an accurate crystal ball all such predictions amount to nothing more than an educated guess on anyone’s part.

But here we go — what do I think is the most likely events that would send us into survival mode…

1. Personal disaster: Disasters on a personal level are common and can happen at anytime, often without warning. I’m sure nearly every one of you have lived through (or you could be experiencing it now) such an event. For TS to HTF it doesn’t have to be an all out Mad Max event, it can be something as common as job loss, sudden disability, divorce etc.

Having your preps in order can make the difference between being forced to live a miserable existence while hiding in a cardboard box and eating three-day old dumpster divings from behind McDonald’s or continuing a normal existence.

2. Natural disaster: Natural disasters are a common occurrence especially in coastal areas where the devastation from hurricanes, floods, cyclones and tidal waves can be tremendous. And trends indicate such disasters are on the increase. From tornadoes and snow storms to an eruption of yellow stone natural disasters happen often.

3. Economic collapse: We can all agree that the U.S. economy has seen better days, what we can’t seem to agree on is the depth of the crash or how long it will last. According to U.S. National Debt Clock the current U.S. debt stands at $13,619,660,456,633.58 with an estimated population of 309,291,949 each citizen’s share of this debt stands at $44,034.97. You do the math.

From wikipedia.org “In economics, hyperinflation is inflation that is very high or “out of control”, a condition in which prices increase rapidly as a currency loses its value. The main cause of hyperinflation is a massive and rapid increase in the amount of money that is not supported by a corresponding growth in the output of goods and services.”

Contrary to what the feds seems to think, you can’t keep “growing the money” supply without having anything solid to back it up without the eventual consequences of hyperinflation leading to an economic depression or possible economic collapse. Using the printing press to make more money is not a solution to not having enough money to cover obligations.

If you’ve read the book, “The Empire of Debt” then you know where the U.S. is headed financially and I think there is no turning back.

4. Pandemic: This one keeps me up at night and according to Scott Santibanez of the CDC it’s not a matter of if a pandemic will hit but when. Santibanez said a pandemic typically occurs three times each century. The most deadly influenza pandemic in the 20th century occurred in 1918, which killed as many as 50 million people worldwide. Pandemics also occurred in 1957 and 1968. “We know there’s going to be another pandemic at some point, just because cyclically that’s the way it happens,” Santibanez said.

There you have it — my four most likely events that will send us into survival mode.

What do you think is the most likely SHTF event? Let us know in the comments on my website.

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M.D. Creekmore [send him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant. He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival Blog.

The Best of M.D. Creekmore

As Most of
you know, I’m not a big fan of the bug out bag survival strategy.
In a nutshell you’re voluntarily becoming, a refugee, but looking
at the recent disasters in New Orléans and Haiti it is obvious
that a bug out bag and strategy are not only needed but required
for anyone who is prepared.

A few days
ago we talked about bugging
out with children and several months ago, I went into detail
about my
bug out bag contents and get out of dodge survival strategy.

When reading
such lists it is important to keep in mind that any list is only
a suggestion. Everyone should look at their skills, situation and
location planning accordingly.

No two bug
out strategies will be the same nor will the contents of the bug
out bag. Your bug out bag should be put together with your personal
situation and needs in mind – only then will it be effective.

Today we will
take a quick look at choosing firearms for the bug out bag. Anytime,
I mention firearms or survival
guns I get flooded with comments from readers giving their suggestions
and advice.

I hope this
post will elicit such a response. If you have suggestions or questions,
by all means feel free to post them in the comments below. Please
keep in mind that we are only discussing the head for the hills
concept, and not the other possibilities available to the survivor.

Most will suggest
a .22 caliber rifle and often this is a prudent choice. A .22 caliber
rifle can take small game as well as larger game such as deer with
proper shot placement.

For foraging
purposes, firearms such as the Remington International 410 Ga/22
LR Over & Under are difficult to beat.

With the addition
of the 410 Ga shotgun being a significant advantage over having
just to 22 LR. ammunition is cheap and lightweight when compared
to other rounds and packing several thousand rounds in a bug-out
bag isn’t out of the question.

Another advantage
is relatively low report especially when using CB caps and the ability
to be effectively silenced with a homemade sound suppressor.

Just remembered
that such a device is illegal without proper government approval
and will land you behind bars if caught, and is suggested here for
a worst case scenario only.

The downside
of the .22 Long rifle round is limited range, penetration and stopping
power when used in a self-defense mode.

I suggest a
backup handgun chambered for a cartridge suitable for self-defense.
I would not go below a 9 mm or 38 special here. Anything less powerful
isn’t enough.

Even with a
9 mm and 38 special, I would seriously consider using only the +
P rounds such as the 115 or 124 grain JHP +P in the 9 mm or 158-grain
lead semi-wadcutter hollow point .38 Special +P for defensive purposes
.

Your location
would also determine weapons choice. For example those bugging-out
in grizzly country should definitely consider something more powerful
than the aforementioned 9 mm or 38 special.

My first choice
for protection against such large game would be a center-fire rifle
chambered for 30.06 or larger. My second choice would be a magnum
revolver with a 5.5" to 7.5" barrel chambered for .44
Magnum or larger.

I think it
is wise to avoid any armed confrontation if possible. Trust me you
are not a coward if you avoid the possibility of being shot in the
head. You are not expendable – neither are the lives of your
family or those in your bug out group. Those with the macho kill
‘em all attitude will not last very long.

With that being
said, a semi-auto military type rifle could be considered especially
if you are trying to get from an urban area to the country, where
facing organized gangs or other threats attempting to block your
exit could be a possibility.

An AR-15 with
collapsible buttstock or folding stocked AK-74
could help get you out of a dangerous situation.

What are your
thoughts or choices for bug-out firearms? We would love to hear
your thoughts in the comments below…

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this post, make sure you subscribe
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October
15, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.

Survival
is also about earning a living!
Non-fiction
Writing Contest
Submission by Dana

My husband
and I were freaking out about the economy in 1978, so we moved from
a metro lifestyle in another state to rural Kansas where we fenced
and planted a half-acre garden. I learned to can, soon filling the
basement with Mason jars. We went “off
the grid” for a while, so learned to live by the light,
getting up early and going to bed early. Taking a bath by candlelight
is no fun.

We bought gold
and silver. We kept it under our own control. We stocked up on ammo
and such. Tools.
Food. Seeds.
Practical things. We had a 90-foot well. We became vegetarians.
Life was good. Weekend auctions were our entertainment. It was so
much fun driving to different farmstead auctions, meeting super-nice
people, spending a very few dollars for fabulous deals.

About auctions.
I cherish a 12-seater dining room table and caned chairs purchased
at auction for a mere $210. After kids put their knees through the
cane years later, it cost $22 per chair to repair in a small Kansas
town. The next generation of kids, that gent was gone, so it was
$450 to repair just two chairs in Wichita. Yow! This year, I was
blessed to meet a 90-year-old in Missouri who repaired three chairs
for $75 total.

I then bought
the materials from him to cover the next round of repairs in 10
years, for all the chairs. Had to drive for 18 hours total to deliver
then retrieve my chairs, but it was a fabulous deal. He and his
wife are awesome. Spent quite a bit of time with them. If you need
a caned chair, they have a basement full of them that he has re-habbed.
He has amazing war memorabilia, and she has a great garden. They
were peeling apples and making applesauce last time I visited.

Back to survival.
I substituted, tutored, and sold vegetables. I protected our homestead
and worked hard in the garden,
while my husband traveled and sold industrial supplies. We saved
as much as we could. Gold went from about $200 to $800. Before long,
we had saved enough to live 10+ years (frugally).

We had essentially
traded even from our city home to our rural home, giving up a newer
house with a small yard for an older home with land. It was my first
experience with high ceilings, plaster walls, a basement, and tall
windows being so high off the ground. The glass in the windows had
“runs” which distorted the view. Our outbuildings included
a super-high-ceiling garage for a combine, a stable, and a large
bee-keeper’s workroom tricked out with a deep sink and toilet.

There were
pear, peach and cherry trees, and lots of roses, irises, and lilacs.
The asparagus bed was impressive. I had never eaten asparagus, but
now love it!

I bought all
the Mother Earth News issues, and How
to Live on Five Acres, and similar reading. Still have them
all. Excellent information. I spent winters poring over seed catalogs,
planning next year’s planting.

I started a
home-based
business, to be able to work at home and raise kids. My “office”
was a country sunroom with windows on three sides. No A/C, very
hot in the summers, but my husband installed a gas heater from Graingers,
so winters were relatively pleasant.

Here’s
what I can advise.

Live on less
than you earn. Life has waves. There is a rhythm. Up and down. Seasons.
Hills and valleys. Cut off the tops of the hills, and tip them over
to fill the valleys, and you will be fine. The difference between
what you earn and what you spend is the source of your WEALTH.

For business,
SOLVE PROBLEMS! All the money in the world is hidden under the rocks
called problems. Great opportunity is brilliantly disguised as insolvable
problems. Be a CONTINUAL LEARNER, and you will do well. While I
had to order and read a bazillion books, today’s access to
information makes it incredibly easy to learn. SPEND THAT TIME.
Learning is the best thing you can do with time.

People will
trade. The gent who painted our house was happy to work many evenings
(until dark) in exchange for our old Toyota for his daughter.

Beans + Rice.
All the amino acids! There’s nothing as delicious as a big
bean pot plus cornbread. Soak dried beans in water overnight in
the fridge, then cook them the next day. Almost all day. Slowly.
The more different beans, the better.

Peanut butter
+ milk. All the amino acids! If you don’t like to drink milk,
then soften peanut butter and mix in dried milk powder. My son,
a National Merit Finalist, grew his great brain on beans/rice and
pb/milk.

No chemicals.
Homemade oil spray protects fruit trees. Homemade pepper spray protects
most vegetables. Plant flowers, with a bias toward perennials. Established
irises can survive anything. For annuals, petunias, zinnias, and
hollyhocks prosper in hot weather.

Deadbolts.
Lock up. Keep a loaded (though shell not chambered, to protect kids)
shotgun by your bed. When you get up to pee during the night, pick
up the shotgun, and go through the imagined motions of chambering
a shell, taking off the safety, and shouldering the gun.

After a while,
you can do it in about two seconds, second nature. The life you
save will be your own, or your family’s. The chuck-chuck sound
of chambering a shell is unmistakable and a powerful deterrent.
It would be terrible to have to actually shoot someone, but hey,
don’t break in!

FYI, in Kansas
a concealed carry license is essentially permanent. No need to renew
every few years. If you don’t drink and drive or beat up people,
you’re good.

Think critically.
Be aware. Consider who is telling what, and why. Though country
people are generally wonderful, some may try to take advantage of
nice people. Do NOT give out information to anyone who calls or
visits you. If you call them, that’s different.

Freeze your
credit. At present it costs $30 to freeze with all three bureaus.
You will be unable to get a car or home loan until you unfreeze
it (another $30), but you will not be a victim of identity theft.
DO NOT be the low-hanging fruit for thieves! You can de-activate
charge cards until you need them. When you are ready to go shopping,
call and re-activate.

One in the
hole. ALWAYS have extra. When you need something, buy two.

Back to business
now. If you work for wages, you are taxed on EVERY dollar you earn.
If you own a business, you are taxed on the dollars left over after
you have spent for what you need. And, if you happen to lose money
occasionally, a business can GET BACK federal taxes for the past
three years, and in Kansas, not have to pay state income taxes for
up to 10 years forward. Sweet. So every fourth year could be a loss.
You cannot take depreciation on a loss year, so plan for that. Overall,
a small business can avoid most income tax (but not payroll or other
taxes).

If you operate
a small business, you are in charge of your schedule. You never
need to miss a school meeting, a doctor’s appointment, or a
child’s sporting event. Not much need for daycare. Children
who grow up with a WORKING parent are blessed. They learn what work
is – that parents don’t disappear all day then show up
with money. They learn how to speak to customers, how to organize,
how to plan, how to follow through. The best thing I EVER DID was
start a business so that I could stay “home” to raise
kids.

Though my little
business started out small, over the years it has grown to provide
jobs to dozens of people. I am proud of that. Our kids come to the
office, and I spend time teaching them to be learners and problem-solvers.
Kids are our future.

If I can do
it, anybody can do it!

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September
24, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.

I believe the
handgun will be the most useful and used self-defense tool after
a collapse. I’m not contending that a handgun is more effective
than a rife or shotgun, it’s not.

If I knew trouble
was coming, and I was going to have to use deadly force, I’d
reach for the nearest long-gun while holding the handgun in reserve.

But the truth
of the matter is, you will not always have an advanced warning of
impending danger. An attack will likely be perpetrated quickly and
without warning, when you’re most vulnerable, at close range,
by more than one attacker and in low light.

You’ll
need to be armed at all times, carrying a rifle or shotgun continuously
is impractical if not impossible.

There are times
(even post SHTF)
when concealment
will be necessary – tucking a handgun down your pants is easier
and more practical than trying to hide a shotgun under your coat.

Now that we
know a handgun is the most useful and realistic defensive tool we
need to learn to use that tool in the most effective way possible.

Taking a dedicated
class given by qualified instructors is the best course of action.
But many of us don’t have the time or money to make this a
reality and must seek other alternatives.

Most of you
reading this, I am sure; have a good working knowledge of firearm
safety and proper shooting
fundamentals. If not, you must master the basics before continuing.

The NRA’s
Education & Training Division offers training courses covering
safety and handgun usage. Be sure to take the handgun
carry permit classes if available in your state, even if you
don’t plan on applying for the permit.

While these
classes aren’t as intense (usually) as the classes given by
say, Gunsite or Thunder
Ranch, you can pick-up valuable tips and safety information
by attending.

Another possibility
is looking to relatives or friends who have knowledge in handgun
safety and defensive tactics. It could be someone with military
or police training. Just be sure, your training partner knows more
about the subject than you.

I’ve known
several people who claimed to be an expert in all things firearm
related yet on the range it was obvious they knew very little of
what they claimed, with several being down right hazardous.

On one occasion,
I saw a self-proclaimed expert (a former cop) point the muzzle of
his weapon toward another shooter to his left flank as he cleared
his weapon.

This is a no-no.
I called him on it and his reaction was so bad that, I thought we
were going to end the day with fisticuffs, but a crowd gathered
and he backed down.

I often get
emails from readers asking for book and DVD recommendations in this
area – my advice is always the same. Learn the basics before moving
forward and seek professional training if possible.

After learning
proper handgun handling and safety, my recommendations for books
and DVD’s are “Tactical Pistol Shooting: Your Guide to
Tactics & Techniques that Work” and “Jim Grover’s
Defensive Shooting Series” both are excellent.

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September
2, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.

I found this
book last fall while walking around a table at the local flea
market. The table was piled several books deep, end to end with
none displaying a price.

As I started
wading through the pile of books the guy on the other side of the
table looked up, spat a chew of skoal into an empty can, nice day
ain’t it, he said wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

Not bad –
now if we could get it to stay this way all the time we’d be
in good shape, I said; continuing to riffle through the mountain
of books. What’s the price on your books?

We’ll
let’s see, novels are .50 each, hardcover’s $2 and the
rest $1.50 he said, dipping another pinch of tobacco from the can.
You like to read?

Yeah, when
I find the time. How about you, I asked?

Western type
fiction mostly and the Bible.

Tell you what
I’ll do, buy five and I’ll let you have the novels for
.25 and non fiction for $1 each, he said putting the lid back on
the can.

After about
twenty minutes of fighting my way through the pile of books, I left
with nine titles, including a copy of How
to Survive WITHOUT A Salary by Charles Long. When I got
back to the trailer, I put the books into my read pile.

I managed to
read several during the winter, finishing How to Survive WITHOUT
A Salary a few weeks ago. While not an end of the world type
book, How to Survive WITHOUT A Salary does offer some good
advice and mental mindset needed to live on less.

He states in
the preface:

There’s
something about this so-called global economy that reminds me
of the sanitary worker who falls in a cess pool. To his great
relief he discovers a bump on the bottom where, if he stands on
his tip-toes and stretches his neck, he can just keep his mouth
above the surface of the muck. To his great dismay he also discovers
that taking a step in any direction only makes his predicament
worse. He refuses all offers of help, muttering through clenched
lip: “Don’t make a wave… Don’t make a wave…

As survivalists
we plan and prepare for a multitude of disasters, often forgetting
about the need to survive everyday life and live on less.

I’m afraid
the current economy, or lack of , will force many to live the conserver
lifestyle — if they want to or not. The U.S. is built on consumer
debt, if you’re in debt the employers and the bankers own you
and you have no choice but to participate.

So the first
step to the conserver lifestyle is to get out of debt and stay out.
I worked for years for a hardwood flooring company. Ten hours a
day six days a week, during peak production. I was running on a
treadmill, never actually getting anywhere.

Sure, I had
stuff — or more accurately, the bank did. They were kind enough to
let me borrow it, as long as I paid the monthly payments. I was
in misery, with two options — work 20 hours per day or live
on less.

This was the
main disagreement, the ex-wife and I had, ultimately leading to
divorce.

She wanted
glistening things to show her friends and I wanted a life. No compromise,
it was her way or the highway. I chose the pavement, or more accurately
the travel trailer on junk land and couldn’t be happier.

How to Survive
WITHOUT A Salary offers techniques, tips and advice that will
not only help you live cheaper but acquire the proper attitude needed
to make changes to better your life and become more self-reliant.

Some of the
subjects covered include, the secondhand market, buying at auctions,
accessing needs, making a casual income, budget, food, clothing,
entertainment, taxes, being poor, barter, downsizing and a lot more
in its 200 pages.

It’s a
good book, that will help you not only save, but make money, but
I don’t recommend you buy it new. If you can find it used like
I did, by all means buy it or better yet, check the library.

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August
23, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.

Water Purification
Options – Non-Fiction
Writing Contest Submission by D. Holden

Introduction

Water: the
source of life. One can live weeks without food, but only days without
water. Water makes up approximately 60–70% of a human’s
body weight. It is, and should be, one of the most important considerations
in planning for a long-term disaster scenario. Given that the average
human will need one gallon per person per day minimum, storage of
large quantities of water quickly becomes impractical and therefore
won’t be discussed in this post. This article also assumes
that you don’t have a private well that is completely off the
grid. If you have the land, if the city or county allows it, and
if you can afford it, then by all means, make getting a private
well your first order of business!

So how can
one find safe water after a major disaster? If you don’t have
a well with a solar or hand pump, you’ll most likely have to
rely on natural sources of water such as streams, ponds, lakes,
or rivers. It would still be quite dangerous to drink directly from
stream or river, even if it appears completely clean and clear.
There is always the risk from Giardia and Cryptosporidium, not to
mention the chance of a dead animal just upstream unbeknownst to
you. Even a bit of animal or human excrement upstream can make a
person seriously or deathly ill. If you use natural sources of water,
then some form of filtration or purification will be necessary.

So, what to
do? Well, you have a few options:

1. Filters

First, you
could invest in a ceramic filter, like the British
Berkefeld Ceramic Water Filter. While a bit pricey, they’re
both highly recommended and receive terrific reviews. I’ve
used this particular brand in West Africa for many years, and I
admit they are convenient, safe, effective, easy to maintain, and
long-lasting. The ceramic filters only need an occasional cleaning
and can withstand cleaning many times before needing to be replaced.

They are definitely
worth the money, but you should note that they only filter out organic
contaminants and sediment from water. Since they don’t have
anything like activated charcoal, they don’t filter out chemical
contaminants. I don’t imagine most sources of water would contain
dangerous levels of chemicals, but if you take water from a river
or stream that is next to a typical commercial farm, there is the
risk of ingesting pesticides and herbicides from the farm runoff.
It’s the same for water that near an industrial plant. This
should not be a problem for most people, but it is good to be aware
of the possibilities. Know what is upstream!

For a good
portable filter, you could go with the Swiss-made Katadyn
Hiker or the Hiker
Pro. A wonderful benefit to these filters is that they are extremely
portable, which makes them vital components of bug-out bags. Another
benefit is that they remove virtually all organic and chemical contaminants.

The down side
is that you only get about 200 gallons out of each filter, and the
replacements add up very quickly. However, if you want more filtration
for your money, like say 13,000 gallons worth, you can go with the
Katadyn
Pocket Water Microfilter. While remaining very portable, it
uses a simple ceramic candle similar to the British Berkefeld. Just
note that as with all ceramic candles, it won’t filter out
chemical contaminants.

An interesting,
albeit more primitive option, is to build a BioSand
Filter. They’re not perfect, but they are so rugged and
easy to build and maintain that they are worth some consideration.
They remove around 95% – 99% of all organic contaminants by
way of an active “biological layer” and simple sand filtration.

These filters
have largely been implemented in the humanitarian realm by organizations
such as Samaritan’s Purse and Convoy of Hope. You can build
them out of plastic or concrete, and they’re very low maintenance.
Again, they don’t remove 100% of organic contaminates, so there’s
still a very small chance of getting a water-borne bug of some kind,
but it’s a good semi-permanent solution when your other options
run out.

Since the biological
layer takes some time to develop, you could use other short-term
methods listed here to carry you over until this filter is fully
functioning. They really do save lives in the third-world, so it’s
worth some investigation, at least for a backup option. You can
find plans online for building them.

2. Boiling

There’s
always the idea of boiling your water, but for that you would need
a large source of energy, perhaps something like wood or propane,
not to mention a large amount of time as well as storage. Boiling
water may work in a pinch, but it would be extremely cost and resource
prohibitive in the long run, especially in a long-term grid down
scenario.

On a personal
note, many years ago, I went on a weekend camping trip and severely
underestimated my water demands, all while carrying foods high in
sodium. Needless to say, I became very dehydrated and had to stay
up all night boiling, cooling, and drinking river-water. It worked
great, but due to the time and the energy necessary to boil water,
I quickly realized that relying on this method of water purification
in the long-term is not a good idea.

3. Chemical
Disinfection (i.e. Chlorination)

In a common
local disaster scenario (hurricane, ice storm, tornado, etc), organizations
such as FEMA and the Red Cross suggest using unscented household
bleach (5.25 to 6.0 percent sodium hypochlorite) to treat water.
FEMAs instructions are as follows:

“Add 16
drops (1/8 teaspoon) of bleach per gallon of water, stir, and let
stand for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight bleach odor.
If it doesn’t, then repeat the dosage and let stand another
15 minutes. If it still does not smell of chlorine, discard it and
find another source of water.”

This method
is not really generally recommended for long-term use. Plus, bleach
has a limited shelf-life (around 6 to 9 months), so you’d have
to rotate your supply often in a long-term disaster. To get around
this limit, some people instead buy calcium hypochlorite (rather
than the sodium hypochlorite in bleach) in the form of “pool
shock.” It comes in granular form, is relatively stable, and
has a surprisingly long shelf-life.

I’d be
careful with this stuff however, as storage can be dicey (I’ve
heard stories of it corroding surrounding items when not stored
properly), and one needs to be aware of proper measurements and
mixing amounts. I’m sure with enough research and preparation,
the granular calcium hypochlorite could be a fairly good backup
method of water purification.

4. Solar
Disinfection: SODIS

SODIS, or SOlar
DISinfection, is the cheapest and easiest of the methods listed
here. Solar disinfection only requires two things: clear plastic
(PET) bottles and sunlight. Find soda or water bottles with the
PET recycling mark that are clear and colorless, 2 liters or less
in volume, and preferably no more than 4 inches in diameter. Fill
them with water, close the cap, and lay them on their sides in full
and direct sunlight for a day.

It’s better
if you place them on a shiny surface, such as corrugated metal roofing,
and angle them towards the sun so that they sun’s rays will
strike the bottles more directly. If the water is cloudy or turbid,
filter the water with cloth or cotton until it is clear. Keep the
bottles in direct sunlight for at least 6 hours. If the sky is cloudy,
you will need to keep the bottles out for two days.

So, how does
it work? The strong ultraviolet light (UV-A) from the sun not only
destroys bacteria directly, but it also reacts with oxygen to create
oxygen free-radicals which can also kill bacteria. One way to improve
the effectiveness of the process is to aerate the water by shaking
it. To do this, fill the bottle 3/4 full, cap it off and shake it.
Then fill the bottle up the rest of the way until it’s completely
full. This oxygenates the water and increases the amount of oxygen
free-radicals created by the sunlight.

Conclusion

This is surely
not an exhaustive list of water treatment methods, but I wanted
to list some common ones for consideration. Rather than rely solely
on one method of water purification, I would consider having many
methods in one’s survival
arsenal. So goes the preparedness maxim, “two is one and one
is none.” This definitely applies to methods and ideas as well.

Do you have
any other methods not considered here? What do you think?

If you enjoyed
this post, make sure you subscribe
to my RSS feed!

August
20, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.

The amount
of emails hitting my Inbox makes my head spin. I just checked my
inbox and in the last 30 minutes I’ve had 43 emails….
and it is Monday morning as I write this (off-peak) I’m sure
this number will grow with the day.

On a single
day last week I had 339 emails – it was a fairly ‘normal’
day.

I try to answer
everyone, but sometimes it’s impossible because of sheer number
received and time restraints. If you’ve sent an email and I’ve
failed to answer, I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better…

Many of the
emails are from readers asking for help. Their requests are varied
and include:

• questions
  about the topics I’m writing about
• emails of
  thanks and encouragement from readers who appreciate the site
• ‘pitches’
  asking me to feature products or link to posts
• enquiries
  from advertisers
• submissions
  by potential guest posters
• complaints
  about something that has been written

But the number
one inquiry is for product and book recommendations – usually
in the form of “could you recommend a basic, yet complete survival
library of around ten books”,
so I’ve decided to list my recommendations here and use this
post as an answer to this question, that I can link to in my response.

M.D.’s
Top Twelve Survival Book Recommendations

1. The
New Complete Book Of Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour
2. The
New Self-Sufficient Gardener by John Seymour
3. Barnyard
In Your BackYard by Gail Damerow
4. Cookin’
With Home Storage by Peggy Layton
5. Emergency
Food Storage & Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
6. Putting
Food By Fourth Edition by Beatrice Vaughan
7. Survival
Poaching by Ragnar Benson
8. Where
There Is No Doctor by David Werner
9. Nuclear
War Survival Skills by Cresson H. Kearny
10. Primitive
Wilderness Living & Survival Skills by John & Geri
McPherson
11. Boston’s
Gun Bible by Boston T. Party
12. The
Forager’s Harvest by Samuel Thayer

Please keep
sending emails, asking questions and giving advice – I would
love to hear from you, but if you’re asking for book recommendations
you are likely to receive a link to this post, since these books
are given my highest recommendation and are nearly a complete survival
library within themselves.

What have I
left out? I’m sure you have other “must have” survival
books on your list, please share your recommendations in the comments
below.

If you enjoyed
this post, make sure you subscribe
to my RSS feed!

July
17, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.

After examining
the results of Fridays
poll it’s obvious many readers are interested in setting
up and running a small homestead.

And since you’ve
shown an interest, I thought it would be fitting (and useful) to
do a review of The
Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter
acre! by Carleen Madigan/Storey Publishing.

Actually, I’ve
been planning a review this book for several weeks, but was sidetracked
by other projects. Too
many irons in the fire. Can’t believe, I was thinking about
doing a survival
podcast. Thank
you for setting me straight on that one.

It doesn’t
take a lot of land to have a self-sufficient homestead. I have two
acres, but use about half of that for my garden, fruit and nut trees,
henhouse, grape vines, goat lot, rabbit hutch, bee hive, compost
pile, trailer and yard. You don’t need a lot of land.

But you do
need to know how to use your small acreage efficiently, The Backyard
Homestead will help you do that.

Within it’s
368 pages you’ll find easy to understand, straightforward instructions
covering a wealth of information, that’ll help you get the
most from a small homestead or even your backyard.

The thing that
stood out most was the detailed planning diagrams and breakdowns
for different sized plots, arrangements and lists of possible yields
from each. Of course the actual yield harvested, would depend on
many factors. But the suggestions give something to work for and
compare progress.

The Backyard
Homestead covers a range of topics, all geared toward those
of us homesteading on small acreage, such as: vegetable gardening,
fruit and nut trees, herbs, grains, poultry, rabbits, pigs, goats,
sheep, cattle, preserving, making wine, cider, vinegar, herbs, making
cheese, yogurt and butter and a lot more.

On the back
of the book, it tells you that on a 1/4 acre, you can harvest:

• 1400 eggs
• 50 lbs of
  wheat
• 60 lbs of
  fruit
• 2000 lbs
  of vegetables
• 280 lbs
  of pork
• 75 lbs of
  nuts

The Backyard
Homestead is a great book.

My only complaint
(I have to complain about something – no matter how trivial)
is that some of the suppliers mentioned are no longer in business.
This can be expected as businesses come and go and any such listing
is guaranteed to become dated. This isn’t a big deal as other
sources and alternatives are easy to find.

I also thought
it strange that there were no plans for composting
or homemade
composters. This isn’t a big deal as this info is all over
the web and detailed in just about any book on gardening
or homesteading.

Would I recommend
this book? Yes; I would.

It is a gold
mine of information for those of us homesteading on small acreage.

What about
you?

What books
would you recommend for those homesteading on a small plot of land?

If you enjoyed
this post, make sure you subscribe
to my RSS feed!

June
22, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail] is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.

Note: I’ve linked to each movie on Amazon.com so you can read
the reviews there — but I don’t suggest you buy the movies. Buying
movies is, in my opinion a waste of resources that could be put
to better use. If there is a movie you would like to see try redbox
or your local video store…

In no particular order…

1. Cast
Away — Tom Hanks, classic man stranded on Island. Not the best
movie, I’ve watched but not the worst either.

2. 28
Days Later — Man wakes up from a coma to find London deserted
— until he runs into a mob of crazed plague victims.

3.
28 Weeks Later — Six months have passed since London was overrun
by infectious, plague-ridden zombies. Now they are back.

4. Alive
— A team of tough rugby players survive a plane crash deep in the
desolate, snow-covered Andes.

5. Children
of Men — The last baby was born in 2009 and the world has been
torn apart by nuclear fallout, rampant terrorism, and political
rebellion.

6. The
Killing Fields — Survival in the ensuing madness of the Khmer
Rouge’s genocide.

7. Shackleton
— When the expedition ship Endurance becomes locked in
the Antarctic ice, Shackleton vows to bring every man home alive,
and against virtually impossible odds, including a 700-mile journey
in an open boat through some of the worst seas in the world, he
did just that.

8. The
Pianist — World War II epic.

9. 30
Days of Night — A mob of vampires overruns a remote Alaskan
town. I’m not a big fan on vampire movies but this one was really
good.

10. Black
Hawk Down — Conveys raw and brutal battle through the streets
of Mogadishu Somalia in 1993.

11. I
Am Legend — A lone human survivor in a post-apocalyptic world
dominated by vampires.

12. Terminator
Salvation — One of the best in the Terminator series, great
special effects.

13. A
Boy and His Dog — The year is 2024 in Post-Apocalyptic America
Vic and his telepathic dog Blood are happy scavengers in the desolate
wilderness ravaged by World War Four, where survivors must battle
for food, shelter, and sexual companionship in the desert-like wasteland.

14. A
Cry in the Wild — A great movie (my opinion) set in the Canadian
wilderness.

15. City
of Ember — A secret city has been built to preserve mankind
from worldwide disaster. But over time, the purpose of the city
is lost — and the city gradually decays.

16. Empire
of the Sun — A young British boy’s noble spirit allows him to
survive the hardships of a Japanese prison camp in China during
World War II.

17. Escape
from New York — In the future, crime is out of control and New
York City is a maximum-security prison.

18. Rambo
First Blood — The only Rambo movie worth watching.

19. Into
the Wild — The true story of Christopher McCandless who walked
out of his privileged life and into the wild in search of adventure.

20. Never
Cry Wolf — An inexperienced biologist is deposited alone the
desolate Arctic terrain. Once settled, he struggles to endure the
forces of nature as he documents the mysterious habits of the wolves
he has been sent to study.

21. The
Edge — Two men up against a giant Kodiak bear, and their own
inner demons, when lost together in the Alaskan wilderness.

22. The
Flight of the Phoenix — Robert Aldrich’s tense, 1965 drama about
a plane crash in the Sahara is a unique psychological study of men
in desperate circumstances. There is a new version of the same title,
however I prefer the first one.

23. The
One That Got Away — Set in WWII escape from a prisoner-of-war
camp. Good movie.

24. The
Thin Red Line — Realistic view of military and moral chaos in
the Pacific during World War II.

25. To
End All Wars — Captured by the Japanese, a group of soldiers
is forced to build the infamous "Railway of Death" between
Thailand and Burma.

26. War
of The Worlds — Aliens hell-bent on destroying humanity. Good
movie but the little girls whining got on my nerves.

27. Waterworld
— A lone man with gills and webbed feet who navigates the endless
seas of Earth after the complete melting of the polar ice caps.
I know it what you’re thinking, but it’s not all that bad.

28. The
Postman — Drifter leads the resistance against a military tyrant
after a collapse.

29. Enemy
of the State — Depiction of high-tech surveillance.

30. Six
Days, Seven Nights — Charter pilot who must ferry New York fashion
editor Robin Monroe from one island to another — a hop that falls
flat when they fly into a mammoth storm that causes them to crash
on a deserted island.

31. Braveheart
— Epic based on the life of legendary thirteenth-century Scottish
hero William Wallace.

32. The
Missing — A woman raising two daughters in an isolated and lawless
wilderness. When her oldest daughter is kidnapped by a psychopathic
killer with mystical powers, she is forced to re-unite with her
long estranged father to rescue her.

33. Lord
Of The Flies — A group of children from a military academy is
stranded on an island. They turn savage and start to kill each other.

34. Touching the Void
— Two British mountaineers attempt to climb the previously unconquered
mountain Siula Grande.

35. Swiss
Family Robinson — Shipwrecked on a deserted island the Robinson
family overcome the obstacles of nature and transform their new
home into a "civilized" community.

36. Book
of Eli — Eli walks west in post-apocalyptic America.

37. Stranded
— Based on the October 13, 1972 crash of a rugby team called "The
Old Christians" from Montevideo, Uruguay, who boarded a plane
for a match in Chile. Also see number four Alive.

38. Jeremiah
Johnson — One man’s effort to shed the burden of civilization
and learn to survive in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. One
of my favorite movies.

39. The
Mosquito Coast — A modern man who takes his family into the
jungle. Not the best movie I’ve watched, but not the worst either.

40. Red
Dawn — The invasion of the United States has begun! Time to
defend the homeland.

41. Iron
Will — Based on a true-life story, a young man and his team
of sled dogs embark on a grueling and treacherous cross-country
marathon, in hopes of winning a $10,000 prize.

42. The
Tracker — Noble Adams, a legendary tracker, is coaxed out of
retirement to hunt down crazed killer Red Jack Stilwell and his
gang. Now it’s kill or be killed in a West so wild you can never
turn your back on a stranger.

43. The
Day After — Cold War tensions reach the ultimate boiling point,
the inhabitants of a small town in Kansas learn along with the rest
of America that they have fewer than 30 minutes before 300 Soviet
warheads begin to appear overhead!

44. Day
After Tomorrow — Global warming triggers the onset of a new
Ice Age.

45. Dawn
Of The Dead — When a mysterious virus turns people into mindless,
flesh-eating zombies, a handful of survivors wage a desperate, last-stand
battle to stay alive…and human.

46. The
Mountain Men — A fun movie!

47. Andromeda
Strain — A team of scientists racing against time to destroy
a deadly alien virus that threatens to wipe out life on Earth.

48. Road
Warrior — The last guardian of civilization and order in a devastated
world reduced to chaos.

49. Poseidon
Adventure — A priest who leads a small group of survivors to
safety from the bowels of a capsized luxury liner.

50. Behind
Enemy Lines — Downed pilot in war-torn Bosnia. Escape, evasion
and
survival.

51. Forest
Gump — One man’s survival of life from the ’50s to the ’90s.

52. Magma:
Volcanic Disaster — A team of scientists set out to gather the
evidence needed to convince government officials that the end is
near and devise a plan to potentially prevent Armageddon.

53. V
for Vendetta — Anarchistic terrorism to overthrow a corrupt
government and the blatant jabs at the U.S. political arena. I like
it!

54. Apollo
13 — True story of how three astronauts, stranded 205,000 miles
from the earth, fight a battle to survive while Mission Control
works against time to bring them home.

55. The
Hunted — FBI agent and a specialist in deep-woods tracking,
team up to track and hunt down a trained assassin, who made a sport
out of fatally shooting deer hunters in the forests outside Portland,
Oregon. Great knife-fighting scenes.

56. 2012
– Who will be saved from disaster — not you or I but the
politicians, bureaucrats and the rich. I was disappointed with this
one, but your mileage may vary.

57. Aftershock
— The two men face uncertainty as their own family members lie buried
in the toppled infrastructure after a a massive earthquake rocks
New York city.

58. Deep
Impact — A high school Astronomy Club discovers a new comet
that unfortunately is headed for Earth. While scientists build a
cave to prevent the extinction of the human race, they estimate
that only 800,000 people can be selected to survive.

59. Dante’s
Peak — Volcano disaster movie — worth watching.

60. Tears
of the Sun — A team of U.S. Special Ops commandos struggling
to rescue innocent missionaries amidst the bloody horror of Nigerian
ethnic cleansing.

61. Cloverfield
— Five New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night
that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city.

62. The
Crazies — A mysterious virus is put into the water supply of
a small Iowa town tuning the towns people — you guessed it, crazy.

63. The
Road — A father and his son try to survive as they trek along
through the sodden, sunless remnants of some awful disaster. What’s
with that whining kid? Personally, I think this was one of the worst
movies I’ve ever seen…

64. Panic
Room — A relocated New York divorce and her daughter fight
for their lives against a trio of tenacious burglars while hiding
in a customized, impenetrable panic room.

65. Shooter
— One of the best action-type movies I’ve seen in years.

67. Tremors
— Nevada is infested with stinky subterranean man-eating worms.

68. 12
Monkeys — Wasteland of the year 2035, where a virulent plague
has forced humans to live in squalid conditions.

69. Terminator
2 — Must find a way to stop the ultimate enemy — the T-1000,
the most lethal Terminator ever created. The best of the Terminator
series

70. Deliverance
— Squeal like a pig — welcome to Appalachia.

71. I
am Omega — Good Zombie movie.

72. Damnation
Alley — A fun movie.

73. Snow
Walker — The story of an Alaskan bush pilot and young Eskimo
girl who survived a plane crash in the Alaskan outback.

74. Panic
in Year Zero — A post-nuke survival story of a father who fights
to protect his family from rapists and murderers.

75. Carriers
— Viral pandemic that threatens to wipe out the human race.

76. Jericho
the series — Don’t forget to subscribe
to The Survivalist Blog by email for a chance to win this set.

77. Kelly’s
Heroes — American soldiers try to steal gold behind enemy lines
in World War II. War and comedy.

78. A
Bridge To Far — A daring but ultimately disastrous raid behind
enemy lines in Holland during the Second World War.

79. Enemy
at The Gates — World War II, an excellent movie.

80. Platoon
— You’ve seen it — watch it again. I did.

81. Zombieland
— There’s been a zombie apocalypse and you’re road-tripping alone
though the wasteland.

82. Full
Metal Jacket — The story of an 18-year-old marine recruit named
Private Joker — from his carnage-and-machismo boot camp to his climactic
involvement in the heavy fighting in Hue during the 1968 Tet Offensive.

83. The
Stand — A government-spawned "superflu" wipes out
more than 90 percent of the earth’s population.

84. Cabin
Fever — The first one was worth watching, the second installment
not so much.

85. Out
Break — A race to save life on earth when an unstoppable killer
virus hits our shores.

86. Miracle
Mile — What do you do when you’re given the deadline for the
end of the world?

89. Ghosts
of Mars — While not survivalist related, I thought it a good
flick, that most would enjoy.

90. Testament
— An unexpected nuclear strike has occurred and no one knows who
did it or why it happened.

91. Resident
Evil: Extinction — Zombie horror/science fiction set in the
Nevada desert.

92. The
Sum of all Fears — A CIA analyst uncovers a plot by terrorists
to cause the US and Russia to fight a world war.

93. The
Patriot — A rapidly spreading lethal biological agent is unleashed
on a small Montana town!

94. The
Island — Humans are cloned for spare parts, surrogate parenthood,
and full-body replacements for the wealthy.

95. Proof
of Life — A contractor is kidnapped in Latin American and held
for ransom.

96. The
Happening — A neurotoxin released by the surrounding vegetation
causes people to kill themselves by any means at hand.

97. Doomsday
— Post-apocalyptic action-thriller — great entertainment but nothing
more.

98. Windtalkers
— Navajo use code based on their language to fool the Japanese.

99. Dances
With Wolves — A lone white soldier who singlehandedly mans a
post in the 1870 Dakotas.

100. Farewell
to the King — During World War II, an American POW escapes a
Japanese firing squad. Hiding himself in the wilds of Borneo, he
is adopted by a head-hunting tribe of Nyak Indians, who consider
him "divine" because of his elaborate tattoos.

101. The
Quiet Earth — A government research scientist awakens to discover
that he may be the last man on earth.

What is your favorite survival-related (or not) movie?

If you enjoyed
this post, make sure you subscribe
to my RSS feed!

June
21, 2010

M.D.
Creekmore [send
him mail], is a full-time blogger and preparedness consultant.
He currently lives completely off-grid somewhere in the Appalachian
mountains and is currently working on his upcoming book The
Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat for Paladin Press. To connect with
M.D. Creekmore please visit his Survival
Blog.