Extopian

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of those military trioxane bars that can be found in just about every military surplus catalog on the planet. I generally tuck a couple away in my backpack even when I don’t intend to start a campfire, just in case, but they are hardly enviromentally friendly and probably best reserved for special needs. Luckily, there is a very easy and low-impact alternative you can make in your own home with materials found, scrounged or bought cheaply, without resorting to exotic or dangerous chemicals.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

At some point during any discussion or practice of food indepedence, preparedness or storage, any reasonable person is going to express concerns about food related illnesses.  I firmly believe that most food borne illnesses are the results of avoidable factors such as negligant preparation, inadequate storage and substandard living conditions.  As a case in point, I have never experience so much as an upset stomach as a result of food prepared and eaten while hiking. Every case of food borne illness I have endured has been at the hands of resteraunters and other business food services. Personal opinions about the quality of our food industry (recalls, scandals and outright criminal negligance) aside, some knowledge for the home & farm never hurts.

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When a visitor to your garden compliments you on your chenopodium as well as your tomatoes, you know he’s a hardcore forager. Where you see a blaze of summer beauty in a stand of day lilies, the hardcore forager sees fritters and cooked buds and a salad made with the tubers. A lake fringed with cattails is liable to bring paroxysms of joy in the hardcore forager. There are flour, vegetables, and even something for the pickle crock there, not to mention a meat course of fish or frog legs. Experienced foragers see food, medicine, and other useful things in every forest and field.

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Any of us who’ve thought much about emergency preparedness realize that one of the most critical items to store is water. Without sufficient water to see you through an emergency that lasts more than a few days, you and your family are at great risk. You simply can’t live without water. Fourteen gallons of water per person is the suggested amount to store for a two-week emergency situation. This amount is enough for subsistence purposes only: two quarts for drinking and two quarts for cleaning and bathing purposes a day. When you consider that a person normally uses in excess of 140 gallons of water per day for drinking, bathing, laundry, dishes, watering lawns, etc., this isn’t a lot of water. If you have the room to store more you will want to do so.

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There are many practical reasons why everyone should have a food storage plan. They range from economic uncertainty, potential emergency or disaster, and simple practicality. The following are five must-know tips when considering your food storage solution. If you’re looking for pre-planned and pre-packaged food storage solutions there are dozens to chose from (all at a premium, I might add), but, ultimately, however, the best food solution is one that fits your needs and your goals, so I recommend learning the basics, setting personal goals and feeling free to modify, experiment and innovate.

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Firearms come in a very wide variety. Beyond personal preference and cosmetic factors, they are designed to fulfill a variety of roles, in much the same way a set of tool facilitates home repairs. For the individual who is already comfortable with firearms and versed in firearm safety, identifying the jobs you need to perform is the first step in selecting which firearms you require. While you CAN drive a nail with a heavy wrench, obviously a hammer is a much better choice. With that in mind there are four types of firearms that apply to the homestead or backwoods setting; Light Rifle, Shotgun, Defensive Handgun, and a High-Powered Rifle.

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Popularity: 11% [?]