Happy New Year

To all my blog readers, I hope you all have a Happy New Year.  Let's make it our goal for 2011 to be more prepared than we were in 2010.  Keep buying storage foods, canned foods, survival products and learn to garden this spring.  Learn new survival skills in 2011 and practice the new skills you learn on a regular basis.

For me, I plan doing all of the above.  In addition to being prepared I am working on a few projects.  One will be a new website that I think will be helpful for new gun owners to more easily learn about firearms.  I have almost completed the first phase of the website and once I finish I will let you know the web address so I can get some feedback from you guys. 

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Homemade Magnetic Holsters

For those of you who have several firearms and consider home defense a priority (you do right?), having easy access to a gun is vital in order to be prepared for a home invasion or attack.  Instead of leaving the guns on a counter, desk or in a drawer, you can create a homemade magnetic holster that will let you have easy access to the gun but at the same time partially conceal it.  I got the idea of creating a magnetic holster from Erich of Tactical Intelligence.  He has some good information.  I recommend that you visit his site. Unlike Erich's magnetic holster I used electrical tape instead of heat shrink tubing.  The electrical tape is a whole lot cheaper and works just as good to prevent your gun from being scratched by the magnets.

As you will see in the below photos and short video, I created a magnetic holster to place next to my front door.  As you can see, it is partially concealed and since the door opens towards where the holster is placed, it is the perfect spot to have my pistol or revolver when answering the door. 

In addition to a magnetic holster for a handgun, I decided that I needed one for my Mossberg 500 shotgun.  So instead of 3 magnets, I used 9 magnets and 2 paint stirrers which was surprisingly strong enough to hold my 7 lb. shotgun.  I placed the holster behind my office door to give me easy access to my shotgun and to give me the ability to partially conceal it behind my door. 

To create your own magnetic holsters you will need at least 3 ceramic block magnets, electrical tape and wooden paint stirrers.  To make both my handgun and shotgun magnetic holsters it cost me approximately $14 at Lowes. 

Check out the photos and short video below.

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

                 

     

Test Use of Magnetic Holster

Using Wooden Pallets

Many companies receive products on pallets and a lot of these companies just throw out these pallets.  Many times they will place the pallets on the curb for others to pick up for free.  Check Craigslist to see if any companies are giving away pallets.  I have started collecting pallets from some of the warehouses where I live.  I mainly intend to use them for the wood stove that I will be making out of barrels.  However, there are some interesting things that can be made out of pallets.  You can build a fence for the garden, a wood shed, a temporary shelter, and just about anything you can think of.  I used some pallets and a 8 foot section of cedar fence that I had laying around to build a small structure to hold fire wood.  See the photos below.  Once I obtain more pallets I may add a makeshift roof to keep the wood dry. 

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Will New Jersey join the rest of the country?

I live in New Jersey and the only place I can carry a firearm is on my property.  Every time I step off my property I am forced to never be fully prepared to defend myself. I do have a concealed carry handgun permit for Florida and Virginia which enables me to carry a firearm in approximately 33 states but that doesn't help me in New Jersey.  New Jersey has unconstitutionally restricted our right to bear arms for a very long time.  The Second Amendment Foundation has finally filed a lawsuit against the State of New Jersey in order for them to stop requiring a "justifiable need" in order to obtain a carry permit.  See the SAF website for more information. You can also read the complaint filed with the District Court here.  Hopefully the federal courts will agree with SAF and turn New Jersey into a "Shall" issue state.  I'm sure New Jersey will drag this court fight out for a long time so I won't get my hopes up. 

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Practice fire building and cooking

Since the last time I started a fire was back in the early 1990's I decided to practice my fire starting skills.  It brought back a lot of good memories as a Boy Scout.

You should practice starting a fire several different ways.  Some of the ways you can start a fire are with matches, a lighter, flint and steel, a 9 volt battery and steel wool, and a bow and drill.    If you are proficient in starting a fire even without matches or a lighter you will be prepared to survive outdoors if it were to ever get that bad. 

Below is a short video and some photos.  This is my first video and my first fire in years so don't laugh!! I really did not edit the video but just combined the video from several clips. As discussed in the video I took out my Boy Scout Handbook and created a Crisscross Fire Lay which is a type of fire lay when you want a bed of coals in a hurry for broiling or baking.   To start the fire I used a magnesium flint fire starter along with some dryer lint, hay and pine needles.

If you have not started a fire in several years, I recommend that you begin practicing your fire starting skills because you never know when you may need them.

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Real use for Homemade Water Filter

During my hiatus my mind was not on preparing as I should have been. But what snapped me back into "reality" was that the public water system in my township was contaminated with E.Coli. 2 weeks ago and actually made several people in the township sick. As soon as I heard about the contamination I pulled out my Homemade Water Filter and started using it. See how to make your own Homemade Water Filter here.

Luckily I also have my own well so instead of filtering the public water I just filtered my well water (my well is not connected to a well filter). Based on my conversations with others in the township, it seems like I was the only one with a filter. The township's solution was to boil the water before drinking it or go buy lots of bottled water. Although boiling water will kill the E.coli. bacteria it can be very time-consuming and buying bottled water can get expensive in this type of situation. With a Big Berkley or Doulton type ceramic filter you can filter out E.coli. and other dangerous contaminates without the need to boil the water or spending money on bottled water. For those of you who may have a Brita filter. These filters are useless and only filter out dirt and sediment and some other things that would not kill you if you drank it. The Brita filter is just a feel good product and does nothing to protect you from real contamination.

During this situation, which lasted about 2 days, I realized just how unprepared people in my township are. Some people did not know what to do until the township recommended that they boil the water. What would happen to these people if a real disaster were to occur? What would happen to you if you are not prepared?

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Back to preparing

It's been a while since I posted.  More important things took priority.  Thanks to all who stopped by every now and then to check up on me.  My wife is doing better.  I hope to post on a more regular basis.

For now, check out this trailer of a new movie coming out.  It's called Remnants.  It looks like it will be pretty good.


Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Music to prepare the mind

I listen to all kinds of music: rap, country, R&B, rock, alternative, etc.  If it sounds good and the words have real meaning then I will probably like it.  One band I really like is Pokerface.  Their music has real meaning and can get you into that survival/rebel/protest mindset.  Below are some of Pokerface's songs.  Enjoy and get prepared.

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!





Tear It Down



Revolution - Unplugged



I'd Rather Die Than Be A Slave



Kontrol



Prayer For America

Onions and Apples

I haven't posted in awhile.  Continuing to prepare for what's coming.  Be sure you do the same!

The gardening is coming along.  The spinach is finally growing, the buttercrunch lettuce is slowly coming up and Big John's Amish Snap Peas are all up, a 90% germination rate.  The Paris Island romaine lettuce that I planted did not germinate at all.  Make sure you have a backup plan if your seeds do not germinate.  It happens and you must be prepared.  The more seeds you store the better. 

I just planted some Red Baron Onion Sets. Since I like to be different I did not plant the onion sets directly in the ground.  Instead I followed Ruth Stout's advice and just placed them on top of the ground and a thin layer of hay and then placed a few inches of hay on top.  I did add some soybean meal on the ground and on the hay for a natural fertilizer.  This is my first time growing onions so we will see what happens.

Check out the photos of my onions being planted and a few more photos of my apple trees.  Thanks to IdahoBob for reminding me to fence my apple trees.  The day after I fenced my apple trees the deer roamed into my yard trying to get those trees!

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Apple trees planted

Just finished planting three apple trees that I bought from Stark Bros.  A GoldRush Apple Dwarf, Enterprise Apple Dwarf and a Jonafree Apple Semi Dwarf.  Hopefully in a year or 2 I will have fresh apples.  If you have the space I highly recommend that you plant apple trees or another type of fruit tree.  Nothing is better than planting a tree one time and being rewarded for years for your work.  For those storing food, being able to pick and eat fresh fruit gives that food variety you need to survive the coming collapse.  Having multiple sources of food is a must if you want to be truly prepared.

Check out the photos of my apple trees being planted:

GoldRush Apple Dwarf

Jonafree Apple Semi-Dwarf - For those wondering I did make the hole bigger to fit the roots.

Enterprise Apple Dwarf

Intolerable Act #1

Congress is out of control.  They love taxing us and spending our money for their little projects.  I believe we are getting closer than ever to an economic collapse and civil unrest.  You must be prepared.  This unconstitutional healthcare law is just going to bring the inevitable collapse that much sooner.  And with that collapse I believe we will witness the start of a revolution.  What that change will be is up to the real patriots in this country.

I love it how the democrats are whining about being threatened after passing their healthcare law.  What the hell do you expect when you don't listen to the people, steal their money and then enslave them?  It just goes to show that they do not know our country's history. 

History really does repeat itself.  Congress and the federal government are today's British empire.  It's like we are colonies all over again paying for this empires' overseas adventures.  The colonies petitioned the British Parliament and King over and over to stop with their unjust laws and to follow their own constitution but they did not listen, as Congress and the President do not listen to us today.  We no longer have representation in Congress just like the colonists did not have representation in the British Parliament.  Could this new healthcare law be the first of what the colonists called the "Intolerable Acts" that united the colonies to begin the real resistance?  Will the states unite to resist the federal government as the colonies did?  I won't hold my breath for them but it is somewhat refreshing to hear states beginning to assert the 10th amendment and resist the federal government. 

I call this healthcare law the Intolerable Act #1 since this is only the first of the major new laws that will be used to try to coerce and control the people and take what little freedom we have left. 

So what caused the colonists to take up arms and begin shooting?  The British were coming to steal and  destroy their firearms and munitions.  This was the last straw and the colonists would not back down any more.  When the federal government begins banning all firearms and the police and soldiers come to your homes to confiscate your guns, what are you going to do?

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Compost Tea Brewer completed

Been sick for a few days so haven't been able to post.  I was able to complete the Compost Tea Brewer for my garden that I mentioned in a previous post.  I made my first batch of tea and it seemed to come out fine.  If I had a microscope I would know for sure if the microorganisms were in the tea.  If you do not know what compost tea is I recommend the book Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels or The Compost Tea Brewing Manual by Elaine Ingham from the Soil Food Web organization.  You can find instructions on how to make you own brewer here.

Below are some photos of my brewer:

I am using one of my 55 gallon water storage barrels for my compost tea brewer.

Used a hacksaw to remove the top from the barrel.  Took me a couple hours but I didn't want to buy an electric saw for one project.

Top is finally removed from barrel.

Testing the air pump.

 

Closer view of air pump bubbling the water.

Completed brewer inside house in laundry room

Bag of compost hanging in water while air pump is on.  The bag is a 5 gallon paint strainer.

I tied the PVC piping and air pump to the PVC bar that lays across the top of the barrel so they wouldn't move.  Worked perfectly since I could not find any clamps that would fit onto the barrel to hold the pipes.

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Getting the garden started

Spring is here and planting is about to begin this weekend. I plan to plant some Buttercrunch lettuce, Paris Island Cos Romaine lettuce, Winter Giant Spinach, and I will plant some Amish Snap Peas that I bought from Big John Lipscomb.  Now is the time to learn how to grow your own food.  I said this before but if you do not know how to grow food then you will starve if there is a collapse.  You do not need a big farm to learn how to grow food.  You can grow food in containers/flower pots.  Wherever you live you need to start now.

The first time you plant seeds, especially lettuce seeds, you will be amazed by how such a small seed can produce such a large plant.  Just so you understand, the lettuce you buy in the store isn't fully mature.  If you let the lettuce bolt (i.e., the lettuce starts to flower and seed) it could grow as tall as 2 feet.  Once you start growing your own food you will have a much better appreciation of life and how this earth truly sustains us.  Our modern world takes away this enjoyment. 

I finally received all the components for my Compost Tea Brewer and I plan to make some Compost Tea this weekend to introduce some microorganisms into my soil and mulch.  My wife isn't going to like it but I'm going to have to brew the tea indoors until the temperature is a little warmer.  Hopefully the air pump won't be too loud!

I also bought 3 apple trees which should be delivered in the next couple weeks.  I bought the Disease Resistant Apple Assortment from Stark Bro's which includes the GoldRush Apple Dwarf, Enterprise Apple Dwarf and Jonafree Apple Semi Dwarf.  Hopefully I will have some delicious apples in the next 1 or 2 years. 

Check out the below photos of the beginning of my 2010 garden.  I pulled back the hay and mulch to let the sun heat up the soil and to get it ready for planting.  I also spread some soybean meal which is a natural fertilizer.

Live the Motto - Be Prepared!

Long Term Food Storage

For those of my readers who have not begun storing food, now is the time.  Don't wait any longer because time is short.  Any of us with a job could be laid off or a total collapse could happen at any time.  I have been storing food for a couple years now and still do not have enough to make me feel comfortable.  You should have enough food to make it at least through the winter.  I would recommend at least a year's worth in case of crop failure.  You are growing and canning your own food, right?  My goal is to have at least 2-3 years worth of long term storage food for me and my family. 

I store the basics such as rice, beans, wheat, pasta, corn, oatmeal, salt and sugar.  If properly stored this food can last several years. You should pack your long term storage food into 5 or 6 gallon buckets using mylar bags and oxygen absorbers.  You can buy the buckets or you can possibly get them for free from a bakery.  You should try to obtain white food grade buckets.  Some of my buckets are from Home Depot, yes the orange buckets.  I bought them because they were the cheapest I could find.  There is a big debate about whether or not they are food grade but it does not matter if you use mylar bags.  So whatever buckets you can find is better than nothing.  Be sure to buy lids to the buckets that include a rubber gasket around the inside rim.  You will also need a way to seal your mylar bags.  I use a regular iron to seal them.

Below are some great videos I found about 2 years ago on YouTube which showed me how to store my food into mylar bags and buckets:







The below video shows you how to seal the mylar bags using a regular clothes iron.



Live the Motto - Be Prepared!