SASKATCHEWAN PREPPERS NETWORK

To Flee? Or not to Flee? That is the question.

2011-12-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

In my inbox this morning was an EXCELLENT article from my favorite health junkie, Mike Adams. You may already read some of Mike's work. He's been doing a LOT of GREAT work for years in the natural health and overall wellness areas.

He's also been doing quite a bit of prep work in recent years, and today he's sharing an excellent read on do's and don'ts and a few other generally smart things...All credit for this article goes to Mike Adams, Health Ranger and his teams...

(NaturalNews) One of the most common questions I'm asked today from people who are aware of what's really going on is, "Should I leave the USA to get away from the coming police state?" Three years ago, I would have said YES, but today, after having experienced such an effort myself and now having a clear understanding of the ramifications of such an effort, I must urge people to reconsider. As you'll read here, you may ultimately be far safer and more successful living right where you are, in your "home country," even if that home country becomes a police state.

I've lived in many countries, by the way: Taiwan, Australia and Ecuador. I've traveled extensively throughout Asia, giving seminars in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. I've traveled across England, France, Spain and even Portugal. Spent quite a bit of time in Central America and South America. I speak decent Spanish and decent Chinese, so there's almost nowhere I go in the world that I can't speak to the local people in either English, Spanish or Mandarin Chinese. I've seen extreme wealth, extreme poverty and extreme corruption in all its world flavors, and I've seen what corruption does to nations and its populations, first hand.

I don't claim to be a prophet of any kind, but today I'm a bit wiser, a bit more experienced and a bit less foolish than I was a few years ago, and I'd like to pass on whatever nuggets of wisdom might help you and your family prepare for the powerful global changes which have already begun to unfold.

Here, I share with you five powerful realizations you need to keep in mind when considering where to locate (or relocate) before the collapse becomes a reality. (Time is growing short, so read up...)

For starters, there is a universal truth you must accept if you hope to make a truly wise decision about where to locate: Corruption is everywhere.

Realization #1 - Corruption is far worse outside the USA

If you think the USA is corrupt, you should try living in Peru, or Bolivia, or Panama. And if you think that's corrupt, head over to Haiti for a double heaping serving of corruption.

Yes, we may all legitimately complain about the USA, but from what I've seen everywhere around the world, the United States is still less corrupt than most places in the world. Yes, there are bad apples everywhere throughout local police, federal FBI agents and even the court system, but for every bad apple there are probably three times as many honorable people who are truly just trying to do their jobs.

In years past, I served in a non-profit support role, the local police in Tucson, Arizona, and I came to know them as some of the most upstanding, honorable peace officers I've ever met. Yes, they had a history of outrageous corruption (which you'll find in every police force from time to time), but they rooted out that corruption and restored integrity to their operation. You'll find the same dedication to honest public service all across the nation, even if there is a little corruption that normally goes along with it.

So don't make the mistake of thinking you can escape corruption by leaving the USA. You are actually likely to discover MORE corruption elsewhere. For example, in Ecuador, where I lived for two years and held a local driver's license, it wasn't unusual for me to be stopped at an armed military roadblock and asked questions. These were staffed with soldiers carrying what appeared to be variants of the standard U.S. issue M4 rifles (AR-15 in the civilian editions). They never gave me any trouble, it turns out. They asked a couple of questions and looked at my documentation, then waved me through.

In fact, I had many friends in law enforcement in Ecuador, and I spoke with them regularly. Sure, they were a little corrupt, but not in an over-the-top criminal way like we see with the FBI in the United States actually masterminding terrorist plots and then magically "discovering" those plots just in time to halt them (http://www.naturalnews.com/034325_F...).

Costa Rica has been described as a "police state" by numerous people who have visited or even lived there. Yes, the country if a beautiful paradise in terms of climate, and it is perhaps the most socially advanced nation in Central and South America, but like all such nations, it has a socialist police state mentality.

South Americans love socialism, it turns out. And this has everything to do with preparedness...

Realization #2 - Many cultures do not practice long-term preparedness thinking

In observing all this first hand, I've come to the conclusion that the embracing of socialism throughout South America is the result of cultural short-term thinking.

For example, throughout South America, people often buy prescription medicines one pill at a time. They buy a bag of twenty screws from the hardware store, then return to the store after they run out to buy another twenty. This is often infuriating to the "gringos" who are trying to build a house, for example, because they operate with the idea that you should just buy 5,000 screws all at once and have plenty to get the job done. I can assure you from first-hand experience that such a concept is completely alien to a great many South Americans (most notably in rural areas).

I make no judgments about this, by the way. There are pros and cons on both sides of this equation. But in my experience living in Ecuador, finding people engaged in preparedness planning was virtually impossible unless they were of European descent. For example, rural Ecuadorians often buy a small baggy of spices in a quantity for cooking one meal. And in doing this kind of thing, they nickel-and-dime themselves into actually losing money because they don't take advantage of the purchasing efficiencies realized through long-term planning. The idea, for example, of buying large quantities of facial tissue at a Costco or Sam's Club is completely foreign to most South American cultures (more so in rural areas than urban). Even if they might save 40% from buying in bulk, their cultural tendency is to buy one tissue box at a time, paying a much higher overall price over time.

This concept is also reinforced by the very heavy reliance on state-run lotteries throughout South America. In any nation, high participation in lotteries is a powerful demonstration that a culture lacks the cognitive coherence necessary for intelligent financial planning. You see this heavily reflected throughout Peru and Brazil, by the way. You'll even find this in many poorer areas of rural USA where the lack of mathematics education (and, perhaps, an irrational belief in luck) motivates many people to hand over their money to the state. That's why the mathematically inclined call the lottery "a tax on people who can't do math."

There is, of course, an interesting up-side to short-term thinking, because the very same phenomenon might also be called "living in the moment." Some in the new age movement call it "the power of NOW." South Americans know all about the power of NOW, as you'll clearly see on a Sunday morning when driving your car down the road, weaving around drunken citizens sleeping in the ditches, sometimes still clutching an empty bottle of sugar cane alcohol. The night before, they all lived in "the now," you see, and they weren't necessarily thinking about the hangover implications that would inevitably arrive the next morning.

You see, to actually get anything done in society, you have to live at least a little bit in the future.

On the food production front, by the way, it is extremely difficult to buy a John Deere tractor in many Central and South American nations. Much of the food production there is still done by hand (not as much in Brazil, of course, where agricultural mechanization is in full swing...).

In Texas, by comparison, John Deere tractors are available everywhere. More importantly, there are lots of people who know how to fix 'em. Given that a tractor is one of the most fundamental work multipliers in agriculture, if you hope to survive the coming collapse, you need a reliable tractor on your land in a community that's familiar with tractors, and you need a few hundred gallons of stored diesel fuel to power it through the disruptions. It's no exaggeration to say that one gallon of diesel fuel can replace the labor of twelve men working twelve hours. It's a powerful force multiplier if you own the right hardware.

If you get a tractor, by the way, avoid all those more recent John Deere tractors which are fifty percent electronics and plastic. Buy the old ones, made out of iron and grit, because they're the only ones that will still operate after an electromagnetic pulse attack, in case you were wondering.

Climate reveals a lot about the planning tendencies of any culture

Getting back to the preparedness mentality of different cultures, climate shapes cultural tendencies, too. The climate in Central and South America is so much more amenable to easy food production (except at very high altitudes) that there really isn't a cultural impulse to engage in behaviors such as "storing food to survive the winter." With food literally falling off the trees year-round in places like Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil, generations after generations of people there have settled into a rhythm of day-to-day living with relatively little planning. The very best preparedness planners, not surprisingly, are people whose ancestors survived harsh climates and brutal winters.

A lack of planning in South American culture is also evident in the surprising lack of family planning you'll find there, where it's not unusual to find women with four, six or even ten children, none of which seems to own a decent pair of shoes. It makes you seriously wonder about the "thinking ahead" portions of the brain and why they have not been activated in some people. There is a part of the brain -- the future planning part -- that can imagine a particular future emerging as a result of today's actions and then use that imagined future to reshape today's actions in order to improve the future (which eventually becomes the NOW, of course, as you've no doubt noticed). People who are cognitively skilled at this process are, by definition, good planners. They tend to have better outcomes in life. Those who are poor at this skill, for whatever reason, tend to have poorer outcomes in life.

Women's rights advocacy groups correctly point out that a lack of family planning among women usually stems from a cultural devaluing of the female, which then leads to a chronic lack of women's education, subsequently correlated to startlingly high birth rates. The best way to reduce birth rates in developing nations, it turns out, is to either build more schools or just go the Bill Gates route and vaccinate everyone into a state of total infertility. (If you're an evil globalist, it's so much easier to just inject women than educate them...)

Why does all this matter? I've learned over the last few years that the best place to be in a collapse scenario is living around a bunch of other people who are also prepared because they are long-term thinkers and planners. You might want to live in a Mormon community, in other words, as they are typically the best prepared.

You might also find some preparedness communities in places like Ecuador, Uruguay, Panama or Costa Rica where there exists a critical mass of preparedness-minded people who tip the scales in your favor. So that's definitely a solid option for those who are still intent on leaving the USA or Canada and looking for preparedness options elsewhere. I do know first-hand that there are some very viable ex-pat communities in both Panama and Costa Rica where a critical mass of aware citizens already exists. Lots of libertarians down there... but watch out for "retirement communities" in these countries, which are populated by people who have no interest in actively surviving anything because they figure they're close to dying anyway.

You do NOT want to live around a whole city of people who culturally and habitually lean toward short-term thinking rather than long-term planning. A city full of starving children with mothers living in total poverty who can barely afford their next meal is not a good backdrop against which you want to build a survival retreat, especially if you're living out in the country by yourself.

Read books by Jared Diamond (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_...) if you really want to understand the long-term implications of geography and climate on the development of human culture. You will come to understand that in cultures where food comes too easily, over time there comes to exist a systemic lack of long-term planning in the minds of the citizens. This is a red flag for anyone seeking a preparedness destination.

Realization #3 - Don't be the foreigner

Another important point to remember in all this is that if you're, let's say, a white person living in a white town in America, you blend in. You can walk around anonymously -- at the grocery store, the shopping mall, the gas station, whatever. But the minute you move to some country town in South America (or Thailand, or whatever), then you suddenly stick out like a sore thumb.

In other words, if you're a 6' 1" white guy walking around a town of 5' 8" brown-skinned people, do ya think anyone will notice?

You bet they will, and when they see a 6' 1" white guy walking around, what they really see is a walking ATM.

You're a symbol of wealth, and the poorer the country you go to, the more wealth disparity you'll find, of course. And what you need to understand is that wealth disparity breeds contempt. So while you're driving around in a brand-new Toyota 4x4 (which I never did, by the way), the locals are looking at you and thinking to themselves that they could never afford that vehicle in their LIFETIME.

Why does this matter? From a practical perspective, it means that in a social breakdown scenario, these people have an instant idea of where the goods are. Who has the money? The white people! Who has the nicest houses, cars and electronics? The white people! (Or "the foreigner," even if you're not white.)

What I learned from this is that I'd rather be an "average" white guy living in an average neighborhood, driving an average car than sticking out like some sort of person who appears to be relatively well off. That's why today I still live in a modular trailer unit in Austin, I still drive a Toyota pickup truck, I dress like a rancher in blue jeans and flannel shirt, and nobody gives it a second thought when I'm out in public. I blend in, and that's far wiser than sticking out.

Some people want to look rich and popular, so they wear a lot of bling, and they drive a high-end car they can't afford, and they live in a house they can't pay off, and they try to fool everybody into thinking they're rich and powerful. I'd rather fool people into thinking I'm NOT powerful. Because underneath all that, I actually am quite capable of defending myself, or taking decisive action, or just quietly removing myself from the situation if required.

God help the mugger who tries to mug me on the street someday, because I don't dial 911. Then again, I don't walk around looking wealthy enough to mug in the first place. In fact, half the time when I walk into a hardware store in Austin to buy some equipment, I still have dirt and grime on my face from working on the farm that morning, and I've got mud on my jeans and grease on my shirt from greasing the hydraulics of the tractor loader bucket.

The point is, if you try to stand out in a time of crisis, you're an idiot. Blending in is so much wiser, I've learned. And I learned some of this the hard way, being an idiot myself in years past.

So the bottom line on this point is simple: Live where you fit in. If you speak with a Cajun accent, live around Cajuns. If you're black, don't be the one black guy in a white neighborhood (nor do you want to be the one white guy in a black neighborhood). It's not racial segregation I'm advocating, by the way, it's simply a preparedness attitude of blending in so you don't attract unwarranted attention to yourself and your daily activities.

Don't draw attention to yourself

You're going to have far better success at preparedness, survival and even home defense if you can engage in preparedness activities without drawing attention to yourself. So if you're out at the local Wal-Mart, let's say, buying up a case of rubbing alcohol to add to your first aid kit, you don't want to leave any kind of strong impression a cashier there who, for example, might later tell some FBI agent, "Oh yeah, there was this 6' 2" guy with red hair and an old-style Western mustache, and he bought up a cart full of shotgun ammo, rubbing alcohol and bandages. I thought that was kinda weird..."

So another tip in all this is that if you're buying first aid supplies, or stored food, or anything you need to stay prepared, buy things in small quantities, and better yet use the self checkout lanes at local retailers, so you're not even interacting with a cashier at all. And don't be a moron and buy too many items of anything at once. It's far better to make multiple trips (to different stores, preferably), buying up smaller quantities of things and then combining them at home.

And what kind of things should you have? Well, if you want the full details, get my Be Prepared, Not Scared course that I recorded with Robert Scott Bell, as we go over the entire preparedness list covering food, first aid, emergency communications, lighting, safety and much more:

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034404_preppers_collapse_bugging_out.html#ixzz1gW7UZUWc

Hats off to Mike!!

Rational, Positive, Creative - not necessarily in Texas...
Tabby

Skillz.....who's up for a challenge??

2011-11-20T17:41:00.001-08:00

I suppose to a certain degree, knowledge really is one thing you really can't have TOO much of.

Preppers, survivalists, nut-jobs, call us what you will...there really is much to be said on the topic of knowledge, skills, tips and tricks and so forth. However, this all having been said, and having spent too many hours surfing around here and there looking for unique ideas on what to write about it all comes down to one thing. Can you DO it? This in turn brought me to the notion of "oh hell, I have no clue".

I was reading through an article this morning on cob ovens. Wow, I thought, what a cool idea! Then I glanced out the window at our rapidly settling (and world famous) Saskatchewan winter and thought - wow! That would really SUCK! I would really hate to try baking bread outdoors at -40.

Some of the cob ovens that I looked at were simply amazing works of art! Some were sculpted into fantastical creatures, others were simple bake ovens. This particular one caught my attention! Untold hours of tile setting went into this one. It's quite beautiful.

Items such as these would only really be applicable if your SHTF plans happen to include bugging out to a predetermined location with supplies and shelter waiting. To my mind, having the "location B" in place is simply logical. Having an oven such as this on-site would be a really good idea, for at least three seasons anyway.

Back to the original problem of winter. Winter survival is rather an issue in climates such as ours. Temperatures can hit -40 in the blink of an eye and the Girl Guides will still go door to door selling cookies. If one had to get by in a slightly more remote (or rural) location, then combining the notion of cooking as well as central heat may just be a REALLY good idea.

So, alternatives, anyone?

I surfed and dug and could NOT find anything that looked even remotely suitable. I found a few photos of cob-style ovens installed in houses, but for the most part they were small and yuppie-like devices.

Does anyone know where we could find a more practical option??

Ideally, the device would have a cooking grill or flat iron surface on which to use pots and other standard cooking items as well as the oven itself.

I found a number of large "outdoor kitchen" type of installations. Wildwood Ovens http://www.wildwoodovens.com has a nifty selection of kit-like ovens. But they appear to be more of an outdoor installation or a smaller novelty type of oven. I doubt they would really suffice for a heating/cooking option during the LONG winters around here.

I would be VERY interested to see if anyone out there: 1) actually reads some of my silly ramblings or 2) knows of, or knows who, uses a cob style of oven for heat AND cooking.

I think it would be a really good idea to add a little of this type of building to my skillz portfolio!

Rational, positive, creative - pizza is no exception!
Tabby

SKILLZ!! I haz 'em!!

2011-09-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

I just love the English language! You can bastardize the spelling pretty much to suit your mood or tone, and for the most part still be understood.

In all of the daily net-surfing over coffee that I do, I tend to read and wander a bit too much. Once again, the posting that should by now be a matter of habit has taken a back seat to wandering.

The gardens have been pretty good this year, despite some seriously wet weather and the unusually short growing season that's gone along with it. The cherry trees that we planted last year are not doing nearly as well as I would like. There are any number of things that just stick under my saddle and consequently lead me astray yet again.

Today's rambling shall consist of a serious attempt to stay ON topic and expound on the virtues of SKILL. It's a small word, but it has HUGE impact. Many folks in modern society tend to think that formal education is the key to success. Grant it, a degree may lead to a substantially higher income than your neighbor, however, it does not guarantee that you will survive calamity. One's shiny new abbreviation behind their name (B.Sc., M.Sc., Dr., P.Eng.) may denote a gift in certain areas such as business, medicine, and so forth it does not assure you that you will make it through a crisis situation. It just means that you have allowed SCHOOL to interrupt your EDUCATION. If it came down to it, could you find and maintain the basics? Food, Clothing, Shelter? Over the next few posts, I'm going to focus on BASICS. The skills, tips and tricks that MOST people never think of, but could see you and your loved ones through some very trying times.

Item No. 1 - FOOD
As a prepping type, I like to think I have a pretty impressive storage room. There's the usual canned goods and other LONG term storage type items that don't really have expiry dates. There's also a few convenience items (flour, oil, sugar, salt) in bulk for times when you just HAVE to make it yourself.

I know that there are a lot of Prepper's that spend great sums of money on packaged meals and other items, but what would happen when these run out? Do you have what I call "like-yer-Grandma" skills? There was a time (not all THAT long ago) when a trip to your Grandmother's root cellar or storage room was more fun than an afternoon at Super-Store. Shelf after shelf of shining bottles and jars showcasing the bounty from her gardens. Everyone has been chased OUT of Grandma's garden at least once in their life for raiding the peas.

So, we will focus firstly on food production and the resulting adventures of learning how to save that harvest without a) going broke and b) blowing up your kitchen. Let's see who's reading this....if you grew, canned and would like to show off - drop me a line. A little open dialogue and sharing of some down-home SKILLZ!!

Rational, positive, creative!
Tabby

The quiet removal of your most BASIC rights...

2011-07-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Get this - as I was putzing along this morning in my usual rush to avoid the necessary, I read an article that I simply MUST share!! I did not write it. Hopefully, I will be able to get all of the proper credit in, and for those of us in Canada, please keep an eye on this sort of thing. We all know that whatever goes on in the yards of our American Cousins, ALWAYS manages to find it's way into the legislatures in our yard. So, here goes...

The Theft of Health Rights: Can It Be Stopped?

We're losing the right to manage our own health. Even the right to choose our food is being stolen. We can stop it, but only by ending the basis on which it's being done—not by addressing each action.

by Heidi Stevenson

18 July 2011

A stunning theft of our rights is happening now—right under our collective noses. We're losing the right to manage our personal health as we see fit. It's a right so basic that no one ever thought to list it among the rights of free speech and assembly. Who could ever have imagined that something so basic might come into question?

That, though, is exactly what is happening. Some of us try to do battle, but we've been focusing on losses as they occur. We combat genetically modified foods, loss of access to vitamins and herbs, and much more. The war is being fought on so many different fronts that we're all suffering battle fatigue. We win an occasional bout, but lose most, which adds to our frustration.

Can this war on our personal rights be won? Are our children destined to have no choice about what they eat or how to treat illness?

I must believe that we can win, but since introducing and dealing with the Stop the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive Petition, it has became obvious that a new approach needs to be found.

Fighting Skirmishes, Not the War

We've been focused on each incursion as it's brought to us. But we haven't looked at the overall picture. Even if we win a large percentage of these battles, we will still lose the war. The foes of health freedom will keep coming. When they lose one battle, they come back from a slightly different direction.

Take a look at what's just happened in the battle against genetically modified (GM) organisms. We've won skirmishes here and there, but then what happens? The profiting corporations and the agencies in charge find other ways to get what they want. And they're getting cleverer and quicker in their methods.

The application for approval of Monsanto's Scott GM Kentucky bluegrass by the USDA resulted in an outcry against it. It looked like we were winning. Then, a week ago, the USDA quietly—very quietly—announced that they will no longer even put up a show of controlling certain GMOs, specifically Monsanto's Roundup Ready Kentucky bluegrass. (See Genetic Modification Wins: Rogue USDA Hands It All to Monsanto.)

A Different Approach

We need to address the tricks being used to force these disastrous rulings on us. We must stop them from claiming powers that they do not have. Therefore, I propose that we start by addressing one of the most significant claims being made in both the US and the European Union.

Both the US's FDA and the EU have been redefining terms to allow them to regulate foods, vitamins, and herbs as if they were drugs. The FDA is now labeling foods, vitamins, and herbs as drugs, and then regulating them in the same manner that pharmaceutical drugs are regulated.

A now-famous example is contained in a letter that the FDA sent to a distributor of walnuts. In it, they claimed:

...we have determined that your walnut products are promoted for conditions that cause them to be drugs because these products are intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.

Just making a health claim for a food has, according to the FDA, literally turned it into a drug! That would, of course, be absurd—if it weren't so frighteningly effective.

In other cases, the FDA and the EU decide that a known health benefit of a food puts it into the category of drugs. The mere claim of a benefit makes that food a drug. In other cases, a chemical is found to exist in a food, but has been isolated and turned into a pharmaceutical drug. The FDA decides that these foods may now be regulated as drugs.

It's magical thinking! But reason and rationality have nothing to do with achieving the goal of controlling everything that people ingest and making it a profit center controllable only by Big Pharma and the agencies that are clearly at its beck and call.

As a result of these absurdities, the FDA, along with its EU equivalents, has deemed that Cheerios cereal, walnuts, marmalade made from Seville oranges, and even Marmite, may be regulated as drugs. These letters are being sent out by the dozens. With the power of the FDA behind them, the letters usually do the job. They stifle free speech by preventing health claims being made, even when they're true and backed up by dozens of scientific research projects. They force companies to stop producing and distributing products that people want, and they force companies to go out of business.

The First Cause: A Plan to Claim Food As Food

We can't end this destruction of our rights simply by protesting each incident. By the time these limitations are pushed on us, it's too late. We must address the bases on which these rules are made. We must insure that, at a minimum, laws are enacted that remove the ability to limit our access to natural products. Food must be recognized as food, not treated as drugs.

To this end, I'm starting two petitions, one in the US and one in the EU, to address this concern. However, these petitions are not the usual sort. They will form the basis of many actions. People who sign are asked to be part of the movement to claim back our health rights. We need to let politicians know that we're serious, we're organized—and we're growing.

People who sign are asked to also send letters or e-mails to their representatives in congress or parliament, thus sending a constantly increasing stream of messages to keep the issue in front of them.

A new website has been set up to allow people to post responses from politicians, along with their own articles: Free Choice - Health

Defining food as food is not the only issue that must be tackled, but it's a key one. As it gets rolling, we'll start others.

We are literally in a battle for our lives!

There you have it. It looks like everything posted properly...Just in case,
http://gaia-health.com/articles451/000490-theft-health-rights.shtml

What to write about...?

2011-03-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

There are many days that I tend to get so tangled up in the daily life of small town daily life, that I tend to forget about myself and what it means to be self sufficient. The more I sit and look at the ever expanding piles of paper on my desk, the more I tend to procrastinate on things. A most curious personality trait. Ultimately, what ends up happening is multiple piles of small scraps of paper that finally take over the entire portion of my desk surrounding the monitor and then slowly creeping towards the calculator and across the printer in a rather plague-like fashion.

I do tend to get rather hung up on the details. However...Ancient Dragon made an excellent point in one of his posts recently. What would you do with the bodies?

That line brought all of my fussing over little scraps of paper to a screaming halt. In the great scheme of life, the little bits of paper are irrelevant. AD makes a number of highly valid points. What if the parties in question passed away from cholera? Would you offer the same respect to raiders that you had been forced to kill?

In all of my chattering about gardens, woks, biscuits and the dog I really had to stop and think about this topic. How would I (personally) deal with the issue of having to prepare and dispose of remains. Death comes to us all - in one way or another. Before I leave this world, I hope to make a measurable impact. We all do, I suppose. But it still leaves the question...what to do with the leftovers?

My particular version of faith (non-Christian) would certainly lean towards a pyre cremation. Purification by fire - so to speak. However, this could potentially give away the location of our camp. A risk one would have to take.

During our famous winters in this area - I suppose that a structure (or room in a larger building) could be designated as "deep freeze" thereby avoiding the issue until later (February, March, etc. depending on the weather). Burial in frozen ground would be impossible. Setting a pyre would use up a large amount of precious firewood. During the long winters in this area, that wood could be put to a use far better served than hiding the body.

Another item to consider in this situation. WHO is tough enough to deal with it? Not all of us will have to survive alone. I would like to think that most prepper's (since we seem to have more than a fair helping of COMMON sense) would have a network in place so that should it be required, a banding together of community would occur instantly.

This will result in a variety of personality types being fed, housed and cared for in a relatively small area. Not everyone is possessed of the strength or fortitude to deal with remains. There would need to be an order to such things. Who will handle the bodies? Could this be the same person that oversees the funeral rites? Where would the remains be laid to rest should burial be a preferred option.

These are all things that need to be considered. Unfortunately.

I am going to have put some serious thought into this topic. Having been blessed in this life with a fabulous business partner and an assortment of adult children that came to help build up the farm. We have options.

Not everyone does. Think about it. Also think about who will be near you when the time comes to have to make the hard decisions.

Rational, positive, creative...even in death.
Tabby

All Hail the WOK!!

2011-02-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, Wok Grokking continues in my humble little kitchen. This round - Baking Powder Biscuits. Since the weather in this neck of the prairies has been somewhere between "Hell Hath" and minus 40 I decided that the comfort of my electric fired kitchen would suit me fine.
Call me a sissy - I don't want to freeze anything and waste a ton of propane for a few experimental biscuits.
I will, of course, get around to putzing about with the three ingredient bread recipe to see if it will actually work in the Wok. The whole wheat worked fine, but I do know that white flours can be quite finicky so we'll see.
So, on with the bikkies!!
Recipe:
(Recipe credit - Grandma's Touch cookbook, by Irene Hrechuk & Verna Zasada ISBN 0-919845-79-7) This is an AWESOME little cookbook!!
Ingredients:
2 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder (I've never had it go stale, so make sure you keep some in stocks)
1 tbsp sugar (or other sweet)
1/2 tsp salt (I used sea salt that I grind myself)
1/2 c. shortening (lard, margarine, whatever fat is handy will work)
3/4 c. milk (powdered milk, mixed and chilled will work)
1 egg - beaten

Method:
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt
Cut shortening into dry ingredients until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal
Combine the milk and egg. Add gradually to blended mixture to form a soft dough
Sprinkle with a bit of flour and knead until well mixed.

Chill (if possible)

Turn out onto a floured surface and roll (or pat) to about 3/4 of an inch thickness. Cut out circles and place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 450 deg. for about 10 - 12 minutes.

How to WOK your biscuits:
Set the spacer pan in the bottom of the wok and put the lid on it.
Set the wok over medium heat (or flame) and let it heat up until you can spritz it with water and the water sizzles and evaporates (20 - 30 minutes).

The two pan system again:

On the left: stainless steel steamer insert
On the right: the bottom of the now famous upright chicken roaster

I found that the steamer pan didn't quite work as well this time.

The biscuits browned too quickly and consequently were a little dark for my taste. However, they were fairly light, relatively flaky, eminently edible. And the dark bits? Once again, the dog didn't care.

The chicken roaster tray seemed to work the best. However, I found it too small to cut and set biscuits, so an industrial sized biscuit was the end product.

Rather an odd size - but, light, flaky and quite suitable for dipping in stew, chili, or just plain eating.

All in all, I'd have to say that eating well with improvised kitchens is not all that difficult. Just a matter of practice.

Now if it came right down to having to make it in a SHTF situation, things like milk and eggs are not always available. Fingers crossed that none of us ever have to test the theory. However, if my plans work out the way I want them to, then a small self sufficient farm is my escape and my refuge. If you get a chance, take a surf to www.summerberryorganics.com and see what we're up to. My partner and I are laying the foundations for an off-grid, independent retirement. With 20 or so chickens and a dairy cow, milk and eggs won't be an issue.

It's all a matter of attitude and open minded improvisation. Just because you're getting by in less than idea circumstances doesn't mean you curl up and die. You just work your way around things and learn a few new tricks. Who said you can't teach old dogs new tricks?

Speaking of dogs....

Meet Moose. When I said the dog didn't care about the crispy bits on the biscuits, I meant it. He's husky, lab, rotty and st. bernard. Roughly 100 lbs of baking disposal unit. Quite the creature!

Till next time,
Rational, Positive, Creative....in all things
Tabby

Wok Grokking 101

2010-11-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

Previously, I've posted about how best to make use of a second hand store find. My WOK! Large, stainless steel, fairly light and large enough to make a portable kitchen out of it should the need arise.

Well, as promised, I am continuing the Grok the Wok series with a simple European Whole Wheat Loaf. Think about it, just because you have to survive in less than ideal circumstances, why should you go without your daily bread?

Here's a simple recipe using only three ingredients that I've borrowed from Ask Jackie at Backwoods Home Magazine www.backwoodshome.com Backwoods Home is a print magazine based in the US with a GREAT website supporting self reliant living with tons of great information. I DID write and ask to link to their site, but sadly, never heard back. C'est la vie - so hopefully they won't mind that I'm spreading their good work without proper authorization.

Here's the recipe:
Warm Water
Whole Wheat Flour
Yeast
Nope, nothing else.

The method is pretty simple.

Put 2 and 1/2 cups of warm water into a fairly large bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of yeast over the warm water and let it stand for about 10 minutes to soften. Stir to dissolve the yeast.
Mix in 3 to 4 cups of the whole wheat flour and mix well. The result at this point should look like a THICK batter. Cover and set in a warm place for about an hour. It should double in bulk.

Now add (one cup at a time) 3 to 4 more cups of flour, mixing well between cups. Do this until a nice ball is formed that is NOT sticky (but not too stiff either). If this is too much mucking about with a spoon, then get your hands in there. You can flop it out onto a large floured surface and knead it for a few minutes. Return to bowl (or just cover it) and let rise again (about an hour).

Knead down into a workable size ball and divide the dough in half. Work each piece into a ball (or loaf like affair) and place in a greased pan. Cover again and let rise a bit longer. You can cut slashes across the top of each loaf for effect. It gives your loaves a nice look.

Under normal baking circumstances the recipe now calls to bake the loaf at 350 deg. for about an hour, or until it's golden brown and hollow sounding when thumped with your finger.

Here's the method with the wok...

Set your steaming rack and spacer dish and put the lid on the wok. Set the heat source to medium (the 4 setting on my electric stove, or a med-low flame on gas/propane) and let the unit heat up for about 30 - 40 minutes. You can preheat your wok while working through the last rising step.

The wok has reached a workable temperature when you can spritz a bit of water at it (flick with your fingers or use a spray bottle) and it sizzles and evaporates immediately. Quickly remove the lid and place your first loaf centered on the spacer pan. Use caution - you WILL get a face full heat, so be careful. Replace the lid and set a timer (or just keep track) of about an hour.

For this experiment I used two different types of baking pans. No. 1 is a solid little pan (the bottom of a BBQ chicken roaster set). No. 2 is a steamer basket from a three piece stainless pasta pot set that I have.

I wanted to compare the two and see what happened.

No. 1

Using pan No. 1 (the solid chicken roaster dish) resulted in a rather nifty loaf.

Somewhat jagged, with a heavy top crust, nice consistency throughout the loaf and a rather heavy (thick) bottom crust. The bottom crust is a little heavy for my taste, however, the dog didn't put up a stink over the left overs.

No. 2
This little pan proved to be ideal! I suspect the steam holes in it have everything to do with the thinner crust and less jagged edges. Not too sure exactly how this would have happened, but I think the steam escaping through the little holes produced a smoother top crust and a thinner (more crispy than chewy) bottom crust. The dog was not entirely happy about NOT getting any leftovers.

All in all, I declare Wok Grokking 101 a complete success! I wrapped and froze the steamer basket loaf and will let you know how well it keeps. The No. 1 loaf is already gone (the kids were visiting this afternoon.

So, conclusions...
1. Dry yeast has a great shelf life, make SURE there is a decent sized jar (or two) in your stocks. If you have limited space, buy the envelopes of yeast - same stuff, just smaller packaging.
2. This recipe was completed using the least expensive variety of whole wheat flour I could find. I will try a batch with white flour to see if the TYPE of flour makes much difference.
3. Next project....buttermilk biscuits!

I find that many people I talk to about baking in anything other than a standard oven look at me like I've sprouted two heads. Why is it so difficult to think that less than perfect circumstances could possibly result in success? Attitude, perhaps? **wink**
Rational, Positive, Creative (in ALL things)
Tabby

Attitude IS everything...

2010-09-29T07:10:00.001-07:00

I have been sadly remiss in my duties as the BIG YAP of the SK Prepper's Network, and for this I apologize. Between taking a day job, planting trees, and generally running around like a madwoman and accomplishing nothing, it's been an interesting summer.

In the course of my usual uproar I do think about what to touch on next. I've thought about canning and preserving food, and will at some point get to the finer bits. I am NO expert by any stretch, but the learning curve is always the most fun. I do need to finish the post about Wok Grokking and bread baking, and since that experiment DID work with the whole wheat bread, I will try it again just to duplicate the experiment and document the process. It will be getting cold here soon, and I'm going to have to winterize and close up the RV/summer cabin soon so I'll get to the Wok next post.

For this round, I've actually been inspired to write about attitude. This particular inspiration was given to me by a customer at the store where I work. I tend to be a mite talkative with customers and like to keep a light chat going while checking out their groceries. One customer in particular giggled at me yesterday and asked me "how do you do it?" I stopped and said "do what?" She gave me a quizzical look (like what??) and said "maintain your attitude". At the time, for a cute off-the-cuff response I struck a Napoleonic pose and spouted "CAFFIENE!!" We all had a good chuckle and the conversation continued on the topic of coffees and how much we liked the different types.

In retrospect (something I'm really good at - hindsight equalling 20/20 and so forth) this lady's comment got me thinking about attitude and it's effects.

I have a Facebook buddy whose usual line is "Rational, Positive, Creative" and to my mind THAT is probably the most powerful way to start any day. There are a million lines floating around about attitude...ATTITUDE is everything, solid-gold ATTITUDE, positive ATTITUDE, and so on.

I'm not entirely certain where my positive attitude came from. I suppose it's just something that's been developed over a number of years and many heartbreaks that have been survived. I credit my children for much of it. As kids tend to do, they push parents to the brink of sanity in one way or another, but for the most part they keep me young. That has quite a bit to do with it. Good food, good humor, good company all make for a good life in general.

But when push comes to shove, how to you stay positive in the face of adversity. And really, isn't that what we're prepping for? Adversity?

Being prepared is one thing, being able to maintain your wits about you is another subject entirely. When you have to grab your Bugout Kit and make tracks, are YOU prepared emotionally to face whatever is about to turn your world upside down? If the answer to this question isn't a resounding YES!!! then I suspect one may want to work on their attitude.

Overall, attitude is really 90% of staying on top of things. There are so many different types of personalities that we could go on for days about how best to support those in times of need. There will be folks around you in an SHTF situation that are simply the "lie down and die" types - woe is me, Scarlett O'Hara Whatever Shall I Do types, and beyond a healthy shove in the right direction, there isn't much that can correct that type of thinking from the outside. Attitude and the strength to maintain it, comes from the inside. Period. If you're a reader, then I suggest you pick up a copy of James Redfield's "The Celestine Prophecy". For many, this may seem like a bit of a religious airy-fairy type of book, however, it gives GREAT insight into the different personalities and how best to cope with them. Once I figure out how to properly post links, I will do so. And with any luck, I'm not stepping on copyright toes in the process of my blogging...

Another good read to wrap your head around is "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. Ms. Byrne has created a phenomenon with her exposing the how to and why of the Laws of Attraction.

Even if you do have a hard time reading these books from a LOGICAL standpoint, they will still impart some valuable information on attitudes and how they affect not only you, but those around you. If you're not much for sitting down with a good book, both books have now been made into movies. You will have to find the links, since I'm really bad at posting those...I'm sure you'll figure it out.

The point here: Attitudes are infectious.

As Preppers', I like to think we're already pretty RATIONAL. Not the types that are given to fits of fancy and panic.

If all you absorb from the books or movies is 10% of the information on how to maintain positive and creative attitudes, you will be leaps and bounds ahead of the next person. Don't forget, in times of crisis, people are drawn to positivity. Someone that can shine with positive light and creative ideas on how best to cope with any given situation are the ones that will be able to HELP the next person step up to the plate and help someone else.

There's that maintaining relationships topic again...interesting how we always manage to come back to this in one way or another.

Be Rational, Be Positive, Be Creative!
Till next time
Tabby

Lights at the end of the hallway

2010-08-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back. More or less. By the gracious donation of a second hand computer from my best friend and sister, Bonnie, there is the steady glow of my LCD monitor once again! The data thought to be lost in the FRED disaster, can be recovered (at considerable expense).

So, here I sit. Staring at the dashboard and wondering where to start with an explanation of the lessons learned over the last month.

My morning sojourn through the vegetable patch has reminded me to write on the subject of food storage and general gardening. Both of which are skills necessary for survival. Even if it's just a simple matter of canning a few beets and growing some low maintenance staples like potatoes.

I will be posting my gardening adventures on my website www.summerberryorganics.com and other bits on looking after yourself by way of being green on my hippie site www.hippieways.com

For the prepping end of things, I tend to not have a lot of cash to experiment with new gadgets and gizmos. Yes, I have strategically located flashlights in the house, which are checked on a regular basis for battery power. With the exception of rechargeables for my digital camera I don't bother with a lot of rechargeable anything. I have a corded telephone, so no worries about depending on cell or voip in any sort of outage.

I have a small LED lantern that hangs on a chain on the patio that could be brought inside to work with. But in a "down" situation where I'd be cooking on the BBQ, it's fine where it is.

For lights inside...I like to do things the old fashioned way. Candles.

Yep. Candles. Man survived many moons and Canadian winters by simple candle light. Now before you hi-thee off to the corner dollar store, take a moment and reflect...DON'T BUY CHEAP CANDLES. The dime store candles are made of poor quality ingredients and frequently use leaded wicks. Both of these are detrimental to your health. If you are going to be indoors with open fire for any length of time the last thing you want is to be choked out by fumes and soot.

Do a little research into candles and you'll find there are a fairly wide range to choose from. Not all are created equal. Following are listed in order of personal preference...

BEESWAX: Beeswax is a special material, something man is incapable of replicating. It is somewhat brittle at low temperatures, and soft and malleable at warmer temperatures. It starts to become soft around 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit; its melting point is between 143 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beeswax is a very stable material. Researchers and archaeologists have discovered beeswax thousands of years old (in pyramids for example) and pointed out very little deterioration. Beeswax is insoluble in water, in fact it's been brought up from ship wrecks after years under salt water and is still in good condition. The best in clean burning waxes.

SOY: Soy candles are made from soy wax, which is hydrogenated soybean oil. Soy wax is often mixed with fragrances to produces scented soy candles. They are available in supermarkets and specialized stores and can also be bought online. Soy releases very little C02 into the air, and is clean burning. It also has a lower melting point (about 120 degrees) than beeswax and therefore the candles tend to burn a little faster. Soy candles hold their shape well and are very easy to clean up after since like beeswax, they tend to evaporate rather than melt over themselves and leave wax everywhere.

PARAFFIN: Paraffin is a petroleum based product. It tends to burn hotter and faster than beeswax or soy. Paraffin candles have a higher melting point (145 - 150 degrees) than soy and vegetable candles. Not only can this make the candles more dangerous, the candle will burn faster because of the larger flame needed.

Paraffin also tends to lose its shape, especially in pillar candles. It has a tendency to mushroom over and lose its shape as it burns down. Soy and vegetable wax pillars hold their shape and burn a relatively straight cylinder down the candle.

The type of wicks in the candles is equally important. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Candle wicks should be cotton and NOT treated with lead. This is quite common in cheap candles (since it slows the burn time) but it is VERY unhealthy.

My suggestion is to find yourself a good health food store and talk with the manager. MUCH of the time, if you are looking to stock up on beeswax or soy candles they will cut you a very good deal on small case lots.

The sizes of candles are somewhat irrelevant. Tealights (the little round ones) of good quality will generally burn 4 - 6 hours. Votives (the little stubby round ones) will usually go about the same, or an hour or so longer. Pillars (taller, heavier, round) will generally last for about 8 - 10 hours.

Candles don't require any really special storage conditions (dry, clean, accessible) and the batteries don't go dead. They generate light, and are portable. Since they are an open flame, they also generate heat.

My partner, Pat, has always teased me about my tightwad ways. I light candles rather than turn on the furnace. It's effective usually until about the end of October or mid-November sometimes even later in the year.

I have found that 12 tealights and 2 pillars once lit will nicely warm a 12 x 24 room in a little less than an hour. Smaller spaces take less time. For the apartment dwellers in our readership, you could effectively stay warm for 4 - 6 hours with only a dozen or so candles.

Candle light serves a two fold mission. Heat and light. They are both practical and comforting.

Beexwax and vegetable waxes are both renewable resources. Candles are also relatively simple to make (I will save that for future experiments).

These suggestions are based solely on the premise that you will NOT have to grab your bug out and go. Candles wouldn't exactly be a lightweight alternative!

And as with anything of the elemental variety - respect it. Observe all precautions! If you can afford it - get hurricane covers for your taller candles, and always keep tea lights well up from the floor on solid shelves and holders.

What did you learn to do today?
Tabby

PS: Don't forget to keep a stash of lighters!

Wok Grokking will have to wait...

2010-07-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, how embarrassing...caught without a backup plan! Yes, I know, this is me. Prepared for anything...always learning...always watching.

Always putting things off...

I had planned to continue my wok-baking experience this week. And yes, I did attempt the whole wheat 3-ingredient bread...and it worked! First attempt on bread. I took pictures of the procedure and loaded them onto FRED (my beloved HP Pavillion)and thought I'd get to the blog posting in the next day or so.

FRED is an acronym for F*king Ridiculous Electronic Device. My Mother taught me that one!! FRED and I have had a bit of a love / hate relationship. He seemed to catch whatever bug was going around regardless of my attempts to block them. He'd always recovered from them...until now.

I had put off backing up my primary computer because honestly, I'm too cheap to fork out a trip to the city (over an hour's drive) and the cash for a good sized flash drive.

FRED had started behaving badly again yesterday morning. Little wavy lines were invading my LCD screen. I popped into the corner Esso for fuel and smokes (so shoot me!) where my foster son Alex works and asked him what could be causing it. In our former lives as city-folk, Alex worked for a really big tech-support company. He's pretty good with this type thing. Could be video card going, could be a virus, could be one of three or four potential problems. He said he'd pop over after work and help me back things up.

Alex arrived about 10:30 pm and sprang right work. He fished out some data burning software, managed to get that installed and thought that maybe we should get started on the file transfers. I hummed and hawed but by this time of night I was simply done. We agreed that I'd get at this first thing in the morning. So we left it for the night. NOT a good idea.

Sunrise brought disaster!! DISK ERROR, NO HARD DISK PRESENT. Yes, the dreaded BSOD!!! Black Screen of Death!

The lesson? NEVER put off backing up!! Although I'm hoping to recover the data (this may cost me some) I know for a certainty that I cannot afford to replace poor FRED, so with luck, Alex can figure something out. In the meantime, the posts may be bit slow or sporadic, depending on computer availability (mooching the kids' laptop, etc).

What did I learn today? Always listen to your little voice. You know the one that tells you to NOT be such a tightwad and just buy the blasted flash drive?? A very hard lesson indeed.

What did you learn today?
Tabby

GROK the WOK!!

2010-06-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

For those readers that are not science-fiction fans, the word "grok" will make no sense at all. So, you'll just have to humour me, and read on a little further. There is a wonderful book entitled "Stranger In a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein. It is a story about a gent who was accidentally raised on Mars. The term "grok" is a Martian-esque term for "fully grasping and understanding a concept or subject". The Martians will contemplate a topic for long periods of time thereby "grokking" the subject in its entirety. Since I tend to go "on" about subjects at great length, the more you read the more you will grok...

In the course of my usual surfing about the 'net, I tend to keep up on what my nearest and dearest friends are up to. One of my very best girl-buds ran off and got married a number of years back and in doing so dunked herself into a HUGE culture change. She ran all the way to Sri Lanka!

Now, for those that aren't real travel buffs, Sri Lanka is a small island off the coast of India. It's an amazing place full of tropical wonders and wildlife. Warm breezes, white-sand beaches - a veritable paradise.

However.

There is no such thing as: wheat flour, canola oil, electric ovens and a host of other technological miracles that we (Western-types) take for granted every day.

So, being THE diva of dining she is - Laurie dove in and completely overhauled her way of thinking and cooking!! Fresh, local, and wonderful. If you've a need to see how someone copes with culinary culture shock be sure to check out http://food.laurieashton.com she has quite a blog running on the topic.

With Laurie and her improvisation skills guiding me, I decided to try out one of her world champ tight-wad baking tricks. Baking bread ON TOP OF an open flame. In Sri Lanka gas cylinders are wildly pricey. It takes FAR too much gas to bake in an oven, so for the sake of economy she's devised a method to do it on top of the stove. The small burners use about one third the quantity of gas required to fire up an oven.

She's devised a unique device comprised of an assortment of spacers and dishes to provide height from the open flame. This prevents burning the bottom of whatever you are baking. The whole affair is covered with a re-claimed rice cooker pan providing the enclosed environment needed for even heat.

Skills being what they are, I immediately set about a monkey-see, monkey-do mission. Since I didn't have much by way of ex-rice cookers and spare lids, I dug around until I found a suitable pot. Without a doubt, the smartest $10 I ever spent!

That's right. It's a WOK! Stainless steel, with a good heavy plate on the bottom for even heat. It also came complete with a steaming rack that sits inside. A rather large device, about 14 inches in height, it seemed like just the ticket!

Now, to find a dish (or two) to fit inside. What I found was two "stand up" chicken roaster pans. I've found that most people have these type of roasters for their BBQ but seldom think to use them for anything else. The round bottoms (yes, the wires come out) make a great little baking dish. I used one for an extra spacer, and one for my baking dish.

Next up...muffin mix!! Yes, I know - shame on me for using a mix! However, bran muffin mix is cheap (when you buy it in 20 kg bags like I do) and I figured that if it was a disaster, it was very little money in the compost heap.

I preheated the wok (and it's inserts of steam rack and chicken roaster tray) with the lid on for about 20 minutes. The flame on the propane stove was set at about five. I greased the baking dish with margarine (that's all I had) and poured the prepared batter in. Do use caution! I discovered that the lid on the wok heats up a lot! I set the batter filled dish on the spacer dish and set the lid back in place. I set the timer for 25 minutes and waited.

The 25 minutes was not quite long enough - still a little squishy in the middle, so I put the lid back down and waited another five minutes...
And voila! One industrial sized muffin...

The taste was normal, it stuck a little to pan (that's what I get for using margarine) but for the most part, quite palatable. No burning on the bottom. Frankly, I was rather surprised. I had expected burnt offerings. But instead got a nice afternoon treat.

I have seen (and have not yet tried) baking in a cast iron dutch oven on an open fire. Baking soda biscuits are the usual goods I've heard about being made in such a fashion. I do have the proper cast iron pot, so will try that at some point. For now, the fact remains, that if you need to improvise a camp kitchen a WOK is the key! Go figure.

Think about it though. The wok I have (which, by the way, I found in a second hand store for ten bucks!) is fairly large, not overly heavy or inconvenient to store in the RV and is large enough to cook huge batches of soup, stew, chili or whatever is on the menu. If you are having to make it in a SHTF situation, you could use it on a open fire, or on a bbq. It's large enough that you could put pretty much everything you need inside of it (chicken roasters, steam rack, dishes and a few utensils, maybe even a coffee mug or two) put the lid on it, secure it with a couple of crossed bungee cords and backpack your kitchen with you. Just a theory, but possible, nonetheless.

Next round, I'm going to attempt making actual whole-wheat bread in the wok. I have a wonderful rustic (3 ingredient) bread recipe. I will take a bash at wokking my bread and will let you know how it all turns out.

What did you learn to do today?
Tabby

Quick apology!!

2010-06-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know - the video for Ms. Coulter didn't work so well. I'll get this "embed" code stuff figured out yet! Sorry about that!

Greenies, preppies, hippies?

2010-06-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

It seems like a rather strange way of describing myself (or those around me) but in many ways, being "GREEN", being "PREPARED" and being a "HIPPIE" are intertwined in many ways.

In order to be "green" one makes the decision to not use harmful chemicals, products containing artificial ingredients or preservatives and so forth.

To be "prepared" you take seriously the notion of making sure that your family will be ready to cope with any potential disaster.

Claiming the status of "hippie" tells the world that you like to choose to make a simple life using natural ingredients and methods.

So, as one thing tends to blend into another, all three become a single person. Skilled in the arts of being able to get on this world without the aid of much more than one's own common sense and a few simple tools.

The items in the photo can be turned into a myriad of other things by way of a mixing bowl. Laundry soap, abrasive cleansers, ant control in the garden and so forth. It's all a matter of taking a few minutes (and about $20.00) and making a mess in the kitchen. Very few people even think about these products when puttering about a grocery store, but they are a staple for the self sufficient mind.

Baking soda: good for more than just biscuits. Great for abrasive cleansing of coffee & tea cups (get rid of stains), scrubbing the sink, toilet and tub. Gets greasy bits off your stainless steel, etc.

Borax: Naturally occurring cleaner and deodorizer. Good for laundry soap, dishwasher soap, and mixed with some sugar a fabulous ant killer in the garden.

You get the point, though. Why bother spending money on products when a few minutes and a little skill will save you time, trouble and chemical residue! There will always be people that insist that anti-bacterial soaps and commercial laundry products "do the job" better. But think about the long term outcome of these items. In the grand scheme, not so good.

For the mind that can't live without commercial products and other store brands, how will they cope when they can't obtain their "do the job better" products?

Our household has used baking soda for years. I don't ever recall having purchased "Comet" or "Old Dutch". We've never been hung up on "bacteria". For those that are "germophobes" (and I know you're out there) try lemon juice. Citric acid is great for killing bacteria.

There are now two generations of humans that have been told they NEED to use products for this and that. Betty Crocker told women that their cakes were no good and to bake hers. Aunt Jemimah programmed people to believe that syrups only came from a bottle. Go take a look through your cupboards and see what stares back at you. Then go read the labels on everything in your bathroom. You will be amazed (and horrified) at the lists of words that you see!

Let's face it, we have access to the largest archive in history. The internet provides billions of pieces of information. Do some reading, watch a few videos. YouTube has tons of great "how to" videos.

One of my personal favorites is Ms. Lindsay Coulter. Commonly referred to as "The Queen of Green", Ms. Coulter has tons of great advice!! Check her out sometime!

There will be folks that want to know what this has to do with being prepared. Well, it's a mindset. It's one less thing to think about when you have to cope with a change in your surroundings. If you have the skill and a few basics, you can still be on top of things no matter what happens.

Where to begin...

2010-06-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

It has been a wild couple of weeks in Saskatchewan. The rains have caused not only farmers no end of grief, but myself as well. Will need to be replanting pickling cucumbers, watermelons, yellow beans and a few other minor things like basil.

Just when things appeared to be taking a turn for MORE lousy weather, my first grandchild decided to make her debut to this world SIX WEEKS ahead of schedule! Her arrival on June 4th was accompanied with two glorious days of sunshine and breezes...How's that for a sign!?! She arrived with the sun on her face and the wind at her back!

Needless to say, once the hum of activity that now occupies my head settles down, I have yet another reason to be prepped and ready to go.

I suspect very strongly, that I have rather an advantage over most. We have a decent sized house in a small town, and our burgeoning farm is only 15 kms away. So, should we need to deal with a SHTF situation, walking to a secondary site is not out of the question. A bit of a hike, yes. With a bug out bag, even longer. BUT, it's a DO-ABLE thing.

Currently, there is not much on the farm - that's for sure. No well, no solid shelter, no permaculture gardens. YET.

What you see, is what we have. The RV is shiny and new and reasonably well stocked. We have a 150 gallon potable water tank, some tools, and 3 horses. We have a long way to go. But we could survive.

When I think about what I've done lately to be prepared, the answer (in all honesty) is bugger all. There are a great many things that I need to do in order to have the transferable skills to make it in a crisis situation. Complacency is the word that I'd use to describe it. There was a time when I was on the West Coast, and NOT comfortable at all with living that close to a potential natural disaster. We're now far enough inland that I feel I can put down roots. We've a fairly remote location and not exactly a major target should planetary "all hell" break loose. However, when push comes to shove, my long term skills would serve me better than my short term knowledge.

I can preserve food by way of drying, canning, or smoking. I'm not too bad with folk medicine, but definitely need practice. I could improvise a splint if I had to. I'm studying Permaculture like a woman possessed since I believe that the Permaculture design principles will be the foundation of a permanent food supply. Permaculture will also provide wood fuel, shelter (by way of forest gardens), water, etc. I'm learning to work with horses again...big ones. They're self supporting transportation and a host of other uses.

AND, if it comes down to it - you don't have to plug them in in the winter. This is Luke. And Rosie, and Blaze. And eventually, they'll pull carts, and drags and plows. It's a little rustic, I know. But this again comes back to my point of having an advantage over the general public. The company that I purchased Luke (the Clydesdale) from, is not only a professional heavy horseman and champion 8-horse team driver, he's also a nice guy and just down the road from the farm.

In exchange for some assistance when it comes to prepping for his competitions, Harvey has agreed to train me how to work properly with Luke to haul hay, and wood and drive a cart. He also has all the equipment to do so. So, you see the advantage?

Now there are folks that would think that this is "using" people. I believe this is all in your perception of the situation. People's paths cross for a reason in this world. We each have something that needs to be exchanged with the other. Harvey is by NO means, a gardener. Or a baker. Or particularly organized when it comes to life outside of his beloved horses. So it's win/win. And this is where I get to share the advantage with someone else. If in the market for a heavy horse, Harvey will swing a fair deal on a good horse. Simple.

Remaining open minded to all the possibilities around you is also a skill that needs to be nurtured.

Next up, how being prepared and being green go hand in hand.
Happy prepping
Tabby

Allow me to introduce myself...

2010-05-24T10:04:00.001-07:00

My nickname is Tabby. I've had it for years. Since childhood. So, when I went to open my very first hotmail account in 1995 I figured I was the ONLY one on the planet. Wrong! Therefore, since I'm a Leo, an A-type synergistic personality and consequently, very much the center of my own personal planet - I am the REAL Tabby. In Saskatchewan, were I live in the real world, I'm simply Tammy.

I stumbled across the Prepper's Networks purely as a quirk of fate. I followed links from one site to another, and behold! I'm not the only out there that thinks bracing for worst while expecting the best is a normal way of thinking.

A bit of background: I'm 47, a single parent and have been since 1993. My children are pretty much grown now. 18, 19 and 24. They've come along in my move to SK to help out as best they can with our budding organic farm. As far as kids go - I bore three, borrowed five (unofficial foster kids, one of which also came along to SK) and at one time was madly in love with a father of four boys. Although I no longer qualify to outdo the Brady Bunch on transportation requirements, I look back at where I've been and what I've done and am content. In every way. I've had my share of ups and downs, as we all do, but in the grand picture I have been blessed with more love than some people see in their entire lives! I have an amazingly rich and diverse experience and I'm nowhere near done yet! I am GRATEFUL for every minute of it.

Summerberry Organics (my budding farm) is my life's work. I have a rudimentary website, and am working on a second one - Hippie Ways.

Hippie is my logo (and profile pic) and she's very special to us. My daughter created her, and I plan to bring her to life. Hippie Ways will eventually be a natural body care line that even the most sensitive souls can use. Everything is in the works....everything will come to light. I have faith.

We all have faith in one thing or another, and regardless of your chosen faith, basic survival is a skill. In deference to Sue (Short Fat Mormon Chick) and Frazer (outspoken advocate of all things Christian and a WHIZ with techno-stuff) I won't delve too far into a belief system. I am a Pagan. I will argue theology with anyone. I am a free-thinker. The earth is my church, my religion is to do good. A simple theory.

As a neophyte Prepper I have a lot to learn. I don't have a bug-out bag, I don't have an LED solar powered search light. There are a lot of things that I will require in order to be better prepared for the worst. What I DO have, is skill, an open mind, and a passion for the projects that will guide me though anything.

I am a staunch environmentalist. No I don't belong to any groups. I just believe that if it CAN be done without damage to my health or environment, then that's the way it should be. I believe that if I can make it myself, save money, and still refuse to depend on foolish chemicals then I will do it that way. Including, but not limited to, mayonnaise, mustard, iced tea, laundry soap, dishsoap, dishwasher powder (I admit it, I LOVE my dishwasher), granola bars, bread and butter, etc. Once the cash flow improves, then cash will be parted with on things such as a dairy cow, chickens, a couple of pigs, a couple of beef cows and the fuel to commute from Headquarters (our house in town, which I call Base Camp) to the farm 15 kms away.

My partner (whom you will come to know, and love...) is Pat. He is the KING of a good deal, or so he thinks. He's pretty good at spotting a bargain. He's a long hauler, somewhat cranky, and the one with skill and stamina to earn the cash to keep up with all of this! He thinks my "earth muffin" ways are a little off, but never complains when he's wolfing down fresh bread. He'll even eat trail mix, in a pinch.

I believe all of our paths have crossed for a reason. Whether country folks, or city folks, we all have a right to continue in the face of disaster. We need to be organized, communicative, supplied, and prepared to open our doors to those we have built networks with. It's a logical thing to do. We have a great deal of information to share with each other, even if it's not over a cup of tea in person. That time may come, but in the interim, we can still build relationships. If you've not yet read Frazer's Vision for the Prepper's Network posts, then you need to. I agree 100% with his take on it.

Isn't that what this is truly about? Obtaining the skills to survive so that our relationships will continue?

PURE energy rechargeable batteries

2010-04-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Those of you who follow our twitter account might have known that I was having some trouble getting my video (Seen below) to export from the editor. Well here the video is!!!!

It is on these PURE energy rechargeable batteries I got at wall mart that claim to have a 7 year shelf life. I've seen Sanyo eneloops that claim they maintain 85% of their power over 1 year but this is pretty impressive!

I got the charger and 4 AA batteries for $16.97 + tax CAD and I bought 4 AAA batteries for it since my EDC flashlight runs on AAAs. The AAAs only cost me $5.97 + tax CAD. I'm sure you're aware that most rechargeable batteries are much more expensive and don't hold a charge as long. I've seen old school rechargeable batteries die out after 1 month of sitting on the shelf. That's not good for a prepper!

I look at rechargeable like a tool for saving money in a preppers life. In my opinion I think we should all stretch our dollars as far as we can to have more money for preps. So since these batteries cost less than most good quality batteries I figured I'd use them in everyday items and things I didn't really think of using rechargeables in. Things like my remote control to my TV, my clocks and so forth. This will allow me to use the same batteries 500 times in each of these items before having to buy new ones, we all know clocks and remotes don't use much battery power anyway so why not save?

Disposable batteries do have their place in your preps however! also I don't use rechargeable in my smoke detectors since you don't know the charge level! I don't take chances there! The main thing disposable batteries can do in an emergency is once your rechargeables have all died out you don't have to worry about charging them and you can just toss them! They hold their power over a much longer period of time as well. I also think disposable batteries are good for emergency kits and so forth, you don't have to worry about taking them out and boosting the charge yearly and you know they are always at peak performance as long as they haven't expired!.

So for those of you with a high speed internet connection here is the video!

Just so you all know I'm going to put a summary of the videos I make so that people on slower or Dial-up internet connections can get the information as well.

gasbuddy.com

2010-04-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

Some of you know I just got my first vehicle since in high school when I had an old 1992 Dodge Power Ram 250 4x4. (man I loved that truck) I got a 2000 Pontiac Montana and I've been looking to find the best gas prices based on where I am that day. I figured if I pass the best price on gas in my daily travels it can't be a bad idea to fill up there instead of the closest place to my house. So I was a bit disheartened when I found that my postal code has no reported gas prices on gasbuddy.com...kinda sucks.

I figured that since I was so interested in paying as little as possible for gas that you all might be interested and you may not know about gasbuddy.com! So I'm telling you about it now! It is fueled (LOL) by people reporting gas prices as they go around town doing their daily errands, on their way to work and so forth.

I signed up on gasbuddy for a media account so I can use their website widgets and I put a widget at the bottom of the SPN for you guys to check Saskatchewan gas prices. I encourage you to go to gasbuddy.com each morning so you know where is best to fill up on your daily commute or whatever you're doing. I don't recommend driving 20 KM out of your way to get the best deal since you'll lose any savings by driving there but if you look at the best prices for stations that you pass during your day you can get the best price for gas.

Find us on Twitter, videos on Youtube and now facebook!!!

[what is your 2010 preparedness plan?]

Frazer

SPN now has a facebook fanpage!!!!

2010-04-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

So being the social media junkie that I am I've started a facebook fan page. The idea is to get Saskatchewan preppers talking and also to let us know what you are looking for in your prepper network

We aren't big enough for facebook to give us a direct link so just click here to go to the page.

Another benefit of this page is if you aren't on twitter but are on facebook you can get updates on what is going on and information on the latest blog post.

But if you're old fashioned like me you may just prefer good old Google reader and the RSS feed.

So find us on Twitter, videos on Youtube and now facebook!!!

[what is your 2010 preparedness plan?]

Frazer

Opsec - Get yer home removed from street view

2010-04-26T05:20:00.000-07:00

So I was doing some digging on how to get your home removed from Google street view and found this blog post on googletutor.com.

It appears you can request that your address be removed from street view and Google will comply. I took a stab at it and got this screen shot of what the page looks like. You just click "report a concern" at the bottom of the image (subject to change, you know Google)

There is an option for a face, your car/license plate and inappropriate image under privacy concerns, that's all I looked at since it was all that interested me.

So if your concerned about opsec and want your house removed give this a shot!

[What's yer 2010 preparedness plan?]

follow the SPN on Twitter, and occasional videos related to prepping are uploaded to my youtube channel personally on twitter as well! that might not make it on the blog. You can follow me

Frazer

P.S. Stay tuned for more of my vision for the prepper networks :-)

My vision for the prepper networks - Topic #2 Building community

2010-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

This post is a follow up to this blog from yesterday. Like I said this vision will likely take several posts.

The first thing I see these networks doing is building community. I see us getting together for meet ups and regional get togethers focused around prepping. Just spend time at a Timmies or in someone's garage talking and sharing ideas, tips and tricks. As well as the elders of the bunch mentoring us younger guys and girls in the world of prepping.

As people get more comfortable with one another, and the bad seeds are weeded out we then start to build a bond, whether it's through group camp outs and skill testing expeditions or just getting together as a community to buy a large batch of wheat or something. I might not for example need a truckload of wheat, however if we get together as a group we could save money buying in bulk!

As time goes on people get more and more comfortable around each other, we even start to tolerate Scarecrow (whom we might even know by name). We feel comfortable enough that we don't mind sharing our homes if we are out of the range of the crap flying off the fan and someone needs a place to bunk until they can get back into their home or can find a place to stay.

As humans we (or at least most of us) have a compassion for our fellow man and if we want to rebuild society after a total collapse we'll need community, safety in numbers means we may huddle together to weather a SHTF situation and come out on top of the grass. I have seen this phenomena among the preppers I've gotten to know since getting into the virtual prepper community where most of us wouldn't want to be left out to dry and therefore are willing to help others out in a time of need.

Back in the great depression groups could be found living together because it was more economical. Also groups people would travel across the country in search for work. So what I see is the people with more land, allowing people to park their RVs or BOVs on their property while they are passing through so they can gas up, do some laundry and get some rest.

Think large scale. (Think nation level or EMP attack)

If TSHTF country wide if we all made it out to Kymber and Jamie's homestead out on Nova Scotia we'd stand a better chance of surviving as a group than just Kymber and Jamie would on their own, so it benefits all parties. With grid down nationwide and the need for constant fire, water, gardening, hunting and all the other chores that now must be done without power the more the better to get all the work done before dark.
In addition the security measures as well as food procurement will increase with numbers. You could have 5 or 10 guys out hunting for food, 5 to 10 doing HQ security, 5 to 10 gardening, 5-10 cooking and cleaning...you get the idea, not only do you have better chance for a successful hunt you allow for a security team and still have others to do chores. Keep in mind you now have a different standard of measure for a successful hunt, one deer can feed the group for a couple days so you've upped your chances of shooting one by say 5 guns and now 7 days a week can include hunting on that level, whereas Jamie on his own could not keep the homestead secure and hunt and get all the stuff done....plus he'd be so tired he'd drive Kymber batty LOL.

On a smaller scale. Think regional disaster

If say a regional disaster happens and a small group have to bug out of their area this benefits the group as well, just on a smaller scale. In this example Kymber and Jamie are still in Ottawa and I'm in Niagara where relations with the US have fallen apart after we decided to keep the oil from the oil sands for our own use. Now the boarder towns like Niagara are hot spots for danger, you get angry Americans trying to get at us, it's not safe, I use the comms network we've established and get in touch with Kymber or Jamie and let them know I'm heading their way! In this situation Ottawa is far enough away from the boarder to be safe, and I just crash in the back of my van with as many of my preps as I could grab and plug a heater into their house and live in my van. I'll help out around Kymber and Jamie's place to keep from being a burden and with the cash reserve I've got in my BOB I can pay my share of the utilities since I am using them. I stay with them until things have cleared up for me to move back to my place, or until I can make more permanent arrangements.

These are just some of the ways having close contact and buddies in the Prepper Networks can pay off!

In the next post we'll discuss the communication side of this vision.

My vision for the prepper networks - Topic #1 introduction

2010-04-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those guys who writes when inspiration comes to me, Ancient Dragon posted a blog on the MPN relating to opsec and I was commenting when I found myself putting my heart for the prepper networks into words in ways I've failed to before.

Here is my comment on Ancient Dragons MPN Post (which ironically is nameless) Posted on April 24, 2010

So Ancient Dragon, were you the mall ninja following me to my car last night baahhahaha!!!

I've got to admit AD you're savvy but yer research missed a point, in posts I've mentioned my MP and MPP but I've come right out with my 10-20 in videos bahahahahahaha!!!!

It is good that we are discussing this!!!

I think one thing that is missing in the prepper networks (at least in Canada, I've heard of this in the USA) is that there is no actual community being built outside what is found on the net. I think us like minded preppers need to go beyond the internet babble and get to know one another, learn from one another in person (maybe on group outings or even just group buys on large batches of gear, food etc.) I would love to set up a meeting for Ontario Preppers to get together at a neutral spot (truck stop, timmies etc) to discuss and get to know each other outside internet forums.

I think that will be where the strength of the Prepper networks come through, if say TSHTF in Niagara if I knew Kymber well enough I could give her a shout (Skype, email, text message, phone call, HAM radio net etc. etc.) and bunk at her place if necessary (while carrying my own weight of course! No burdens allowed!) until the smoke cleared or I could work out other arrangements. (Again no burdens...)

It would kick butt if we could get together an emergency network comms list (using any possible form of comms from phone calls to skype/IM to smoke signals) for someone to call if there is an emergency and have somewhere to bunk while things cool down.....inspiration for a post...

Later gotta start writing bahahah!

That sums up in pretty short, poorly written terms what I am praying (Keep in mind I'm a devout Christian guy..) and believing with proper leadership the prepper networks along with teamwork can turn into. (I do believe the lovely and young Kymber is the perfect person to lead by the way, she's 25 years old and wise as an 39 year old) so I'm going to put into clearer terms what I envision the prepper networks turning into. It might take a couple posts to get it all out in a fashion that doesn't make you sick from reading a book but I'll start part of it today.

I see the prepper networks being sort of like how the first Christian church was (without the evangelism, worship etc.), it was a community who got together to help others out, the less fortunate and the hurting.

The way I see this happening is more like a SHTF contact network where we have every conceivable communication option covered for each member. Not only do we use it too keep each other up to date and a relationship growing but if for example everything hit the fan in Niagara (my current 20) I could call, email, IM, smoke signal (you get the point) Kymber who is as far as I know the closest person to me who would likely be out of the range of flying crap. Once establishing contact she (in theory I haven't checked with her lol) would allow me to crash in her driveway or something until either the smoke settled or I was able to secure a new place.

One important key here is that I would be doing everything I could to not be a burden nor cost her anything to have around. So obviously clean up after yourself and all those other good things.

In the next post found here I'll discuss more on this topic, this will be a multi part blog post so I don't kill you with a encyclopedia post, I'll try to pump out over the next week the full vision.

Hello Saskatchewan Preppers!

2010-04-14T05:40:00.001-07:00

So I'm now running the Saskatchewan Preppers Network

Amazing Food Storage Giveaway

2010-04-09T07:23:00.001-07:00

Double Nickel Farm will be hosting 2 food storage giveaways in the next few weeks. Check in the next few days to see the rules and enter.

Prize 1 Breakfast Pack - 6 number ten cans of freeze dried strawberries, creamy wheat cereal, buttermilk pancakes, imitation bacon bits, and scrambled egg mix.

Prize 2 Dinner Pack- 6 number ten cans of Creamy potato soup, Imitation beef bits, potato gems, honey white bread and roll mix, freeze dried corn, and vegetable stew blend.

Check over the next few days...for the breakfast pack it is a $78.28 value and for the dinner pack it is $80.20 value!
Jennifer

Blow Dart: Para Cord, Shoe Goo, Electric Wire Cap and Bamboo Scewer

2009-12-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

Wolf's radio and chat room site

2009-11-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

This is a great site to get in touch with fellow preppers and learn

http://survivaltimes.info/index.php?option=com_php&Itemid=90

Predator Alarm Around Camp

2009-11-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

Homemade Pepper Spray

2009-11-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIY1hxAHiN0

Things You'll Need:

* 2 tbsp hot red-pepper powder (grounded) 1/3 cup of rubbing alcohol 1/8 cup of baby oil 2 small glasses Thin cloth (paper towel/coffee filter) Mortar for grinding (spoon will work if necessary) Small empty spray bottle (e.g. lens cleaner solution bottle or fragrance bottle) Rubber gloves (optional)

1.
Step 1

Put on rubber gloves if you've opted to use them for safety. Pour the 2 tbsp of ground hot red-pepper powder into the small glass.
2.
Step 2

Pour all of the rubbing alcohol over the red-pepper powder. Use the mortar, or spoon, to stir and grind the solution for at least 10 minutes. If using a spoon, you will want to ensure that the red-pepper powder is completely dissolved before ceasing to stir. A spoon will not grind the powder as good as a mortar will. A blender may also be used to do this, but you may lose some of the solution by using a blender.
3.
Step 3

Add all of the baby oil to the mixture after you've finished mixing for 10 minutes. Stir this new mixture for at least two minutes.
4.
Step 4

Place your cloth (coffee filter/paper towel) on top of the second glass. Press the middle of the filter down into the cup a little bit to prevent spilling. Slowly pour the mixture into the filter and allow it to filter down into the glass. This may take a few minutes as the mixture may not filter quickly.
5.
Step 5

Take the top off of the small spray bottle. After the mixture has completely filtered into the second glass, pour it into the spray bottle. Close the spray bottle and wipe it down with a paper towel. Spray the mixture into the sink to ensure the tube of the sprayer fills with the spray. Remove gloves.

Making a knife Off Grid

2009-11-05T20:31:00.001-08:00

Bugout Bag

2009-11-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Bugout Bag

The best way to define a “bug out bag” to use a real-life scenario. You just got word there is a raging wildfire headed for your home (something Californians are dealing with right now). You have exactly ten minutes to get out of your home. Because you are not sure if you home will survive the fire, or how long you may be living out of your car, you will need to grab just a few essentials and run. That’s when bug out bags come in handy.

Our bug out bags are actually two old backpacks that we had retired from everyday use, and a duffle bag like the one shown above. My wife and I share the duffle, and each kid has their own bug out bag with kid-friendly survival gear tucked away in their closet. They know that if mom or dad runs to their room and screams, “Hurry, we have to bug out of here!” they are to grab only their bags and get out of the house as quickly as possible.

It’s worth mentioning here that taking time to open the closet door and grab the bag is a luxury of advanced notice – any notice. If there is an immediate danger (intruder, fire inside the home, etc.) the kids know to just get out with their lives. Be sure to emphasize the different scenarios and come up with a code word or phrase so the kids will know when to grab their bug out bags and when to just get out as quickly as possible.

What Goes In a Bug Out Bag?

We add inventory to our bug out bags as we accumulate things, so this will probably become a living list. My personal bug out bag consists of more survival gear than the ones for the kids. It’s a little heavier, and there are a few things in there that I do not want stored in their rooms (fire starting gear, a small axe, etc.). Their bags have mostly things like a change of clothes, an emergency contact card, a blanket, a couple water bottles, etc.).

Our “survival gear” bug out bag has the following contents:

A couple rations of food (high-calorie bars). We also have a few packs of Ramen noodles because they have a lot of calories and are easy to prepare, but are extremely light.
Flashlights. One in each bag. Never burn more than one light at a time to preserve batteries. A hand-crank light is good here, too, for battery-less operation.
Batteries. To power flashlights, mainly. Be sure to have the right size for your equipment, and pack plenty of extras.
Glow sticks. When flashlights and batteries run out.
Hand-crank emergency radio. Great for power outages, and if you are on the run, good for keeping up with emergency broadcast.
Multi-tool. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere without a good multi-tool!
Knives. We have several kinds of knives. A folding camp knife with a saw edge, a Swiss Army knife with attachments, a large, fixed-blade survival knife, etc.).
Change of clothes. Lean towards cold weather gear, and consider an emergency rain poncho.
Water purification tablets/drops. For treating water before drinking when boiling is not practical, or in addition to boiling just to be safe.
Stainless steel Kanteen. This 40 oz. mug can be hung over an open flame for boiling water to kill bacteria/parasites found in untreated water.
Emergency blankets. These Mylar blankets are good to have on hand – we even keep a couple in our car’s glove box.
Fire-starter materials. Range of materials for starting a fire. We have a butane torch lighter, a magnesium stick, water proof matches, kindling sticks, cotton balls and petroleum jelly.
Rope/cord. Some 550 paracord is good to have for tying up food, making a shelter, and dozens of other uses.
Compass. Nothing elaborate, just one that consistently and reliably gives you a north heading.
Map of your surrounding area. Check out a local visitor center or convenience store to pick up a local and state map.
Signal mirror. If you are stranded and in need of rescue, a signal mirror is a good way to get a pilot’s attention.
A safety whistle for each family member. Again, good for rescue situations. You can make a lot more noise for less energy with a whistle than screaming. This is also a good way to find each other if you get separated. Tell everyone to whistle periodically and follow the sound.
Couple fishing lures and line. You never know when you might have to seek refuge near a river or body of water. Don’t kick yourself for not having a little fishing line and a few hooks.
Camp axe. One of the first things I check for when camping. Great for splitting firewood, chopping down a small tree for shelter, etc.
First aid kit. Large kits take up a lot of room, so look for something compact with the basics, or a soft-sided, notebook size kit.
Survival handbook. Read it before you need the info, but store it in your bug out bag for reference.
Roll of duct tape. Needs no further explanation, really.
Cash and coins. Store a couple hundred in cash in a waterproof tube, and consider taking a long a roll or two of quarters.
Ziploc bags. Great for waterproofing, food rationing, etc.
Deck of cards (to fight boredom). Don’t discount the psychological aspects of survival. After a day or two, boredom will set in and you’ll be glad to have a deck of cards to pass the time.

Purifying water

2009-11-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

What Happens If You Drink Contaminated Water?

First, understand that nearly all untreated water found naturally contains bacteria and other parasites not safe for humans. One of the more prevalent ones is Giardia. Giardia is a microscopic parasite (Giardia intestinalis) that hangs out in untreated water.

Millions of these parasites are released in fecal matter of an animal that has been infected, and it eventually makes its way into the natural water supply. If you ingest Giardia it can cause severe diarrhea in humans, leading to dehydration – which is something you definitely want to avoid if fluids are already scarce.

How Long Should You Boil Water To Purify It?

Most experts agree that one minute at a rapid boil is sufficient. By the time the water reaches a boiling temperature it is hot enough to kill most disease-causing organisms. I usually allow the water to come to a full boil for one minute, then I kill the heat source to preserve fuel and let the water simmer for a short time before pouring it up. One thing to keep in mind is that the longer you allow the water to steam, the more you’ll lose to evaporation.

One note about length of time to boil the water in order to purify it. If you are at a high elevation allow the water to boil for 3-5 minutes, since water boils at a lower temperature at higher elevations.

Preparing Water for Boiling

Its a good idea to include a couple stainless steel mugs or pots in your bug out bag. Plastic containers with a large surface area are good for catching water, but not so good for boiling it.

If the water you collect is particularly dirty or cloudy, use something to filter it before pouring into your clean, boiling container. I recommend taking along a few coffee filters, but any clean piece of cloth will do. In a pinch you could use a handkerchief, a piece of cotton plugged into a funnel or water bottle, or even a clean section of a cotton t-shirt.

Nothing is 100% Effective

While boiling water is probably the best way to purify it in a survival scenario, nothing is a sure thing. Boiling water will likely kill most of the contaminants, but if will not remove things like industrial or radioactive waste. These contaminants can only be removed through a distillation process that probably won’t be available on the go. Drinking untreated water is a risk, but death due to dehydration will be inevitable without staying hydrate.

Making a Medieval Arrow

2009-11-01T13:46:00.001-08:00

Travelling light checkout comment starting at 2:02

2009-11-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

Snaring a Rabbit

2009-11-01T08:02:00.001-08:00

Snaring Rabbits - How to Set a Rabbit Snare - Click here for more home videos

My Ice Road Adventure

2009-11-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

Survival Basics

2009-10-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

Being prepared for a disaster is only very logical. Driving a Saskatchewan Highway in winter is a classic reason to be prepared. Frozen gas line, black ice, snow drifts, 0 visibility,
Keeping the tank full, warm clothing in the trunk, candle, matches, power bars.
Staying with the car is usually the the best choice, candles will produce sufficient heat in the cab.
Staying on a main road and wait for help is usually the best choice. Let someone know your route and phone when you arrive. Cell phones are great if your in range.
Small cook stove or or some firewood in the trunk is great to make a hot cup of tea or coffee. Large tarp can be used to block wind in front of the car from coming into the vents.
These are just a few basic ideas, it is up to the individual to add what they feel is important for there individual needs.

2009-10-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

Bundle Bow

2009-10-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

Swiss Arrow (Pathfinder Dart)

2009-10-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

Bow fishing

Riverwalker/Stealth Survival Holiday Give-a-way!

2009-10-23T06:11:00.001-07:00

Check out this post at the CPN for a message from Riverwalker of Stealth Survival for a great holiday give-a-away!

Make sure to leave a comment and you could be the winner of a fireplace accessory of your choice!!!

Riverwalker's Back!!!

2009-10-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

It's like the best teaming up since Lewis & Clark!!! Riverwalker & the CPN!!!

Riverwalker, usually found "staying above the water line" over at Stealth Survival, is coming to Canada and bringing lots of holiday gifts!!!

Stay tuned for more details!!!

The Ladies Will Be On the Family Preparedness Guide Radio Show

2009-08-07T06:29:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday American Prepper, WVSanta, Matt and Bob were interviewed on James Stevens' Family Preparedness Guide radio show on Blog Talk Radio. They did a great job explaining the ins and outs of prepping and why we do it. Kudos guys!!! If you missed the show, you can download it here.

This Saturday (August 8) James is having the ladies on his show to discuss the preppers networks and prepping from a female point of view! It is going to make for a very interesting discussion!

Please tune in at 2:00pm/EST and listen to Phelan (Kansas Preppers Network), Prepared in TN (Tennessee Preppers Network), Ernie (Indiana Preppers Network) and myself. You can listen to the show live and call in with your questions (347-326-9604), or you can download the show later using this link.

Please be there to support us! And remember - we love questions!!!

Wildfires in Canada

2009-08-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have been remiss in my writings for the Canadian prep blogs and I ask you all to forgive me. I have been following the news about wildfires in Canada and thought I would address this here and perhaps link it to the other Canadian sites.

The vastness of Canada is like the United States, so for the most part, most Canadians are like me, just reading about the fires and not impacted by them. That is where this post is going. As a prepper we must never forget that many things that we are preparing for may cause complete and utter destruction to everything we have come to hold so dear.

Homes burned to the ground take with it every ounce of food storage, prepper items and even your lifetime of memories. There is no undoing the path of a wildfire...YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL.

So why prep? Prepping is not just an accumulation of items to leave you alone on your island of survivalism. No prepping also comes with an attitude. This is the most important part of prepping. Attitude to come through no matter what happens in the world, our lives, or whatever is the rock bottom line for a prepper.

So how do you get your attitude in the game? This is a big one and I hope to share how I am an attitude junkie, as perhaps you can learn from me. I am certain given time you could figure the things out I am writing but I will save you some time. You see, it is simple.

No matter what tomorrow is coming. So do I want to have a bad day or not?! That is it. Now perhaps you think my life is filled with joy and tranquility and that I have never witnessed death or destruction or hard times. I am sorry to confess that life has battered me a good deal. I just am too stubborn to give up my little simple secret, no matter what tomorrow is coming. Tomorrow offers so much. Tomorrow I can look for a new job, plant a garden, loose weight, say I love you, or tomorrow can be a day to fear.

I see tomorrow as a way to build on from what I learned today.

The wildfires have most certainly taken from some Canadians their hopes and former dreams, but you and I can offer them only one thing: tomorrow. Tomorrow we can build anew. Tomorrow we can laugh at how they won't have to clean out the rain gutters as the fire took that little honey do off the list!

We can offer a shoulder for them to cry on and if we have free time can head to a region that has been consumed by fire and volunteer in a food pantry. If nothing else we can go through our homes and find items that we personally love and use and pack it off to those who have lost everything. You see tomorrow is coming and we will go forth.

In my ramblings I pray that you understand that attitude is a key to prepping if not the most important key. My prayers go out to all those who have been impacted by the fires, to all those fighting the fires and all the support behind the scenes. You are not alone and are in many people's prayers.
Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm

Drought?

2009-07-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

After reading this story, I realized that my friends up north are struggling with a drought. I live in the desert of New Mexico and one thing I am familiar with is living with little or no water.Here are some things that we do:

We have buckets out to gather any rains that occur-
We salvage gray water. Now we do not, I repeat- we do not use any water from the toilet-ever. We brush our teeth or wash our hands with goat milk soap and the water running we salvage in a bucket under the sink. The homemade toothpaste is spit in a bowl and drained in sink that goes to the septic. The shower water will be our next gray water conversion, to water trees...this is in the works. We water the garden in the evening and our garden is in controlled beds(tires) to reduce the amount of water used. We also salvage the water we use for the animals and water our roses and the likes.

Hand washing clothing in three buckets reduces and average wash of 60 gallons of water down to 15 gallons of water.

It is an adjustment I am sure to be experiencing such dire weather, but you can overcome it and thrive, it is just a bit of adaptation.

Here are some tips on graywater...
here
here
here

CQ CQ CQ SKN CQ CQ W4DMH CALLING CQ QRZ

2009-06-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

CQ CQ CQ SKN CQ CQ W4DMH CALLING CQ QRZ

OK now I have done it in true DX fashion for all you HAM'S out there.
I know others that read this will be real confused now but I would really like to hear from you HAM'S out there so I figured I would write in a language you would understand. We need to get HAM'S involved here so we can try to get a net going to help with off the grid communication among the prepper networks. I know there are many Ham's already involved in the prepper network and many more that read so please come forward and help us with getting this going. Now that all the people that read this (that are not HAM'S) are confused let me add one more slang that only the HAM'S will understand.

73 de W4DMH

PS Please email me so we can get to work on this. wvsantaclaus@aol.com
_________________
God Bless all from the Wild and Wonderful West Virginia
Santa

Is Now the Time to Relocate?

2009-06-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

I have been sitting in my home in southern NM, thinking of my Canadian friends. I have been thinking of population density and travel based on technology. The migration of man and the living places have almost always been in warm weather climates. Extreme clans or tribes have lived in the tundra or subzero climates, but for the most part when man had to rely on himself he gravitated to climates that had an ample growing season.

For the past hundred years or so we have had public utilities and haven't worried too much when the cold winter nights arrive. But in the times that are rapidly approaching, I think that relying on public works is going to be something we should not do.

I believe that the further north one lives on the planet the more security one needs in self reliant factors. What I mean with this is that one should have resources that are replenish- able such as firewood for the wood stove or cook stove. When we take for granted that public works will be around for ever we have made a grave error.

As one on the prepper path you should truly determine if city life or colder climates would be the safest and most survivable for you. This is not something that is to scare you or to make you feel like I am casting a gloomy scenario on you. The reality is that most preppers refer to TEOTWAWKI, and if you accept this then you must plan accordingly. You must factor in that urban dwellings are the least convenient place for you. If things continue on this rapid path of descent that we are on in the US, then you may not have time to head to a safer place, and all the prep in the world that you have done urban-wise will have not only been for naught but may cost you dearly.

Many forget that preppers can rent places in rural communities for nearly nothing. Owning is a wonderful thing, but if you cannot sell a home in such a weak economy you can rent your home to another and head to greener pastures.

By the way, I came to this as I went up to the mountains to collect more wood for my home. Just 30 minutes from my desert home. The reality is that if I am not able to run a swamp cooler(or AC) several months of the year will be unbearable for my family and I.

So take the time to seriously ponder these thoughts.
Jennifer

Scoop on Poop

2009-05-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

As the world economy continues to struggle, many people world wide, who have never gardened before have started a simple garden. So this post is going to be devoted to poop. Yes, poop! Many gardeners are not fortunate to have prime soil to grow anything, and either have to rely on store bought manure, or find a source for the poo.

For me, I have chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats, and sheep that I can gather the waste to use to begin to create a great soil base. I also am so lucky to have a neighbor that raises horses and his sons gladly deliver manure monthly!

We have several piles of composting manure around the farm. We often water the piles to speed up the readiness time. Once the manure is ready we create a soil mix with compost items from the house, ash from the wood stove, and the soil here in New Mexico. This is somewhat a science that the more you play around with the better you will get, and the more you will understand. My husband has become the master and we have a mini oasis in the desert on our farm.

Here are several links to get you started. If you do not have animals to collect the poo, contact a local farmer, I promise that he will be willing to share the manure.
Wikipedia
Using Manure in the Home Garden
Manure is an excellent fertilizer
Manure Matters
Using Manure

These are some beds I had when we lived in town. We used manure from a friend and look see how my garden grew! Notice the dry dirt areas everywhere...this is New Mexico and the heart of the desert. Nothing grows unless you baby the soil and use water(saving gray water, collecting any rain water, etc). I will try to post somewhere on the Canadian circuit some recent photos of my farm gardens. We have such lovely edible goodies all because we mastered poop!!

*Please be very cautious about manure. Do not use manure from animals that eat meat(cats, dogs etc) and most importantly do not use humanure. I know that many people are leaning toward this trend but food based illnesses come from humans that use the restroom(poo) and do not wash their hands. It is real and concerning. Err on the side of safety as there are zillions of places to go poo collecting!
jennifer
(c) Double Nickel Farm

Maintain what you have

2009-04-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

Part of my life of living simple(and preparing for any situation) is maintaining everything I own. For one with teens this means I mend ripped out knees more than I would like. But it is important that we understand that the times we live in send us one message, but the truth is another.

Instead of rushing out to buy something new, repair what you already have. Maintain your auto with regular tune ups. Maintain your home by monthly inspections to access any problems. Maintain your health today so you will not be older wasting away because of an improper life of inactivity.

Get the point? Prepping is also maintaining all that you have. So start today...
Jennifer
Double Nickel Farm
New Mexico Preppers

This is Why Canadians Need to Prep

2009-04-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

I am not Canadian, but I have never viewed Canadians as anything but a neighbor. That said, I am not sitting in New Mexico, taking time out of my day sharing prepping tips for naught. Times are NOW. We no longer can say that the need for prepping is just in case of a natural disaster. The current administration has made it very clear that the freedoms and rights that we all have enjoyed are WRONG AND THAT we have to apologize to terrorists and allow our government to refer to Christians, those against abortion, those who support the US constitution to be the new and improved TERRORIST. Last time I checked, my common lifestyle I lead has done nothing except support my nation. Over the past ninety days I have become a TERRORIST.

Ok so here is the daily news and Canada- you are a problem too, with the current government. Read this link and remember this, the life we all have enjoyed is no longer under attack, but completely surrounded by far leftist that are now the leaders of the US. Our leaders are turning friends into enemies and enemies into friends- where did Canada stand? Because make no mistake about it, the comments made byNapolitano will stand. She wiggles and tries to pretend she was not correct, but when the limelight disappears...she REPEATS her accusations.

What do you prep for? How do you prep? How much money will this cost?

What do you prep for: anything. Brush up on the Soviet style methods of turning millions into slave labor camps, or were executed. Study what you need to do in the event that bizarre situations become reality. Jews in 1930's Germany knew something was up, but most could not grasp that their nation could do such a thing. This is far out there- but a serious agenda is transforming in the US, and it is rippling across the globe. You need to prepare for a situation where you are your provider, your security, your medical care, your teachers- get the idea?

How do you prep: Well for me, food was first, and then medicines, and then clothing, and seeds, and tools, and farm animals, and learning how to forage, and cook from scratch. I have been giving myself an education that is much better than any university could ever provide. A good goal for food storage is a year or two of food. Yes a year or two.

How much money will this cost: every extra penny you have. It is too late to worry about seed vaults(unless you have extra money) it is time to print out howto's of cooking, canning, preserving food, how to butcher an animal, and so on. If you spend now on your food storage and rotate, you will never loose. If the world realigns itself(impossible with the trillions that the US has borrowed) then you can save your grocery money-just don't buy a 401K!

I pray that if you read this you understand the reality of our times. Millions world wide have ignored the warnings and have died. Think of the Tsunami victims. It was a lovely day, and in a matter of minutes nearly 300,000+ people died.Bam- the calm before the storm is very real.
(c) Double Nickel Farm

Which Came First?

2009-04-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

Eggs- eggs-eggs!

Here are a few of the different eggs we collect each day on our farm. Did you know that a hen will lay an egg every 24 hours? Did you know that it is very easy to raise chickens and you do not need a rooster to have eggs! Of course I suggest in the life of prepping to have a rooster, so you can continue your flock.

One of the first things my husband and I did was plan for chickens when we were beginning to plan our move to a rural setting. I read everything I could on chickens, talked to everyone that had chickens and made copious notes. Guess what? I needed no prep to be honest. You do not need to spend a ton of money to set up a coop, and a chicken pen. I have even seen a nest for a coop made out of a microwave.

When we moved to our farm, we decided not to spend a ton of money to set up the pens. To date we have recycled many items to make coops. Here is a link to my farm blog with the post on our first chicken coop.

We have one coop made completely out of old campaign signs.
And our first chicken- well rooster. We found him on freecycle. A couple was giving him away, and he is still with us. He is the Head honcho rooster here, and this pen yard is no longer here as we have made the chickies have a free range approach. Definitely go to the link as you will see that prepping for hens or anything else is not about perfection but about learning about taking care of yourself.

Chickens provide so much for us, the meat, the eggs for personal consumption- and to sell...the money that we make on eggs pays for the feed of all of our livestock, and birds- 9 goats, 7 sheep, 7 geese, 17 ducks, and six turkeys, plus the feed for the chickens. Eggs rock and we have never advertised!! Just by word of mouth!!On Monday we received another 40 chickies, and our flock is now near 100 chicks. We see the farm as a way to provide either supplemental income, or a means to barter or trade. The chickens fit right in with our plans. If a time arises that we are not able to go to a store for our meat and eggs(or anything) we will be fine with our simple life.

Perhaps now is the time for YOU to get prepared for any and all situations that may come your way. Oh and what came first? I know with absolute certainty- Do you? If not ask me and I will give you the answer to a long debated question!
(c)double nickel farm

Using Your Food Storage

2009-04-08T20:12:00.002-07:00

Do you buy foods and then put them in an emergency pantry, and have no idea how to use them? Filling a pantry and preparing for any emergency is critical. But if you buy something like powdered milk and then have no idea how to use it then you have wasted money, storage space, and quite frankly your time.

I have used powdered milk for many years, as it is easier to use when I make arroz con leche(rice and milk) or oatmeal. As the years passed I slowly began using powdered milk for baking sweets and even bread.

So my pantry has powdered milk. This is a comfort to me to know that I can make the foods my family eats, because I have learned how to use powdered milk on my leisure and if a crisis occurs, I am totally comfortable baking with this.

I think that in the times we live in that one need to learn to cook/bake as many foods as possible from scratch. I challenge you(if you haven't already) to buy some powdered milk and then bake with it.

How much powdered milk should you store for your family? Here is a good link to get you started on calculating your food needs.

Here are five of six loaves of bread I recently made using powdered milk...the sixth never makes it to a bag as the family dives in so fast!
Jennifer

Saskatchewan Preparedness Information

2009-02-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

The government of Canada has an excellent and very informative site that can assist people in Saskatchewan in preparing for a natural disaster or an emergency crisis.

http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/knw/region/sk-eng.aspx

The Saskatchewan Emergency Management Organization can be found here:

http://www.cpsp.gov.sk.ca/

Current weather information for Saskatchewan can be found here:

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/canada_e.html

There are several new brochures that have been made available for download in assisting the people of Saskatchewan in being better prepared to handle an emergency.

Download the new” Floods - What to do?” brochure (PDF 133KB) here.

Download the new “Earthquakes - What to do?” brochure (PDF 221KB) here.

Download the new “Power Outages - What to do?” brochure (PDF 167KB) here.

Download a hazards poster for Canada (PDF 1.6MB) here.

Please take advantage of all the information provided by these site to help keep you and your family better prepared to handle a natural disaster or crisis.

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

An Invite to All

2009-02-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in guest-posting on the Saskatchewan Preppers Network?

If so, please contact Kymber here.

Everyone is welcome...and if you would like to know more information about the type of posts that would be welcome - check out the Canadian Preppers Network, the Ontario Preppers Network, the Nova Scotia Preppers Network and the American Preppers Network for ideas. The American Preppers Network also links to each of their State Preppers Networks.

The Canadian Preppers Network is still very new and we encourage anyone who is a "prepper" - whether you have been prepping for 20 years or 20 minutes - to get involved. Your participation will be greatly appreciated - you know that you have information that other people in your province or territory can really use. Step up, give it a try - you know that you want to!

Please come and join us!

Is your family prepared?

2009-01-28T07:27:00.001-08:00

The Government of Canada has an official preparedness site. If you've never visited it, I suggest you take a few minutes to have a look.

The government's basic 3 step plan is as follows:

Know The Risks
Although the consequences of disasters can be similar, knowing the risks specific to your community and your region can help you better prepare. Find out here what the hazards are in your region.

Make A Plan
It's easy and essential. Every Canadian household needs an emergency plan. It will help you and your family know what to do if disaster strikes. Make your own plan and print it out today.

Get A Kit
It doesn't take long – find out what goes into an emergency kit, or where you can buy one. An emergency kit helps ensure you and your family are ready to cope on your own for at least the first 72 hours of an emergency.

The Government of Canada lists the following as known risks:

Avalanches
Earthquakes
Floods
Hurricanes
Landslides
Severe storms
Storm surges
Tornadoes
Tsunamis
Wildfires

They also list the following as other possible emergencies:

Bomb threats
Chemical releases
Nuclear emergencies
Pandemic influenza
Power outages
Suspicious packages

The Canadian Preppers Network and its Provincial affiliates are working together to address each of the "known risks and emergencies" recognized by our Canadian Government, along with many more that our Government won't acknowledge.

Home security
Crime
Violence
Animal encounters
Disease
Food quality
Hospital-created deaths
Pollutions
Household toxins
Judicial break-down
And many many more!!

Topics will not be limited to immediate dangers. We will have a linked series of articles on off-grid survival and homesteading techniques.

For the less rural: safe-house hints and preps will be explored.

When the Canadian Preppers Network finds something new, we'll try it out for you first!

A vast amount of material is available through the associated American Preppers Network and we will try our best to source relevant Canadian links.

No matter who you are, we will have something for you!

Welcome!

2009-01-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome All Saskatchewan Preppers to the Saskatchewan Preppers Network!

If you are an experienced Prepper/Homesteader/Survivalist or new to the concept of "prepping" and preparedness, this is the place to share information, advice, tips and skills on preparedness issues specific to our province.

As we are in the process of setting up the Saskatchewan Preppers Network, we direct you to the Canadian Preppers Network for further information.

And if you would like to volunteer post on this site, please contact Kymber here.