The Cor Outfitters Intelligence Community: 2016-01-24

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Vehicle Bugout - Part 3 - My Trucks

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Ultramarathoning Tips for Non Running Preppers

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editor’s Note: This post is another entry in the Prepper Writing Contest from Huples. If you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly win a $300 Amazon Gift Card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today. Around six years ago I stopped running (got suddenly sick of it) […]

The post Ultramarathoning Tips for Non Running Preppers appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal
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Search and Rescue Jeep Detailed Walk Around

Prep Blog Review: Back To Basics Always Works

I’m a weird mix of oldies sentimentalist and “new stuff” freak. Although I love testing everything that’s new and I think in many ways technology helped us, I am also an oldies nostalgic. And I am convinced that when technology will fail us, and it will, just give it time, going back to the roots will be the solution.

The only problem is that most of us have become so addicted to “the new stuff” that we barely know what going back to the roots means. So let’s not wait until it’s too late and let’s see why the old ways are the most reliable!

1. Living in an 1800s Sod House

sod house “In 1862, America was in full expansion and Congress passed the Homestead Act, opening up millions of acres for the pioneers. It was a helping hand for the settlers who were encouraged to conquer the Western frontier.

All you needed to do to make the land yours was to build a sod house on it, grow crops on it and fight against the old bad luck for five years.”

What did you do to prep this week?

The snow and ice are finally melting away and the road conditions are almost back to normal. Hopefully, this will be our only big winter storm this season, but I predict at least one more before spring. Snow isn’t really a problem, but here we usually, get rain that turns into two or three inches of ice and then snow on top of that, making it so slippery that even walking becomes extremely hazardous.

Before we get started with this weeks segment I’d like to thank Willard N, Bill D, Kelli M, June D, Chantal L, Melody H for their generous donations this week – if this...

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Friday, January 29, 2016

Exped DownMat 9 M

NEW! Survival Bug Out Bag - BASIC - 22 lb / 10 kg +Experimental 3 Season Mini Sleep System - Best

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Bugging Out with Disabilities

By Dennis Diaz

A few days ago I was reading some comments and questions on our Facebook group (The Bugout Network), and I saw a few questions regarding the topic of bugging out or evacuation an area if you or a family member has limited mobility due to a disability or injury. I personally understand this concern. Not to long ago I found myself in a very serious vehicular accident that left me with some serious injuries, none of which were life threatening, but it did throw me into a 6 months journey to recovery before I was able to walk again. Those 6 months felt like a lifetime and for someone like me it was REALLY hard to feel that vulnerable. From my own experience, and some time on my hands I made some changes to my bugout plan in order to alleviate the risk if something like this were to happen again. I know this is a common problem and its obvious that not every person, and for that matter, not every family is going to be perfectly healthy and capable of strapping on a heavy pack and walking for miles. In fact, most families will have at least one member who is physically not able to do something so strenuous. Depending on when you have to bug out, you or a member of your family may be ill or injured. This certainly throws a gorilla size wrench in the bug out plan.

Image via www.survivalsullivan.com

If you or a family member has a condition that will prevent you or them from being able to keep up or even walk out, you need to plan for that. In addition, whether disabled or not, its sensible to have a contingency plan in place in case someone is ill or injured when it is time to get out of dodge. You are not going to leave anyone behind, but you don't want to put the entire family in jeopardy. Obviously there are going to be challenges that others will not face, but the whole idea of preparing for anything far ahead of time is how you will overcome those obstacles.

The following are some tips to bugging out with the infirm or disabled.

Have Aids and Tools Available

Be prepared to handle limited mobility by having the necessary equipment. Sometimes an elderly person may just need a walking stick to lean on. This is something you can keep tucked away with your gear. Knee braces and ankle braces can also provide support if that is an issue. A back brace can also provide some support for anybody suffering from back issues that may slow them down.
If walking is truly an issue, a wheelchair will be helpful. Ensure you have a working strap to hold, yourself or the person in the chair as you travel over rough terrain. It won't be easy to get it up steep, rocky inclines, but with a couple of people, it can be done. It is a good idea to practice and if t’s a family member, make sure you take him or her on the evacuation route to get an idea of how to navigate some of the more difficult terrain. Don't wait until your life depends on it to figure out the best way to carry the chair and person over a rocky path.
A stretcher may also be a good idea to keep on hand, just in case someone gets injured before you bug out. These are fairly light weight and two to four people can easily pack the stretcher and injured or disabled person out.

Pack Light

If you or your family member can physically walk, but is weak or not all that steady on their feet, make it easier by carrying or giving them a very light bug out bag. You don't want to be strained or strain them anymore than necessary. This applies to children too. Make sure they have the essentials like water, a flashlight and a way to start a fire and divvy up the rest of the gear to the healthier members of the group. If the person is going to be in a wheelchair, it isn't that much more difficult to attach the bag to the chair or have the person carry it in their lap.

Consider a BOV—Bug Out Vehicle

If walking or traveling even short distances is going to be extremely difficult or impossible, you may want to put your efforts into creating a bug out vehicle. For those who are bedridden, riding in a wheelchair may be too much. A BOV is one way to get the whole family out without any real effort. The only drawback to a vehicle is the possibility roads may all be blocked. This is why it is a good idea to find a rig that is off-road capable. Make sure it has a good set of traction tires and can take a beating.

Limit Your Walk

Although you may have the perfect retreat 45 miles away, if you have someone with limited mobility, you will want to look for somewhere a bit closer. That is a long way to carry or push someone in a wheelchair. If that retreat is the only possible refuge, you will need to make several stops. You may only be able to travel a few miles a day. You must be prepared to sleep outside or have shelters identified along the route. If that is the plan, make sure you have the necessary bedding and shelter to allow yourself or your limited mobility member adequate rest for the following day that will be just as trying.
Ideally, if you can find something that is much closer, you will be doing yourself and the rest of the family a huge service. The strain and frustration on both sides, those who are capable and those that are struggling, will wear you down and make the journey very difficult.

Focus on Strengths

The members in your group who have limited mobility or other physical limitations can be real solid assets. You will need to shift around some responsibilities to use those talents. Maybe the person in the wheelchair is an excellent navigator or knows how to start a fire faster than anybody else. Discover what everyone's strengths and weaknesses are and distribute the work load. Every member of your group can and should contribute. This will make it easier and everyone will feel valued.

While it may be a little unconventional and not typically something you think about when you imagine bugging out, you have to be prepared to deal with anything. If you are escaping a natural disaster or some other calamity, there is a very good chance someone may be injured and need assistance to get to safety. Never assume you all have to stay and hope for the best or that you must do the unthinkable and leave a loved one behind. It just takes a little extra planning and a willingness to put in a little more effort than those families who are all healthy and mobile. Do what you can to get in shape and in good health so you can be prepared to put forth a little more effort.

 About the Author

Dennis Diaz is the Chief Editor of Survival Ready Blog. He is passionate about learning and teaching survival and preparedness strategies. He is the author of the "The 12 Month Prepper & Survivalist Playbook" & Co-creator of many resources offered at Survival Ready Blog and The Bugout Network.
He doesn't consider himself an expert, but a facilitator and he works hard to provide a platform to those with valuable expertise to share their knowledge with as many people as possible.

He enjoys helping others prepare themselves for multiple dangerous scenarios, by coaching them on how develop their own customized survival & preparedness plans and develop their survival skills. He promotes the core concept of making preparedness and survival knowledge part of their daily lives.

from Outdoor Survival Gear & Skills, SHTF Preppin, Survival Skills, Preppers, Survival Gear, Survival Kits - Survival Skills
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Let’s Get Physical: Owning Physical Gold & Silver

By Bob

This is an entry in our non-fiction writing contest.

When owning physical gold & silver there are a few general concepts to understand:

Don’t tell the world! (2 or 3 is enough)
You aren’t planning on using them in regular retail businesses in normal times.
The best thing that can happen to them is you leave them to your heirs (you never needed them).
They preserve wealth over time (they are not intended to “make money”).
They are low cost insurance for emergency money in unusual times and against inflation.
You don’t have to buy them all at once (add...

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Training for a First Strike – Self Defense

All About Zika Virus

by Joe Alton, MD, co-author of The Survival Medicine Handbook

One of the scenarios we write about is the “Pandemic”. Although we have had success curing many illnesses with antibiotics, we are still struggling with outbreaks of viral diseases. In 2014, thousands died in West Africa during the Ebola epidemic. In 2015, Chikungunya virus crossed the Atlantic into the Western Hemisphere and infected a million people. This year, Zika virus is the latest pandemic, and the first to generate travel warnings specifically for women that are pregnant or of childbearing age.

A little-known virus...

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Friday Miscellany News Brief

1.) Why The Gold Market Is Glittering Again: It’s been tough finding winners in financial markets so far this year. Nearly every asset class is moving together in lockstep … to the downside.But one asset that’s been much maligned in recent years, practically given up for dead in fact, is glittering again: Gold!

2.) How Do You Know When Your Society Is In The Midst Of Collapse?: For the masses (and some preppers, unfortunately), a collapse is an “event” that happens visibly and usually swiftly. You wake up one morning and behold; the television and phones don’t work anymore and...

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Best Tips for Driving in the Snow

As the eastern seaboard remains in an unbelievable state of chaos due to Winter Storm Jonas, I cannot help but think back to times and places where we didn’t bother to name “winter storms”. We dealt with temperatures in the double digits below freezing along with 8+ feet of snow and didn’t descend into mindless panic that prompts politicians to call for driving curfews and such.

Here are some tips based on my experiences over decades of driving on snowy/icy mountain, town, city, highway, and thruway roads. Regardless of day or night, heavy traffic or none, whiteouts or sleet – I have never needed a 4 x 4, (most of those years I drove a manual with front wheel drive), fancy computers, or halogen headlights, let alone a tow truck.

Make Sure You Are Ready for the Journey

The first thing you must do is be prepared at all levels to drive in the snow. This means mentally you must be focused and determined to make it home safe and sound. If you are tired or hungry, take a nap and get something to eat first, even if it is in the back seat of your vehicle (don’t idle the vehicle, but do use blankets and hand warmers).

Remember, the storm isn’t going anywhere, and you aren’t going to be able to outrun it. Even a 15 – 20 minute power nap can mean an enormous difference in your ability to manage snow glare and other problems that will cause more fatigue than expected. The rest time also gives you a chance to refocus away from what you were doing before driving home so that you can more effectively shift gears to focus only on your driving.

Some foods are better than others when it comes to a position where you might be on the road for several hours. Much of this time will actually be very tedious, slow work, so you are best served by choosing foods and beverages that will keep you alert without giving you a buzz.

Since each person is different, I can only say that some people can do well enough with a cup of coffee and some fruit. I personally recommend decaf coffee/tea or fruit juice. Most people will actually be too buzzed by power drinks and not realize that the “energized” feeling is actually a stress response that will slow down your reflexes and make it harder to concentrate on monotonous but critical details.

Your next task will be to put all thoughts of time aside. Call family, friends, co-workers, or anyone else that is expecting you to arrive at your destination. Let them know an approximate time, but explain that it could take 2 – 3x or more time before you arrive. It is better to be late than never get there at all or wind up injured. At least when others know you are on the way and may be late, it will take off some of the external pressure that might cause you to move faster than is safe for the weather conditions.

Next, shut off the cell phone. The last thing you will need is the phone to ring or a text to come in. If you get stuck or see an accident that needs to be reported, make sure you are fully stopped and then turn on the phone to make your call. As with any other kind of driving, there is never anything coming in via your phone that is important enough to warrant having it on, let alone using it while you are in the driver’s seat.

Once you are ready to get started, take a moment to center yourself mentally, emotionally and yes… spiritually. Start off with a prayer before you start the engine or do whatever it is you need to do in order to feel safe and confident that you are going to make it to your destination without mishap.

This won’t make you invincible, but it will give you a point of reference and help you stay calm when you visually lose the road, you have to make it down a steep decline, or you suddenly go into a skid. That point of calm is absolutely essential, because without it – all you have left is panic- and when you panic – the snow wins and you get hurt or die.

Make Sure Your Car Is Ready for the Journey

Perhaps in some ways, preparing your vehicle for driving in the snow is easier than preparing yourself. Here are the basics:

Check all oils and fluids to make sure they are at appropriate levels. This includes making sure that you have windshield fluid that will not cloud up or freeze up in colder temperatures.
Keep spare blankets, flares, ropes, kitty litter (in case you get stuck and need traction under the driving wheels), flashlights, food, water, hot packs, a snow shovel that can cut through ice, an ice scraper, extra heavy gloves, and driving chains in the vehicle.
Make sure that your tires are not overly worn and that they are suitable for the conditions you will be driving in. For most cases these days, all weather tires will work well enough. If you are going on mountain roads or other complex terrain, use snow tires. Together with that, always check the air pressure in the tires before starting off.
Always keep your windshield wipers in good shape. An annoying line in the windshield when it rains can be catastrophic in the snow or a whiteout.
Choose a radio station that will deliver traffic alerts and also relaxing music. Choose music that will keep you awake and alert without adding to your stress levels or music that encourages you to move faster.

What Your Vehicle Can and Can’t Do For You

In these days, many people buy 4×4 vehicles or ones with all kinds of fancy computer navigation systems that are supposed to prevent accidents in the snow or on the ice. Sadly, these same people forget that it is their foot on the gas or brake, and their hands on the steering wheel. The computer can only compensate so much, but in the end, nothing can violate the laws of nature and motion.

There are few things people don’t know about what their vehicle can and cannot do in the snow. Even if you know this, remember, other drivers may not, and they can endanger your life with their excess speed or insistence on driving distracted:

Anti-lock brakes will not prevent a skid. In fact, anti-lock brakes only kick in when your vehicle begins to skid. This system can get the wheels turning, which in turn builds traction. Depending on the speed you are going, this may or may not reduce the skid length enough to prevent you from hitting something or going into a ditch.
There is no guarantee that you will skid only in one direction. Even though modern steering systems are designed to favor a pull to the right and roads are sloped so that you will angle to the right, that does not mean your vehicle will go that way in a skid. Your direction of travel depends on the direction the driving wheels were pointing when they locked up and the speed you were traveling.
The traction off light is not a reliable warning that a skid is about to happen. In fact, the traction off light may only go on when your vehicle is already in a skid and there is no way to prevent it from happening.
Computer systems can’t predict the location of black ice or any other slippery condition any better than you can. They cannot slow the car down for you, nor can they take over and steer out of it on your behalf.
Even though some vehicles can shift drive power to different wheels, that does not mean the new driving wheel will have any better traction than the others. In addition, by the time the switch over happens, you will have already lost valuable time that could have been spent working out of the skid.
There is no such thing as a computer, drive system, or other feature that can compensate for a loss of traction let alone the consequences. This includes the kind of minor slippage that people don’t pay attention to and tend to believe means they can just use longer distances when stopping. The fact of the matter is if your vehicle does not have the best possible traction, you are going too fast and you are also far more likely to skid. The extra 5 – 10 miles of our faster travel can cost your life or the lives of others.
There is no substitute for slowing down and taking your time. Even if you have to crawl along at 3 – 5 miles an hour or just barely keep your wheels moving, you will get where you need to go.

12 Basic Driving Tips

Here are some basic things you should always know how to do when driving in the snow and ice:

To preserve night vision, put your sun visor down. If the clouds are very heavy at night, you will get a pink sky that is more than bright enough to see by. It can also rob you of vital night vision because of still high contrast between the snow and other land features.
When driving in day hours, use UV protect sunglasses. This will cut down on the glare and also eye fatigue. If you wear prescription glasses, consider getting ones with a good quality anti-glare coat. These glasses are also indispensable for night driving in the snow.
If you are driving in areas with oncoming traffic, turn your eyes so that you are looking more to the lower right instead of at their headlights. You should still be able to see the road and the other vehicle in your peripheral vision.
Do not stare at the light path created by your lights, and try to avoid high beams.
If the lines on the road are invisible, look to the sides for the location of guardrails or signs that will act as markers. As long as you keep within those points, you will be either on the road itself or close to the shoulder. If another vehicle comes along, ease over gradually and gently to let them pass if they wish. Do not speed up or move suddenly, or it can put you into a skid.
Wind and increased snowfall can cause sudden whiteouts. The best thing you can do in this situation is slow down to a crawl and put your hazards on. Keep your foot on the brake just enough to engage the brake lights. Most whiteouts will only last for a few minutes, however they spell disaster for many drivers that try to drive at normal speed or forget to make their vehicle as visible as possible. Sadly, pulling off to the side of the road is not the best answer, unless you can get into a driveway, turnaround area, or a parking lot where vehicles coming up from behind aren’t likely to slam into you.
Even though you may have a full whiteout in front of you, you should still be able to see some road markers to the right side, so use those to stay as much on the road as possible. If you get onto the shoulder, you will feel that in the wheels. It should also be noted that some mountain roads have lines cut into the pavement on the shoulder that will make a distinct sound as you go over it. This can help you navigate turns even when you can’t see anything at all. Unfortunately, roads with this feature are few and far between, however if you are on them, use them to your advantage.
If you have a line of cars behind you, ease over, stop, and let them pass. You will always get a few nuts in the bunch that are talking on the cell phone, in a hurry, have no respect for the laws of nature, or are so panicked they are trying to outrun the storm. Let them pass along with the rest of the crowd so that they don’t involve you in an accident.
In most areas, snow plows will clear one lane more than the other. Use that lane and then use the uneven area as your driving landmark.
Do everything you can to avoid making a full stop, unless you are at an actual stop sign. Drop down to a crawl so that you can wait for lights to turn green, and do what you can to let the weight of the engine allow you to come to a natural stop if needed. Nothing creates skids faster than braking. Even if you can keep your wheels just turning, you will have better traction and better control.
If you must make a full stop before making a turn, do not simply start turning the steering wheel because you will go into a skid. Let your vehicle’s tires make at least one full rotation before turning the wheel. Turn gradually and make sure that you always feel tire traction. If traction becomes lighter, ease gently off the gas and stop turning the wheel. When you regain better traction, you can turn the wheel some more and gently accelerate.
Use the weight of the vehicles engine to increase traction. If you are fortunate enough to be driving a vehicle with a manual transmission, just drop one gear down. For example, if your gear shift has 5^th as your overdrive or highway gear, drop down to 4 or even 3 if you are going that slowly. Some automatic transmissions can also be geared down, however it will put more wear on the transmission. Remember that if you do use the engine’s weight to avoid a skid, you will also have more weight added to your forward momentum if you do actually skid. This means your car will move forward further and faster. In short, before you assume that you know how to gear down and manage a skid, be sure to practice so that you know what to expect. There are going to be times when you will, in fact, have to gear down, however you must also know how to use that tool.

Video first seen on Dan Robinson

Surviving a Skid

No matter how hard you try, there are going to be times when your vehicle skids. When this happens, you must know how to get out of the skid and what to expect, and instructions for getting out of a rear wheel drive skid are different than for front and 4×4. In my experience with front wheel drives, do the following:

First, do not panic and do not hit the brakes. Your wheels are already locked up, applying the brakes will only make the situation worse. Do not pull the parking brake either, as this will lock up your back wheels too. Always remember that hitting the brakes in response to the first stage of a skid will cause your car to spin around instead of go straight.
Do not disengage the transmission or try to put the vehicle in neutral hoping that it will slow the vehicle down. All this will accomplish is to disengage the engine and cause the weight to shift, which makes yet another variable to try and compensate for. In a skid, it is important to make things as simple as possible so that you can use whatever traction you regain to the best advantage.
Very gradually ease off the gas until you are off completely. Do not do so suddenly because you will disrupt the engine weight too suddenly, and this will make it harder for the tires to regain traction.
Do not turn the wheel in the opposite direction of the skid. Instead, steer ever so slightly into the same direction. This will put more the car into better alignment which will help all 4 wheels regain traction. If your wheels and vehicle are straight in alignment with the direction of the skid, give the wheel a slow, slight tug in either direction to see if you can gain some traction. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell where the ice begins or ends that caused the skid. It is truly a matter of luck to find a place where your tires will grip before you hit something or the vehicle stops under its own weight. Always remember that, for a front wheel drive, trying to steer in the opposite direction of the skid is the second part of what will cause your car to spin around in circles or spiral completely out of control.
Once you feel traction, use steady, gradual motion to turn the wheel the direction you want to go. Do not turn too fast or the overcompensation will cause the vehicle to fishtail. Once you feel the wheels turn and grip in the desired direction, you can gradually begin to apply the brakes.
You can expect at least some fishtailing. Work through it with gradual motions just as you did the skid.

Oddly enough, the best way to survive a skid is to get plenty of practice with navigating them. This includes making sure that you know what your vehicle’s full traction feels like. You can learn a lot about this when driving in the rain. If you are out in the beginning of a rainstorm, oil from the road will make it more slick. Pay attention so that you can pick up on the subtle change in your vehicle’s traction. This change will feel more pronounced on snow and ice.

You can and should ask about local areas where you can practice going into skids and getting out of them. Driving schools may have obstacle courses that you can practice on as well as trainers that will give you the right information for your specific vehicle. Even if you already have your driver’s license, or have been driving for many years, you can always go for a limited number of lessons and learn how to get out of skids.

As with many dangerous driving conditions, you are best served by staying where you are instead of trying to travel. On the other hand, there are also going to be times when you will, in fact, have to drive in blizzard or icy conditions. You can do this safely, just as people in mountain areas have done for decades.

If you follow a few simple rules, you can drive just about any road in any condition, and may even come to a point where it becomes a winter sport that you do not welcome, but you do not fear it either.

This article has been written by Carmela Tyrell for Survivopedia.

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Thursday, January 28, 2016

Jeep Wrangler Oakley Edition Walk Around

Jeep Wrangler Keyless Entry Keypad System

Pressurized Running Water on Jeep Wrangler JK

Fritt fall uten sikret tau

Top 4 Reasons to Get a Bushcraft Knife

By John West

Bushcraft knives are becoming more popular as of late, and for good reason. High quality bushcraft knives are functional blades that make a great addition to anyone’s knife armory. That being said, many people can be unsure about buying one. They wonder what makes a Bushcraft knife any different from a other types of knives. If you aren’t sure about buying a Bushcraft knife, here are the four top reasons for buying a Bushcraft knife.

Image via knifeista.com

Functionality

The 1st reason is functionality. Bushcraft knives are designed to be extremely functional. They tend to be relatively small, fixed blade knives. They usually have only one edge that will hold its edge for a long while. These features make the blade highly functional. It is designed to fit in your hand and is comfortable to use. It can be used for heavy work like cutting up wood for a fire or skinning an animal. It can also be used for light work such as whittling or food prep.
They also often prove to be useful in more urban environments. You will often need a knife for opening boxes or cutting tape in the office, and you will feel safer in dangerous neighborhoods with a Bushcraft knife strapped to your belt. Above all, the knife will be durable, designed to take the strain of being used in any environment, which makes it highly reliable. If you are looking for a functional blade to handle both simple and complex tasks, then look no farther than a Bushcraft knife.

Simplicity

The second great feature of a bushcraft knife is its simplicity. There is rarely anything fancy about a bushcraft knife. A true Bushcraft knife is simply a sharp and effective blade with a comfortable handle. It won’t have annoying detachable parts in its handle or fancy engravings on the blade. A Bushcraft knife is a tool, not something to hang on your wall. It is meant to be used and its simple design makes it perfect for doing just that (If simplicity isn’t your style, click here to learn about other kinds of survival knives).

Survival

While a Bushcraft knife is a highly functional knife that can be used in a variety of environments, it was designed to be the perfect tool for survival. After all, Bushcraft is the art of survival. It is a name for the skills that will allow you to survive away from the comforts of home, such as fire craft, hunting, tracking, trapping, woodcarving, shelter making, and a variety of other skills. At the heart of each of these skills is the Bushcraft knife.

Every feature of the Bushcraft knife makes it perfect for Bushcraft. Its size and simplicity prevent it from being too heavy or awkward to carry in the wild. The high durability of its fixed blade will prevent it from malfunctioning in the wild. And most importantly, the blade holds a sharp edge for a long time, so you can count on it when you need it the most. If you are headed out into the wilderness anytime soon, you will want to bring a Bushcraft knife with you.

Cost

Perhaps the most important consideration when buying a new knife is its cost. Well, you are in luck when it comes to Bushcraft knives. Although a Bushcraft knife can be over a hundred dollars, you do not need to spend that much money. A good Bushcraft knife can be as inexpensive as $14.99! For instance, the Morakniv Companion Knife has 1700 5-star reviews on amazon, and it is under $15. This is nearly half of what you would pay for a quality survival knife. As far as price goes, a Bushcraft knife is not a bad purchase in the slightest.

So what do you think? Are you going to buy a Bushcraft knife? If not, why? Let us know in the comments below.

When You Can’t Carry Food

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

4.5/5 (2) Editor’s Note: This post is another entry in the Prepper Writing Contest from Pat Veretto. If you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly win a $300 Amazon Gift Card to purchase your own prepping supplies, enter today. Let’s face it, food can be heavy and bulky, even […]

The post When You Can’t Carry Food appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

Winter Survival: How To Snow Shovel Like A Pro

After the record breaking blizzard that has put the mid-Atlantic states under snow we were faced with a new set of challenges. Sure, we talked about insulating your home and making sure no energy is wasted. We also covered how to use snow to insulate your home and how to deal with your car and driving under similar circumstances.

But what do you do when you are practically paralyzed by the heavy snowfall? When flights get cancelled and roads get closed and when nobody even bothers to make sure these roads are accessible to the ambulance and the fire fighters?

Some may say that residential roads fall in the owner’s care and they are the ones who should deal with the snow on those portions. But what happens when the owners are elderly or disabled people, unable to shovel this kind of snow and sometimes unable to pay for this service? We all know that this storm proofed to be deadly to many, but did you know that a significant part of the deaths were caused by heart attacks linked to shoveling snow? So our concern, and yours I hope, is legitimate.

You might not think of it this way, but shoveling snow is a pretty intense physical exercise that can prove to be fatal for those at risk. The categories considered to be at risk in this case are those with a poor physical condition, people like you and I who work at the desk, on a chair, all day long and don’t get to do a lot of sports, those with high cholesterol and of course those over 55. Actually, doctors recommend staying away from shoveling snow altogether after the age of 55.

The stress of the intense physical activity, coupled with the cold air that constricts the blood vessels, could cause blood to thicken and become prone to clotting, are a fatal mix for many.

How to Stay Safe

Besides the risks described above, the more common health risk shoveling snow poses is that of low back injury. So whatever your age and your health condition, when dealing with this task you must take precautions.

First thing before getting to the shoveling part, start with a 5-10 minutes warm up. Move your arms slowly forward and backward, hold a body hug for 30-60 seconds, gently stretch your legs and back and take a brisk walk to help your muscles heat. If you have a bad back or you are over 55, you better ask for help than risk your health and your life!

Picking a good shovel is also something you must pay attention to. If you choose an ergonomic one, with a curved or adjustable handle, it will take a lot of the effort off your back and your knees. Take care, when holding the shovel, keep your hands distanced on the shovel’s handle in order to distribute the force equally. When digging up snow make sure the force comes from your legs and not from your back, keep your knees slightly flexed in order to help with that.

Preferably you should push the snow aside, instead of lifting it and carrying it from one place to another. But if there’s no other way, make sure you keep your loads light and your knees flexed while doing so and don’t ever try to throw it over your shoulder!

Stop for two or three minutes every other 10-15 minutes, and stretch your back, arms and shoulders. While tackling snow, remove the top layers first, instead of going in depth. It’s much easier this way and especially for your back! And also consider removing the snow during 3-4 days rather than in one.

Other recommendations would be: layer clothing in order to keep warm throughout the process and also to be able to remove them one by one as you heat. Hydrate as needed and avoid alcohol, caffeine and smoking that will overburden your heart and will increase chances of frost and hypothermia.

How to Build Your Tools for Snow Shoveling

Now that we’ve discussed some tips on how to handle the snow without ruining your health, let’s take a look at some really cool tools that will help you with your task. And that’s because not everyone was prepared for this type of downfall!

1. Homemade Snow Shovel

You won’t need much for this DIY tool, just a durable garbage can lid, some screws and a screwdriver, a single-edged razor blade or a box cutter and a wooden broomstick.

Use the blade (or box cutter) to cut the lid in two pieces with the cut edge acting as the scooping side, while the raised outer brim will keep the snow in place until deposited. The broomstick will become the shovel handle, that you will secure to the lid with three screw. Get the details here.

2. The Plow Wow

It’s available for order, but if you take a closer look at this contraption, it wouldn’t be that difficult to DIY. And if you feel like it, you could even help a neighbor or two and make a buck out of it!

Video first seen on Tyler Selph

3. Snow Shovel for Your Car

Watching this “bad boy” in action makes you want to give it a try even just to test your DIY skills and you car’s abilities. Imagine being able to remove snow from the comfort of your car, listening to your favorite CD and not having to freeze throughout the process. Here’s another plan of the same idea.

Video first seen on Rich In MN 1975

4. Human Powered Snow Plow

Now, I’m not sure this is actually easier than shoveling snow, but if you like riding you bike it sure is more fun and it seems more efficient. So why not give it a try?

Video first seen on Bob Beechy

5. The Redneck Snow Plow

This is the quicker and easier DIY version of the snow shovel for your car. Just try not to steal the parts you need to put it in place as recommended by the video!

Video first seen on gjvmnd

What’s the Easiest Way to Shovel Snow?

The option we saw above are great, but our favorite must be the following two.

Video first seen on Snow Granny

I am not sure exactly how this guy managed to fold the snow like that, but he got our respect for it!

Video first seen on Joshua Jordan

Now that you’ve seen how these folks used their imagination and whatever they had on hand to deal with the snow, let us know in the comments below how are things in your area and how are you handling the situation?

This article has been written by Brenda E. Walsh for Survivopedia.

References:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/blizzard-2016-snow-shoveling-proves-deadly/

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Wednesday, January 27, 2016

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread” – Even Post-IHTF!

By Pat

This is an entry in our non-fiction writing contest.

Let’s talk bread – the staff of life. I love bread! Especially fresh from the oven whole grain bread sweetened with locally-produced, raw honey. Talk about making the house smell wonderful!

Baking bread is not rocket science, but there is some science to it. You don’t need a lab or even a petri dish but you do need some knowledge to turn out a good loaf and do it consistently. I’m no authority on bread baking. I know just enough to be dangerous. So trust me when I say it’s best that I simply share some...

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Top Ten Natural Disasters

The response to the “nothing is going to happen so no need to prep” crowd.

Wednesday Miscellany News Brief

1.) Bundys in custody and one protester shot dead by police: Oregon standoff spokesman Robert “LaVoy” Finicum was killed by police and other leaders of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation were arrested Tuesday after the FBI and state police stopped vehicles about 20 miles north of Burns.

2.) Circus Politics: Will Our Freedoms Survive Another Presidential Election?: Truly, who needs bread and circuses when you have the assortment of clowns and contortionists that are running for the White House? No matter who wins the presidential election come November, it’s a sure...

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Stay Away From These Supplements That Harm You!

big herbal supplements

As you delve deeper into the arena of survival medicine, you will learn more about using herbal remedies in place of conventional medicines. While this advice has a lot of advantages, it won’t be of much good if you simply try to stockpile pre-manufactured herbal supplements.

Aside from problems with shelf life, there are no regulatory guidelines to ensure that you are actually getting the proper amount of each herb listed on the bottle.

In fact, there are hundreds of herbal remedy brands on the market that prove to have fake ingredients and even dangerous fillers when tested by an independent lab. This will generate a huge negative impact on your ability to survive crisis.

What’s the Problem with Using Fake Herbs for Treatment

Historically speaking, if a human suffers from a physical or mental ailment, there is an herbal remedy to cure it. The problem comes in when large scale manufacturers claim to be making extracts from certain plants, even though the pills, potions, or powders are nothing more than placebos, or have so little extract in them there is no way they can be of therapeutic value.

Not only do consumers wind up spending millions of dollars on these fake herbs, they mistakenly believe the herbs are useless, or that there is no way to make good use of them. In some cases, these placebos even lead to death if the person does not get some form of proper medication in time.

Aside from being misleading, fake herbs are just about as unhealthy as illegal drugs. When companies want to cut corners, they easily use toxic fillers or ones that increase your risk of developing cancer or other diseases. If some of these fillers are supposed to extend the shelf life of the herbal formula, it may simply not hold up for years as expected in your stockpile.

Simply trying to add more government regulation isn’t about to solve the problem. If businesses are going to make fake products to begin with, they will find some way to phony test results that are meant to catch them.

How Is This Going to Hamper My Survival?

Consider a situation where you are on medication to treat a chronic medical condition. Let’s say that you are aware of the fake herb problem, and have actually done some research on brands in order to find a creditable one. Here are just a few problems that the fake herb crisis can cause at the worst possible moment:

In some cases, the herb may lose its potency much faster than expected. If you put these bottles of herbal remedies in your stockpile, they may be useless by the time you actually need to use them. If you plan to use herbs for heart disease, diabetes, or some other serious health problem, these impotent herbs from a “reliable” source could still lead to your death.
Consider a situation where you have been stockpiling herbs that you purchased online because you have read about other brands that aren’t as reliable. Perhaps you have even gone so far as to stop taking regular medications for a few days, and felt well enough to feel confident in using these herbs in a crisis situation. Even if you felt better, it does not mean that the herbs were actually working. In many cases, medications can still have an effect on your body weeks and months after you stop taking them. Once you are in a crisis situation, the placebo effect from fake herbs will wear off, and then you will be stuck with a useless stockpile and no way to get the care you need.
In some situations, you may decide that you would prefer to buy dried herbs so that you can create your own oils or other concoctions. As with regular pills, there is still an enormous chance that any dried herbs you buy will also be packed with fillers, and trying to make oils and teas from these drugs may be more dangerous than expected. Aside from non-existent therapeutic value, some of these fillers may even include pesticides and other toxic plant residues that will reactivate once you heat up the materials or try make a tea from them.
When it comes to stockpiling drugs and herbs, it is all too easy to simply buy a few bottles and store them away compared to growing herbs and processing them yourself, rest assured that the former method is much easier. As a crisis scenario goes onward, herbal suppliers are not going to be in a position to make new supplements. The greatest danger associated with stockpiling pre-manufactured supplements is that you will never be encouraged to learn how to do it for yourself from planting the seeds to harvesting, processing, storage, and dosing.

How Safe Are the Foreign Herbal Supplements?

When it comes to the arena of herbal supplements, you will find that as soon as one brand is taken off the shelves, people will take to the internet to see if they can get the herb they want from overseas.

Today, there are foreign herbal “pharmacies” that are making millions of dollars off fake herbal supplements that are no better than what was just removed from the shelves of your local store. In some cases, as border patrol catches up with these pharmacies, they can, and do prevent shipments from coming into the country.

If you are purchasing herbs from overseas, think very carefully about what you are doing, because these scammers will take your money, and then the herbs you bought will never arrive because they are unable to get through customs.

How to Stay Informed

Herbs that have been used for centuries in alternative medicine systems are not the same ones that you are able to buy on the market today. In fact, you may be getting fake herbs that are every bit as dangerous as the conventional drugs that your doctor prescribes or that you buy over the counter.

herbal

If you are determined to buy herbal supplements, keep up with current news on which companies are selling fake or adulterated goods.

Here are two sites that will help you get started, as well as provide you with a good basis for studying further:

consumerlab.com – this group conducts independent tests of all kinds of drugs and supplements. Once they complete their studies, they release the information to consumers and other watch groups. Consumerlab.com also releases a number of nutritional surveys and conducts numerous studies on the safety and usefulness of a range of herbal supplements. Since the group conducts independent tests, their results may vary from those conducted by the FDA, pharmaceutical labs, and others that may be interested in testing various products. At the very least, this a third opinion that you can look to when controversial results or unusual side effects arise.
Fda.gov/ICECI/default.htm – no matter whether you are interested in finding out more about dangerous foods, drugs, or herbal manufacturers, this site will give you plenty of information. You can keep up with current enforcement actions and also look at the historical records of companies that are under investigation via the warning letters. As you study information on this site, you will also gain a better sense of what the FDA lists as deceptive advertising, as well as some indicators of how much harder it will be to buy herbal supplements in the future.

Ask a licensed herbologist or a licensed alternative medicine practitioner about these herbs. Many people today are surprised to find out that most states have a licensing board for medical practitioners other than conventional nurses and doctors. You don’t need to simply hope that your doctor actually knows about herbal supplements and alternative treatments when fully qualified people are on hand to answer your questions.

Always ask your doctor what courses they have completed in herbology and what, if any continuing medical education credits (CME) they have in this area. If you find that they have not officially studied in this area, then find someone that holds a proper license. If you would not take your car to get an oil change to a beauty parlor, it won’t be the best option to assume that every doctor knows as much about herbal remedies as they do about conventional drugs. At least, a licensed herbologist receives newsletters or other industrial insider information that helps them avoid buying fake herbs for resale.

Some herbologists will grow their own herbs. If you visit their shop or practice, you may be able to see the plants growing, or even watch as your supplements are prepared. If you cannot grow your own herbs, this means of acquiring them may be a bit safer.

Just be sure to consult with the BBB for the state where the business is located and other consumer protection agencies to see if anyone has filed problematic reports against the business. Also check the state licensing board to see if there are any disciplinary actions listed against the provider. (Actually, you should do this for conventional providers as well).

If you “google” different herbs, make sure you find all kinds of information about what works and what doesn’t. Rather than just rely on basic search engine results, visit Google Scholar, which is a special part of the Google search engine that only returns information from scientific, peer reviewed studies that are often considered legitimate enough for a number of industries.

In some cases, you may uncover genetic testing studies on specific brands of herbal supplements even if they have not been listed on mainstream media, or the FDA.

Be aware that there is a difference between the two search engines, never take what you read for granted, and verify the source of the information and the information itself. This includes investigating the financial sponsors of the studies and any investments they may have in competing businesses.

What You Need to Ask the Doctor

When it comes to fake herbs, let your doctor know what herbs you are using as well as the manufacturer. In many cases, your doctor won’t do more than ask and keep this information on file, but a discussion about fake herbal supplements is still very important.

If you are having strange side effects, or something does not feel right, ask your doctor to run some tests, and as with any other drug, demand copies of your blood work and any other diagnostic studies, then go ahead and research on numbers that are outside of the normal reference ranges.

Pursue second opinions and other specialist advice if you see something amiss. Never forget that when a crisis happens, doctors and competent medical providers won’t be there to to help you, let alone take care of relatively routine matters. Make use of what advice you can get now so that you have a better chance of having the best information in a time of need.

When it comes to going back to the old ways as a means of surviving a major crisis, using herbal remedies is bound to hold a good bit of appeal. But simply trying to buy herbs from a local store or even online can be a very hazardous undertaking. You should know how to spot fake herbs and understand how they can affect your health now and in a crisis situation.

As with any other prepping scenario, check what kind of herbs are in your stockpile, and do your best to avoid fakes and placebos. There are plenty of resources available to help you get the best information. Take advantage of these resources so that you do not wind up with even more problems once a major crisis occurs.

This article has been written by Carmela Tyrell for Survivopedia.

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