During uncertain times, it’s important to be self-sufficient. One of the ways to do that is to have your own food supply through raising your own free range chickens. So, how do you start?

Raising Your Own Free Range Chickens

Homesteading is regaining popularity as Americans seek independence from reliance on the government and on supply chains that can be easily interrupted. With the economy, our freedoms, and our way of life under attack, self-sufficiency is a priority again.

As a first step towards backyard farming, people are turning to chickens, thanks to their easy upkeep and frequent egg-laying. Chickens are less expensive to maintain and need less space and care than other livestock. Their eggs are also harvested without any discomfort caused to them.

Even a dozen chickens can produce more eggs than a family knows what to do with! Selling eggs can pay for the chicken feed you need, especially if you are raising free-range chickens.

What Does ‘Free Range’ Mean?

“Free range” is a buzzword these days, as marketers tug at the heartstrings of consumers who are concerned about the living conditions of chickens.

Unfortunately, on a commercial level, the term “free range” only means that the chickens have access to an outdoor space. That space could be 2’ wide and covered in gravel, and it would still qualify as “free range” for packaging purposes.

But for the average farmer and the novice chicken owner, “free range” means letting their chickens roam – over several acres or even miles. Your flock may not even stray as far as you let them, but the freedom to walk, eat, hunt, and dust at their leisure will result in healthier chickens and better eggs.

Free Range Chickens Can Still Use a Coop

There are several reasons that you will still want a coop for your chickens, even if you let them out each morning.

If you live in a climate that gets cold in the winter, the coop can help provide warmth, especially if you choose to use a heat lamp. In the summer, it can help provide shade.

The coop provides shelter from predators like hawks, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, opossums, and weasels. Chickens can still become prey during daylight hours, but the dangers at night are much more significant.

Chickens can lay eggs in any number of places, not all of which are convenient or known to you. Having a chicken coop where you place wooden or plastic eggs indicates to the chickens where to lay their eggs and can save you a lot of searching.

Designate Space for Your Chickens

Chickens will make a mess in more ways than one. They will eat plants and flowers, peck and dig holes, and also poop all over the space you give them. Keep this in mind when you designate space for your chickens, especially if you have invested heavily in your yard or landscaping.

Create and Stick to a Routine

Just like any other animal, chickens can be trained. If you lock them in the coop at night, call them in with some feed from the same bucket every evening. They will come running and you can safely close them up for the evening.

Be consistent with when you let them out in the morning. Chickens that are used to roaming and are unable to do so can get LOUD.

Benefits to Free Range Chickens

Allowing your chickens to roam freely has many benefits, both in their care and their health. You will be able to save money on feed and grit as they find their own. (Grit is how chickens break down their food since they don’t have teeth.)

Chickens eat all sorts of bugs and slugs, and even the occasional rodent and snake, which can help with pest control around the yard.

Free-range chickens are in much better physical health than their cage-kept counterparts and are unlikely to be overweight. They are also happier and stay entertained by all of the hunting and pecking they do.

The diet of a free-range chicken is full of protein, which produces more, and better quality eggs, as well as extending the lives of your chickens.

Choosing Your Chicken Breeds

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Bette and dolly are laying their first eggs. Oh, they grow up so fast. #rettetdashuhnev #rettetdashuhn . . . . #luckychicks #freerangeeggs #chickenlover #eggs #chickenofinstagram #animalsofinstagram #chickenlover #bachyardchicken #countryboy

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When it comes time to choose your chicken breeds, there are several questions to ask yourself:

• How many eggs do I want?
• What type of eggs do I want?
• Do I want to eventually kill and eat the chickens?
• What climate do I live in?
• Are there children involved in raising the chickens?

There are actually dozens of breeds of chickens, so be sure to do your research and choose the chickens that best meet your needs.

Have you tried raising free range chickens? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments section!

Up Next:

• Why You Should Have A Backyard Farm
• Advantages of Going into Chicken Farming
• The Chicken Coop Checklist

If you’re actively researching the best walkie talkie, you’re in the right place.

Reliable communication is an essential part of any plan, whether you’re coordinating a road trip or keeping a family together in an emergency.

Cell phones are great, but we’ve all run across areas where coverage is, well…less than perfect.

Sure, you could invest in a satellite phone. But that’s not the most cost-effective option, and you may “still” run across areas where you can’t get a reliable signal.

Often, a better answer is direct, person-to-person radio communications.

Handheld personal radios (a.ka. Walkie Talkies) are dramatically better today than even ten years ago.

Plus, the list of new features keeps growing steadily.

In general, Walkie Talkies are smaller, lighter, and more rugged than ever before. Making them one of our favorite survival radios.

Plus, prices on walkie talkies have come down in recent years. You can finally afford to outfit everyone in your group without breaking the bank!

So today I’m going to use my research and rescue training to teach you everything I know about walkie talkies. With my ultimate goal to help you find the best walkie talkie for YOU!

Here’s what I’ll be covering:

• Different Types Of Walkie Talkies You Can Choose
• Key Features To Look For In A Reliable Walkie Talkie
• 10 Best Rated Walkie Talkies On The Market Today [with video reviews]

**Note: If you just want our top recommendations, feel free to SKIP AHEAD HERE.

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF WALKIE TALKIES YOU CAN CHOOSE

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There are LOTS of walkie talkies on the market today – from basic models with simple features to professional setups for a worst-case emergency.

With such a wide range, it’s important to learn the main types of walkie talkies.

Now, the most significant difference between types of walkie talkies is the frequency band in which they operate. Different radio frequencies have different characteristics. And thus, licensing requirements are different as well.

There are two major walkie talkie branches to choose from:

1. UHF frequencies
2. VHF frequencies

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1 – UHF Walkie Talkies

UHF (Ultra High Frequency) radios operate on frequencies between 400-512 megahertz (MHz).

The FRS (Family Radio Service) radios that many people are familiar with fall in the UHF class.

FRS is available for both personal or business use but doesn’t require any licensing from the FCC for use.

That’s because power transmission on an FRS radio is limited to a maximum of 0.5W.

The GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) frequency band is also an example of a UHF radio class.

However, an FCC radio must be licensed to operate on any GMRS frequencies. This requirement is due to the frequencies involved plus the extra transmission power (up to 5W).

Many consumer-grade UHF radios combine FRS and GMRS capabilities. And this combination allows for greater flexibility in communications.

UHF radios work well for many walkie talkie users because the radio waves are shorter. Shorter waves allow them to penetrate areas of interference, such as dense urban areas or woods.

Also, some UHF walkie-talkies can handle a larger, more powerful antenna. And in general, the more powerful the antenna, the further the transmitter distance.

Examples of UHF Walkie Talkies

The Best Walkie Talkies for Kids Use A Simple Design

For young kids, simple features and easy-to-use controls are best.

Fortunately, walkie talkies built around this principle are often inexpensive. And they tend to use standard, easy to find AA or AAA batteries.

They also tend to feature large buttons and simple menus. These features help keep things from getting confusing and frustrating for kids.

But their range is often limited to only several hundred yards – though there are a few more powerful models out there.

Best Survival Walkie Talkies Are Rugged And Inexpensive

Once you outgrow the simple features of a short-range kid’s walkie talkie, it’s time to turn your attention to a rugged sports model.

Lightweight, waterproof radios with more channels and a range of up to 2 miles are popular.

They’re commonly sold in packs of 2 to 4 radios, making it easy to outfit a family with compatible units.

Best Long Range Walkie Talkies Use GMRS

What if your communication plans involve vehicle travel or coordination across vast expanses? Then you’ll need an extended range walkie talkie setup to communicate.

Unlike FRS radios, these radios use the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) frequencies. Thus, allowing them to transmit a more robust signal that can travel up to 35 miles!

Unfortunately, they’re also more expensive. This higher cost is due to the frequency range and higher-powered transmitter. Plus, GMRS requires an FCC license to operate.

Combined FRS/GMRS Walkie Talkies

What if you have multiple people coordinating over the radio?

Then you might want the flexibility that a hybrid FRS/GMRS radio. These allow you to bridge the gap between different groups.

2 – VHF Walkie Talkies

VHF (Very High Frequency) radios operate between 136-174 MHz.

The main advantage of a VHF walkie-talkie is that it can cover more distance with less power. How? Simple, VHF waves are longer.

However, two-way VHF radios work best when there’s a clear line-of-sight between the sender and receiver.

That’s why VHF radios are used almost exclusively in aviation and marine communications. Why? Because this is where you can transmit across open bodies of water or between the sky and the ground. These applications have nearly no physical obstructions.

However, VHF band walkie-talkies can still work great for open fields, golf courses, or other low obstruction situations.

Examples of VHF Walkie Talkies

MURS Walkie Talkies

Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) is also available for both business and personal use.

MURS is assigned 5 VHF frequencies (151.820, 151.880, 151.940, 154.570, 154.600), and power is limited to a maximum of 2 watts.

No license is required, and there’s no age restriction for MURS.

These are not as popular as FRS or GMRS radio. Hence, there are fewer radio models to choose from on the market.

But MURS frequencies are not as crowded; thus, MURS operators may have a little more privacy than other walkie talkie options.

Also, many MURS radios, such as the Motorola RMM2050, are designed for business use. They tend to be more rugged and durable than the typical consumer-grade FRS or GMRS radio.

MURS falls under Part 95 of the FCC rules.

HAM Radio Walkie Talkies

Amateur Radio Service (or “Ham Radio”) is for hobby and personal use.

Some amateur radios can operate on many UHF, VHF, and some HF frequencies. But the VHF frequencies are especially useful in amateur communications.

These are used extensively during search and rescue operations by HAM operators.

However, there’s a limit to the number of these frequency bands available. That’s why an FCC license is required to operate amateur radios.

There are three levels of licensing available. These levels determine which bands and frequencies an amateur operator can legally access.

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KEY FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN A RELIABLE WALKIE TALKIE

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Let’s say you’ve now decided on the type of walkie talkie that suits your needs. How do you choose between all of the various models on the market in that category?

Here are some of the top features to consider when making your selection.

Overall Transmission Range

For many users, range will be the most critical feature to consider.

Radios often list their maximum range in the specification sheet. But that should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism.

The “maximum range” is just an estimate in perfect environmental conditions. We’re talking no atmospheric interference, no obstructions, and with fully charged batteries. In the field, this is hardly ever the case.

Buildings, trees, heavy rainfall, or snow can all interfere with radio transmission ranges.

Be sure to plan for a reasonable margin of safety and find a radio with a much longer range than you think you’ll need.

That’s also why you need a good understanding of how to minimize interference. It’s a critical skill when you use your radio out in the field.

Estimated Battery Life

Walkie talkies run on all sorts of different battery types, from cheap AAs to rechargeable lithium-ion cells.

Listed battery life is also just an estimate with the following assumptions:

• 90 percent standby time
• 5 percent reception time
• 5 percent transmission time

So, if you plan to talk a LOT on your radio, expect your battery to run down much quicker than the maximum listed life.

You’ll need more batteries in this situation.

Types And Number Of Channels

Depending on the type of walkie talkie you choose, you may have a limited number of frequency options.

In a crowded area, like a ski resort or urban setting, you may find other users on those frequencies. So finding privacy may prove to be complicated.

However, some radios include privacy codes. These offer more options, but even those can be accessed by multiple users in most situations.

The bottom line is:

The more frequency and privacy code choices come at a premium, meaning a more expensive radio.

Additional Walkie Talkie Features

There are plenty of other features to consider when purchasing a walkie talkie.

Some of them are luxuries, while others are more pragmatic – let’s go over a few.

Keypad Lock

To help prevent accidental channel changes, a keypad lock is a smart feature.

It’s frustrating to switch frequencies in your pocket accidentally. That’s how you MISS a crucial message.

Backlit Display

It’s never fun to fumble with buttons in the dark, and you don’t want to have to turn on a headlamp every time.

A backlit display makes it easy to tell what you’re doing in the dark. It’ll allow you to make adjustments with minimal effort, even at night.

Belt Clip

All walkie talkies made for outdoor and long-distance use include a belt clip on the back. But not all belt clips are created equal. 

If you plan to use the belt clip to hang your walkie talkie on your survival belt, tactical belt, or a plate carrier setup, it is up to the task.

Look for durable commercial-grade plastics and a strong spring mechanism.

Preset Keys

Speaking of “easier,” preset keys allow you to store your favorite settings and can help speed things up.

Preprogram your most-used frequencies and share with the rest of the team. That way, you can adapt to a new communication plan at the push of a single button!

Microphone, Earbud, Speaker/Mic Support

Depending on how hands-free you want to be, look for a radio that supports an external mic and speaker or earbud.

This walkie talkie setup prevents the need to raise the radio to your ear every time you want to hear or talk. Thus, helping to remain discrete and hidden in evasion situations.

Weather Radio

Being able to monitor the weather is critical for many missions. So you’ll want a way to tap into the National Weather Service. This will help keep you on top of incoming storms and hazardous conditions.

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10 BEST RATED WALKIE TALKIES ON THE MARKET TODAY

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Walkie talkies are great for all sorts of activities, from time-sensitive search and rescue missions to fun hikes. Or from business communications to backyard BBQs. And everything in between.

And everyone is looking for the best walkie talkie for their specific situation. How do I know this? Because of the massive search volume and keywords online. Here’s just a small sample of walkie talkie related keywords:

best walkie talkies for kids / best walkie talkies for hunting / best walkie talkies for skiing / best walkie talkies for camping / best walkie talkies for long distance / best walkie talkies for indoor use / best walkie talkies for mountains / you get the point…

So let’s go over the best-rated walkie talkies on the market today and I’ll point out which ones are best for which activities along the way.

1 – Midland LXT600VP3, 36 Channel FRS Two-Way Radio

The Midland LXT600VP3 36-channel FRS radio is an excellent example of an entry-level FRS radio.

They’re inexpensive and are ideal for outfitting an entire family for outdoor adventures.

The Midland LXT600VP3 can operate on the included battery pack or purchased AAA batteries. So they can share batteries with other handheld electronics.

This is helpful because gear consolidation always reduces pack weight.

Best Uses: Hunting / Camping / Skiing / Most Outdoor Sports or Adventures

PROS

• Over 20 channels and 121 privacy codes help to block unwanted conversations.
• Weather Scan feature monitors NOAA weather reports to update on hazardous conditions.
• The inexpensive price point allows you to purchase enough for a group.

CONS

• Battery pack quality degrades over time – this fact can leave users with less operational time on a single charge
• Swapping to AAA batteries can alleviate the issue
• The range is generally much less than the 30 miles reported as the maximum range – using the GMRS frequencies may improve performance

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2 – BaoFeng UV-82HP Dual Band Two-Way Radio

The BaoFeng UV-82HP radio is a great low-cost HAM radio with a wide range of features.

It features a high-power 8W transmitter, which helps to boost ranges reported by some users to over 10 miles!

Plus, the commercial-grade body can withstand the rigors of daily use and keep working.

A full-featured keypad allows you to program frequencies on the fly. But you can also load all the presets via a computer link cable and Baofeng’s software. This flexibility makes it easy to update settings and add the most used channels.

It’s a full-featured HAM radio, which means that you’ll need a license to use it!

Best Uses: Hunting / Camping / Skiing / Most Outdoor Sports or Adventures

PROS

• High/Med/Low power settings allow you to conserve battery
• Dual-band capability allows you to use both UHF or VHF frequencies to best suit the situation
• And the 128 channel presets can hold all your most frequently used settings

CONS

• Many features are worthless without an FCC amateur radio license
• Some users have reported difficulty in switching to 8W high power mode

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3 – Midland GXT1000VP4 50 Channel GMRS Two-Way Radio

The Midland GXT 1000VP4 Set is perfect for all kinds of outdoor pursuits.

You can purchase them in standard packs of 2 or value packs up to 12 units. Plus, there is a wide range of accessories to can add to each radio!

It comes with 50 channels and 142 privacy codes to keep your conversations secure.

It also features Midland’s eVOX voice recognition technology. The tech allows for automatic transmission when the user speaks – without the need to press a button.

The GXT1000VP4 receives weather warnings and forecasts from the NOAA weather radio service. And it can also provide automatic audible weather alerts.

Best Uses: Hunting / Camping / Skiing / Most Outdoor Sports or Adventures

PROS

• Excellent battery performance and dual battery option
• Comes with both A/C adapter and car charger
• Automatic alerts for severe weather
• An extra headset allows for hands-free operation

CONS

• Advertised as waterproof, but the spec is only “splash proof”
• Rechargeable batteries lose efficacy over time, reducing useful operational life
• The range is dramatically less than the maximum range listed

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4 – Motorola RMU2080D On-Site 8 UHF Two-Way Radio

The Motorola RMU series is ideal for communications in construction or business settings. Places where many groups all use similar radios and need simple, easy-to-use features.

The durable construction meets military specs for water, dust, and shock resistance. The powerful speaker makes it easy to hear radio traffic over background noise.

It operates on eight pre-programmed MURS frequencies. But it also includes 99 “business exclusive” frequencies and 219 privacy codes.

These all help to ensure secure transmissions and more reliable connections.

But these features come at a price, with the RMU2080D coming in near the top of our list.

Best Uses: Business Operations / Construction Sites / Factories / Warehouses

PROS

• Durable construction meets military specifications
• MURS frequencies are generally less busy than FRS/GMRS – this reduction in traffic helps to keep conversations clear and private

CONS

• There is no specification on “business exclusive” frequencies – so it may require additional licensing to use
• Frequencies must be pre-programmed – can not program in the field without a computer

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5 – Yaesu VX-6R Tri-Band Two-Way Radio

Yaesu isn’t a household name in the US – yet…But their radios are gaining a good reputation in the amateur radio world.

The VX-6R is a great compact and durable ham radio with a full set of features.

And it’s compact enough to fit in your pocket. It also features a tri-band transmitter capable of working on 144/222/440 MHz frequency bands.

With a full keypad, you can program in the field if needed. But it also includes a link to the program via computer software.

They house all this technology in a magnesium body that’s waterproof up to 1m. So it’s more than just “splash resistant.”

Best Uses: Hunting / Camping / Skiing / Most Outdoor Sports or Adventures

PROS

• Compact and durable
• Full feature keypad for field programming
• Great tech support from the company

CONS

• Complicated menu system
• Ergonomics of button layout not the best on small form factor body

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6 – Baofeng BTECH MURS-V1 Two-Way Radio

The BTECH MURS-V1 is a solidly built radio that features the MURS frequency band. This feature means it’s capable of transmitting further in open areas than FRS radios.

It also comes pre-programmed with three banks of 5 MURS channels. Including unique privacy codes for each bank.

Each bank can be field-programmed with the keypad menu system.

Voice-activated and scanning modes make this radio more capable than most. And features like a built-in flashlight and AM/FM radio add extra versatility.

You can even monitor two incoming frequencies at once with independent push-to-talk buttons.

Best Uses: Hunting / Camping / Skiing / Most Outdoor Sports or Adventures

PROS

• MURS frequencies give more privacy and better range
• Dual-channel mode allows you to keep track of two different conversations

CONS

• Power adapters seem to be missing QC steps, occasionally needing returns/replacements
• Wear issues on volume adjustment can make control difficult after prolonged use

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7 – COBRA CXT1045R-FLT-CAMO Two-Way Radio

The CXT 1045R radio from Cobra is the right choice for any trip that involves water!

It features a fully submersible design that floats if dropped into water.

It also features a high-intensity LED flashlight that functions as an emergency strobe light.

It’s compact enough to fit in your palm but still gets a realistic 2 to 4 miles of clear reception.

It also includes weather updates from NOAA.

Plus, it has a useful replay function that records the last 20 seconds of audio. That way, you can replay any vital information if not understood during the original transmission.

Best Uses: Hunting / Camping / Skiing / But REALLY GREAT FOR Fishing or Boating

PROS

• FLOATS in water!
• Great walkie talkie radio for hunting, boating, and fishing
• 22 channels and 121 privacy codes provide plenty of options for secure transmissions

CONS

• Sound quality is not excellent, especially after being submerged
• The range is 2-4 miles, not the 37 miles advertised

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8 – Retevis H-777 Two-Way Radio

The Retevis H-777 radios are not as rugged as some other walkie talkies. But they are economical and practical.

They feature a large-capacity battery that recharges via USB. USB recharging allows you to use external battery banks or solar chargers when you’re low on power.

They work with all other FRS/GMRS radios and can support the same channels and privacy codes.

Unlike similar radios, the Retevis appears to work well in indoor settings. So they may be the right solution for warehouses and other steel structures, as well as outdoors.

Like all radios, the listed maximum range is difficult to achieve. But they tend to perform well in forested and mountainous terrain.

Best Uses: Business Operations / Construction Sites / Most Outdoor Sports or Adventures

PROS

• Inexpensive
• Performs well indoors and in steel structures (which usually reflect radio waves)
• Compatibility with other radio models is excellent

CONS

• Some users do not like the ~1-second delay on pushing transmit before the channel is open.
• The range is less than advertised
• Durability isn’t up to heavy daily use

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9 – Motorola T100TP Talkabout

The Motorola Talkabout Series is perfect for keeping in touch with a young family during any outdoor adventure.

They’re inexpensive, feature easy to use controls, and a bright LCD screen.

A keypad lock prevents accidental changes to the settings. And a flashing low battery alert draws your attention before you run out of juice entirely.

Best Uses: Great For Families with Young Kids (local events/backyard fun)

PROS

• Compatible with all FRS radios
• Runs on 3AAA batteries for easy replacement
• Effective range out to 5 miles (16 miles maximum listed range)

CONS

• The battery compartment is difficult to open
• Indoor use can dramatically reduce the overall range

10 – Midland X-Talker T20X4 Two-Way Radio

The Midland X-Talker is another excellent option for those with kids. The Midland X-Talker has kid-friendly controls and incorporates colors that kids love.

It utilizes the FRS frequencies and requires no licensing to use.

These are not high-powered radios. So don’t expect long-distance communication from them. But they work great for around the yard and in the house.

They can help teach children how to use a walkie talkie before you move on to more powerful (and expensive) options.

Best Uses: Great For Families with Young Kids (local events/backyard fun)

PROS

• Inexpensive
• Lightweight and compact
• Simple kid-friendly controls

CONS

• The range is generally less than a mile
• Battery life only 1-2 days, especially if left on continuously
• No ability to charge batteries internally; you must remove them for charging

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FINAL THOUGHTS

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When cell phone signals fade, your need to communicate does not have to follow suit.

At a bare minimum, everyone should own a hand crank radio. But for those who are serious about their adventures and backup emergency communications, it’s not nearly enough.

Reliable communication is important for everyone but especially those on search and rescue missions in the wilderness. Or if the local power goes out for an extended time during a crisis.

The bottom line is:

You need a direct two-way radio solution to communicate with your family and team.

And there are plenty of handheld walkie talkies available on the market today.
So make sure you – and everyone else in your group – have a radio that’s up to the challenges you see ahead.

Get Your Walkie Talkies. Practice. Get your licenses. Be successful when other forms of communication fail!

Jason K.

P.s. Do you know where the closest nuclear bunker is from your home?

There are a lot of natural nuclear shelters in the US that are absolutely free. And one of them is near your home.

Click here to see the Closest Natural Nuclear Bunker to Your Home?

Click on the image above to find out where you need to take shelter.

 

The post 10 Best Walkie Talkies On The Market Today [With Video Reviews] appeared first on Skilled Survival.

Those that have been hoping for some sort of a “V-shaped recovery” have had their hopes completely dashed.  U.S. workers continue to lose jobs at a staggering rate, and economic activity continues to remain at deeply suppressed levels all over the nation.  Of course this wasn’t supposed to happen now that states have been “reopening” their economies.  We were told that things would soon be getting back to normal and that the economic numbers would rebound dramatically.  But that is not happening.  In fact, the number of Americans that filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week was much higher than expected…

Weekly jobless claims stayed above 1 million for the 13th consecutive week as the coronavirus pandemic continued to hammer the U.S. economy.

First-time claims totaled 1.5 million last week, higher than the 1.3 million that economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting. The government report’s total was 58,000 lower than the previous week’s 1.566 million, which was revised up by 24,000.

To put this in perspective, let me once again remind my readers that prior to this year the all-time record for a single week was just 695,000.  So even though more than 44 million Americans had already filed initial claims for unemployment benefits before this latest report, there were still enough new people losing jobs to more than double that old record from 1982.

That is just astounding.  We were told that the economy would be regaining huge amounts of jobs by now, but instead job losses remain at a catastrophic level that is unlike anything that we have ever seen before in all of U.S. history.

With the addition of this latest number, a grand total of nearly 46 million Americans have now filed initial claims for unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

If you can read that statement and still believe that the U.S. economy is not imploding, I would like to know what you are smoking, because it must be pretty powerful.

Some of the things that we are seeing happen around the country right now are absolutely nuts.  For example, earlier this week in Kentucky it was being reported that people were waiting in line for up to 8 hours to talk with a state official face to face about their unprocessed unemployment claims…

The state police said it will be an 8 hour wait from the back of the line to speak to a state employee about unemployment. pic.twitter.com/plGONcpS6n

— Daniel Desrochers (@drdesrochers) June 17, 2020

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

By now, the U.S. economy was supposed to be roaring back to life and we were supposed to be entering a new golden age of American prosperity.

Unfortunately, the truth is that more bad economic news is hitting us on a continual basis, and that isn’t going to change any time soon.

Over the past few days, we have learned that Hilton is laying off 22 percent of its corporate staff, and AT&T has announced that it will be eliminating 3,400 jobs and closing 250 stores…

The wireless carrier AT&T is cutting 3,400 jobs and shutting down 250 stores over the next few weeks, according to a statement from the Communications Workers of America, a union representing AT&T workers.

The AT&T Mobility and Cricket Wireless retail closures will affect 1,300 jobs, while the other layoffs are said to be affecting technical and clerical workers.

Needless to say, all of these job losses are having a tremendous ripple effect throughout the economy.

Without paychecks coming in, a lot of Americans are having a really tough time paying their bills, and the Wall Street Journal is reporting that payments have already been skipped on more than 100 million loans…

Americans have skipped payments on more than 100 million student loans, auto loans and other forms of debt since the coronavirus hit the U.S., the latest sign of the toll the pandemic is taking on people’s finances.

The number of accounts that enrolled in deferment, forbearance or some other type of relief since March 1 and remain in such a state rose to 106 million at the end of May, triple the number at the end of April, according to credit-reporting firm TransUnion.

Wow.

To me, that is an almost unimaginable number, and it has become clear that a tremendous amount of pain is ahead for the financial institutions that are holding these loans.

A lot of people out there are going to keep hoping that there will be some sort of an economic rebound, but the cold, hard reality of the matter is that fear of COVID-19 is going to keep a large segment of the population from resuming normal economic activities for the foreseeable future.  And it certainly doesn’t help that the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has been steadily rising over the past couple of weeks and that the mainstream media has been endlessly warning that a “second wave” is coming.

If you doubt what I am saying, just look at what is happening to the restaurant industry.  We had started to see a small bit of improvement in the numbers, but now fear of a “second wave” has caused restaurant traffic to start cratering again…

After three months of slow but consistent improvement in restaurant dining data in the US and across the globe, in its latest update on “the state of the restaurant industry”, OpenTable today reported the biggest drop in seated restaurant diners (from online, phone and walk-in reservations) since the depth of the global shutdown in March.

As shown in the OpenTable graphic below, on Sunday, June 14, restaurant traffic suddenly tumbled, sliding from a -66.5% y/y decline as of June 13 to -78.8% globally.

This was mostly due to a sharp drop in US restaurant diners, which plunged by 13% – from -65% to -78% – the biggest one day drop since the start of the shutdown in the US, and the second biggest one day drop on record.

Business travel is another area where we are seeing signs of big trouble ahead.  The following comes from Yves Smith…

Business travel is not coming back any time soon. People are getting accustomed to Zoom. And word may also get out that domestic flying is much worse than it used to be, which will be a deterrent to those who might be so bold as to want to get on a plane. That is a fundamental blow to airlines, airport vendors, hotels, restaurants, and convention centers. Hotel occupancy in April was 24.5% which if anything seems high based on my personal datapoints. The pricings I see say that hotel operators are not expecting much if any improvement through the summer.

Like many of you, I wish that economic conditions would go back to the way they used to be, but that simply is not going to happen.

Yes, we will see economic numbers go up and down over the coming months, but a return to “the good times” is not in the cards.

And what hardly anyone realizes is that this is just the beginning of our problems, and I am working on a new project right now which will explain why this is true in great detail.

So stay tuned, because things are about to get really, really “interesting”.

About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help.  During these very challenging times, people will need hope more than ever before, and it is our goal to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as we possibly can.

The post Americans Have Already Skipped Payments On More Than 100 Million Loans, And Job Losses Continue To Escalate appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

This article was contributed by Tom Beck of Portfolio Wealth Global. 

In our opinion, a Joe Biden victory is actually what will take GOLD over $2,184/ounce, our BULL MARKET target for the metal, but a Donald Trump win is what will propel silver to CENTER STAGE. Biden will BRING BACK the middle-class preppers to buying precious metals since their confidence level WILL DROP.

Trump’s agenda is to DECOUPLE with globalization and to make American industrial capacity more independent. His economic policy inspired much confidence and in his tenure, before Covid-19 hit, precious metals sales in America ALMOST DISAPPEARED.

His plan also requires a weaker dollar, and we will GET ONE, one way or another.

COVID-19 made people FLOCK TO DOLLARS, but that was an anomaly, not the trend.

As you can see, now that NEW YORKERS, some of which are prominent Wall Street hedge fund managers, understand that COVID-19 is NOT A LETHAL PANDEMIC but a mere case of a flu-like novel virus and they UNDERSTAND the risk of a recession is DIMINISHING, are resuming normal market activity.

Similar to 2009, they are lowering cash balances, getting back in the game, and SHOWING TRUE COLORS by betting on a recovery.

Most of them are CONVINCED it will be a long one (a “U” or a “W”), but we believe THEY UNDERESTIMATE just how much red tape Trump’s administration has cut through in the past four years. The recovery will be FAST AND STRONG.

No matter who wins, but especially if Donald Trump does, there will be an IMMEDIATE OUTCRY that the election was rigged.

I cannot tell you just HOW HATED he is in the circles of the Deep State, which have run this country behind the scenes since the rise of the MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX.

When Hillary lost in 2016, it shocked the elites so badly that they have THROWN EVERYTHING at him, but he hasn’t folded.

It is almost a miracle that no attempts have been made on his life.

If he wins a second term, China will realize that the American public is supportive of his anti-globalization agenda and they will have to MILITARIZE QUICKLY.

We believe a Trump victory, therefore, will lead to high silver prices.

Either way, it is our analysis that the election will be a PIVOTAL MOMENT for this nation.

We are working on a MASSIVE-SCALED report on both candidates that has never been published before.

We intend to PULL THE CURTAIN!

This article was contributed by Lior Gantz of The Wealth Research Group. 

How much is it worth TO BE in the White House? The answer is IN THE TRILLIONS. You’re about to find out just how many trillions we’re really TALKING ABOUT.

For one, funding for municipalities will be SAFE AND SOUND since the component of minorities in the labor force of local government IS HUGE. The current administration will do anything to secure those votes and they will do so by making sure THERE ARE NO CUTBACKS, which lead to layoffs. As we know, states can’t print currency, like Washington does, so they’re HELD HOSTAGE.

The government is about to approve an infrastructure program as well. It is BIPARTISAN, which means its chief aim is to win Trump more votes from the swing voters. That’s valued at $1,000,000,000 and it will go towards roads, bridges, and crumbling pavement but will also be siphoned into 5G and Internet infrastructure.

It will not stop there. Before the elections, I expect to hear about more tax cuts for individuals, which are an additional way of spending money the government doesn’t have. At the end of the day, these are ways in which both parties intend to SECURE YOUR VOTE.

Between now and November, thanks to all of these, we anticipate another 4% rise in the spot price of gold, which will PUSH IT ABOVE the $1,800/ounce hurdle.

As you can see above, there’s an UNPRECEDENTED STIMULUS PLAN in motion since everyone understands that COVID-19 is an event that changed America and it can MOLD NEW thought habits in people; there’s  a war going on for your mind.

We really haven’t felt the BIG PAIN yet, financially speaking, and it probably won’t originate in the U.S, but in other regions that are MORE PRONE to economic weakness and will trickle to America later.

The ability to print money and increase its supply without significantly and permanently ERODING PURCHASING POWER is an entirely American phenomenon. Any other country that would have EXPENDED its currency in circulation the way Washington and the Federal Reserve have would be suffering from RAMPANT INFLATION; it is currency abuse.

As you can see, Wall Street is also COMING AROUND after seeing that COVID-19 is not a global pandemic from a health perspective, but rather a PSYCHOLOGICAL ONE.

We would have to go back and study the whole chain of events leading up to the PRESENT to truly realize how WRONG THE EXPERTS WERE, for the most part about all of it, and THEY WERE.

Remember that COVID-19 death cases are SIMPLY NOT ACCURATE.

We aren’t counting people dying FROM it, but WITH IT.

On the same token, during the time of someone’s death, he/she also has a variety of other viruses in their system, all of which are not listed as the CAUSE OF DEATH.

The medical industry IS INCENTIVIZED to list COVID-19 as the cause of death, especially with ventilators since the funding for each case reaches as high as $39k for the hospital itself.

The second wave is FAIRYTALE STUFF.

As you can see, Wall Street, which is supplied with the most accurate data, since its tentacles reach all WINGS OF GOVERNMENTS, is lowering cash levels and reentering markets.

In the chart above, it looks like they’re commencing on a buying spree similarly to how they did in 2009, but IN REALITY, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The markets aren’t cheap as a whole, as they were in 09′, but WITHIN the indices, specifically in the S&P 500 index components, many stocks have been badly hurt.

With research, we can find those that WON’T cut dividends, WON’T struggle for much longer, AREN’T overvalued, and that have UNJUSTIFIED pessimism towards them, making their share price reasonably cheap.

That’s where the 100% REBOUND GAINERS lie.

We are on the hunt!

Written by Wild Bill on The Prepper Journal.

The end of days…

Jan 1, 2000, was supposed to be the end of the world. Anyone else remember that?

It’s hard to believe that in just a few short days, the Y2K ‘disaster’ will have been 20 years ago.

I remember all the hype and hysteria surrounding it. Clocks would go haywire, planes were going to fall from the sky or get lost due to GPS issues, and your bank would lose all your “money” because of date issues. 

The run-up for Y2k started about 2-3 years ahead of time, when programmers started pointing out that the date codes in computer software wouldn’t handle the change from 99 (as in 1999) to 00 (as in 2000), as the programming would think it was 1900 instead of 2000.

…and it fizzled out

What ultimately happened? A whole lot of nothing apart from a lot of money being spent to fix the problem. 

I know people who spent a lot of personal money to purchase property for a bug-out location. We considered it, but the place we looked that was both affordable and near like-minded people we trusted was a 19-hour drive from the Metropolitan Phoenix area. Impractical, to say the least. Ultimately, we decided on a ‘shelter-in-place’ strategy.

An ounce of prevention

We stocked our pantry with food we liked and would eat, had extra water on hand (about 3 weeks’ worth of drinking water) and water filtration, and 4 cases of MREs.  We also filled both our vehicles and an extra 20 gallons of gas in case of short-term shortage. Living in the desert, there’s not much place to go that several million of my ‘neighbors’ wouldn’t have also gone to.

At the time, I was big into shooting competitions, so I’d purchase an extra case of ammo when I bought ammo for competitions. By the time Y2K came about, I had about 8k rounds of Israeli M193 and M855 ammo that I’d gotten. Sadly, I’ve used that up in the intervening decade. It was good ammo, and too bad it’s no longer imported (that I can find).

As I said, Y2K turned out to be a bust. However, it was invaluable to get me and my family thinking about preparedness and was what really started me into this area.

How about you…if you prepped for Y2K, what did you do? Were you even around for Y2K?

The post Remembering Y2K appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

A decade ago, Peter Turchin, a researcher at the University of Connecticut, said 2020 was going to be a messy year.  Now, he’s said that even though it’s already been difficult, it isn’t nearly as bad as it can get.

Turchin thinks the social upheaval is still to come, and it’ll be about the dramatic erosion of the middle class (done intentionally with the lockdowns) as money was given to wealthy elitists in large amounts with little left for the regular worker. In 2010, he predicted on Nature.com that the United States would endure major social upheaval beginning around 2020.

“Very long ‘secular cycles’ interact with shorter-term processes. In the United States, 50-year instability spikes occurred around 1870, 1920, and 1970, so another could be due around 2020,” he wrote at the time. “Records show that societies can avert disaster. We need to find ways to ameliorate the negative effects of globalization on people’s well-being.”

Those negative effects on people’s well-being are only ever amplified however, as the elites continue on their quest for world domination and the complete permanent enslavement of mankind.

COVID-19: The Biggest Psyop In Human History

“We are rapidly approaching a historical cusp, at which the U.S. will be particularly vulnerable to violent upheaval,” he wrote. “If we understand the causes, we have a chance to prevent it from happening. But the first thing we will have to do is reverse the trend of ever-growing inequality,” he said in an essay on Aeon.com.

“As a scientist, I feel vindicated,” Turchin said in the Time story recently. “But on the other hand, I am an American and have to live through these hard times.” He warned that the worst may be yet to come, as societal crises can typically last for five to 15 years.

This problem discussed by Turchin all comes back to the Federal Reserve, its owners, and their goals for the future.

Turchin says the government’s reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the wellbeing of large swaths of the American population. Many have lost their livelihoods and businesses after the government declared them “non-essential.” The government has been a leading driver of national instability to help the elitists with their end game and has made the public less likely to trust government institutions, and with good reason. As millions of Americans remain jobless, Turchin says there will be other triggers (psyops) after this. He worries tensions “may escalate all the way to a civil war.” And if they don’t the elites have plans to force it.

Be prepared, because they will not stop trying to get the NWO established. No government stands in the way, only we do. Stay alert for the next “crisis,” which will most definitely be another psyop.

It All Comes Back To The Federal Reserve: The NWO Is Being Shoved Down Our Throats

This can all end. But we have to recognize the problem, and most people are too concerned about keeping the current rigged and corrupt system in place to actually worry about their freedom and the future of their children. Once we stand together and leave the Matrix en masse, the entire system crumbles.  It needs your compliance. They need us. We do not need them. It’s going to take several more created crisis for people to figure it out, which is the worst part, and every future crisis designed to divide us and keep us dependent on the rigged system will bring us closer to the New World Order.

Robert Kiyosaki: What The Elites Don’t Want You To Know

“It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” –Henry Ford

Long-time preppers know that the Latter-day Saints were prepping well before “prepping” was a household term. Storing supplies and being ready for unexpected events has been a central philosophy to church teachings. While this is well-known, not everyone knows exactly why.

by Jolina Flowers, SHTFblog’s Expat Prepper

Mormon Preppers

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (AKA LDS Church or Mormon Church) was initially based on the prophesies and writings of Joseph Smith, who penned the Book of Mormon. Within the broad classification of the LDS religion, several branches differ, sometimes substantially, on some of the central religious beliefs.

Related article: Download the Latter-day Saints LDS Preparedness Manual

Most factions of the Mormon church emphasize self-reliance as a way of life, whether in preparation for a second Messianic coming or natural and man-made SHTF situations. Sometimes the two are overlapping. After all, preparations for Armageddon are useful in the event of economic collapse or pandemic. In fact, the Church of Jesus Christ has its own online store where you can buy ceremonial clothing as well as prepper supplies, so you can prepare for the rapture and amass your long-term food stockpiles in the same order. 

Latter-day Saints, Scripture, and Prepping

Most members back up their preparations from certain scriptures in the holy text Doctrine and Covenants, which is part of the church’s religious canon.

I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.

Doctrine and Covenants 109:8

In 2007, the Latter-day Saints distributed the pamphlet All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage to guide families in the stockpiling of food, water, and getting their finances in order. The church encourages families to have three months to a year’s supply of food and water and to be debt-free, so as not to be a burden on the church or other members during times of crisis.  

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

1 Timothy 5:8 King James’ Version

The general idea is for families to be prepared but not to go to extremes. In fact, members that have taken these precautionary words a little too much to heart have not only been reprimanded but “survivalists” have been excommunicated as well. 

Extremist Mormon Prepping

That hasn’t stopped Mormon preppers from doing their thing, though. Some extremists continue to stockpile food, water, and weapons for the “End of Days.” Even though scripturally, God will do the accounting by destroying the wicked and resurrecting the righteous (John 5:29); apparently, it doesn’t hurt to be armed to the teeth in case God calls on you to lend a hand (Revelation 20:6).

One site, run by LDS Avow, also focuses on prophecies and preparation. Part of the doctrine of this group of Latter-day Saints is that SHTF scenarios are pre-cursers to the Second Coming. So if you want to make it through to the second resurrection, then you’d better still be alive up until Armageddon.

In another case of extremism, in 2015, some parishioners were up in an uproar about the occurrence of a “blood moon” (lunar eclipse of a supermoon) being a sign that the “End of Days” was upon us. Julie Rowe, who has since been excommunicated, was one of the proponents of this blood moon being the signal of the apocalypse. 

Howard Ruff

Another outspoken survivalist who happened to be a Mormon was Howard Ruff. Not content to advocate stocking emergency supplies in preparation for future catastrophes, he was vehement in his opposition to Hilary Clinton, Jesse Jackson, and Jim Wright while supportive of Lieut. Col. Oliver North and the Contras in Nicaragua. 

Howard Ruff was also a proponent of investments in precious metals to guard against economic recession. He became a popular financial guru after his book How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years was published in 1979. Some of his credibility diminished in the 1980s when his prophecies didn’t pan out, and his portfolios under performed. 

Second Coming scenarios aside, the Latter-day Saints have made it part of their dogma to be mentally, spiritually, and physically prepared for catastrophes. As far back as Brigham Young, the policy has been “instead of searching after what the Lord is going to do for us, let us inquire what we can do for ourselves.” (Discourses of Brigham Young 293).

How Latter-day Saints Prep

Having extra food on hand became an official doctrine during the Great Depression when the church set up its own welfare program to help members who didn’t have enough to get by on. During the peak supply shortages during the Coronavirus panic in 2020, many congregations not only made sure their parishioners had enough but also checked on and supplied vulnerable non-Mormons in the area.

To that end, you’ll find Mormon Preppers posting on Pinterest and Facebook, blogging their hearts out, and selling prepper goods at conventions or online. Canning, sewing, and home gardening are recommended activities for Latter-day Saint women. Additionally, all members are encouraged to be proficient in basic first aid skills as well as learn how to protect their possessions and lives in the event of flood, fire, and theft. 

The official suggestions on how to prepare for eventualities are well-researched and moderate, for the most part. Non-Mormons can order canned goods and food storage supplies from the church store without any baptismal ceremony. And if some of the hard-core fundamentalists are doing all this prepping with an eye on the “end of the world as we know it,” well then, more power to them. 

The post Why the Latter-day Saints are Known for Prepping appeared first on SHTF blog – Modern Survival.

Making flavored butter at home isn’t something you would typically find me striving to do. Hell, making any food at home isn’t something I strive to do. But when the coronavirus pandemic hit, butter was one of those items that was hit or miss at the grocery store. Sold out one day, a few sticks in stock the next. Butter wasn’t as hard to find as toilet paper and hand sanitizer, but finding it wasn’t a sure bet either.

by Derrick James, SHTFblog founder and blogger at Prepper Press

Butter Sold Out Everywhere

With the pandemic, and subsequent closure of so many restaurants, suddenly everyone was cooking at home. Flour was sold out. Sugar was sold out. Butter was sold out.

“No buddah!?” I said to myself, angrily. That anger was in part aimed at myself. As a prepper, I knew I needed a backup plan to all things. Being out of butter was partly my own fault. I wouldn’t let this happen again!

Enter the Kilner Butter Churner.

What’s even more rare than finding me making something in the kitchen is actually buying something for the kitchen. I know everyone has their own must-have prepper cooking products, but never would I have thought that a butter churner would be one – until I needed one!

The Amazon reviews on this churner were strong, and the churner didn’t disappoint. Construction seemed solid. All it would take to make fresh butter was this churner, some heavy cream, and a few minutes of cranking.

Of course, when everyone rushes the grocery store in a panic and buys up all of the butter, it’s entirely possible that heavy cream will be sold out as well – but not as likely as butter itself.

Why a Butter Churner?

Why did I splurge for a butter churner when I could just wait until butter is back in stock? A few reasons.

For starters, nothing is going to stand in the way of my and my buddah. And let’s face it, when there is no butter available, most people don’t then think, “Oh, I’ll just go get some heavy cream and make my own.”

Second, being a prepper, I know that two is one and one is none; i.e. redundancy is the key to preparedness. This was proven as fact before my butter churner. When the butter was out (one) I had none. But with the churner, I now had another option (butter or heavy cream = 2). Thus, my “two” became “one” – butter!

Third, there was another added benefit to owning a butter churner – I could make flavored butter! Salted butter? No problem. Garlic butter? You bet. Cinnamon and honey butter – that’s what I made!

Making Flavored Butter from a Churner

Making flavored butter is my kind of recipe – easy! The ingredients come after the butter, however, and making that butter was as easy as setting the cream out for a few hours to reach room temperature.

I poured a full carton of heavy cream into the jar and began cranking. The directions indicated I could have butter after ten minutes of cranking. That sounded like it would be an eternity of spinning the handle, but it went surprisingly fast, only… no butter! Nothing seemed to be happening. Then I checked the directions again, felt the jar, and yep – it was cool to the touch. The cream had not reached room temperature.

I set the jar back down and walked away for probably another thirty minutes or so. Then when I came back it felt room temperature. I started cranking again and voila! I had butter in probably seven minutes of cranking.

What happens here is the cream begins to thicken, then it becomes very thick and slightly harder to turn, and just a short bit later, the milk separates from the butter. This milk is like skim milk, only it’s buttermilk, so you are not losing any product there so long as you can make use of it.

Next, you dump the milk out, then squeeze and mash the butter extracting whatever remaining milk that you can. You pour cold water over the butter, then mash some more. Eventually you’ve extracted as much milk as you can and you’re now either done (if you want plain unsalted butter), or you mash in your ingredients for flavored butter.

Making Cinnamon and Honey Butter

I wanted butter for toast, so I added a pinch of sea salt, a heavy pinch of ground cinnamon, and a few ounces of honey.

I mixed and mashed some more until all of the ingredients were thoroughly mixed in. Then a pushed it into a glass container and it was ready for the fridge.

Homemade Butter Taste Test

The next morning I had toast with homemade cinnamon and honey butter! It was good. I wasn’t astounded, but it did taste like toast with butter, cinnamon, and sugar, so the fact that it seemed comparable to store-bought butter seemed like a win to me. My mission of having butter redundancy was a success, and really, making it was not a big deal.

Have you made your own butter or had experience with the Kilner Butter Churner? Alternatively, how do you account for butter in your preparedness plans? Let me know in the comments section.

The post How to Make Flavored Butter at Home appeared first on SHTF blog – Modern Survival.

This article was contributed by Tom Beck of Portfolio Wealth Global. 

The U.S. dollar is, WITHOUT A DOUBT, a weapon at this point. The Federal Reserve uses it to PROP UP American businesses, mostly with the thought in mind that ANYTHING IS BETTER than seeing a debt deflation.

It’s true; a debt-deflation would lead to riots ONE HUNDRED TIMES worse than the ones you’re currently seeing. A debt deflation would lead to MARTIAL LAW, to curfews, to ROBBED ATM machines, to a WORLD OF PAIN, so you know the central bank cannot let this happen.

In the movie The Godfather, the head of the family Michael Corleone is confronted by his wife and mother of his children, Katherine “Kay” Corleone, saying she doesn’t love him and that she wants to take his children from his house and raise them on her own. He tells her that “He will use all of his resources and power to stop that.” It’s a powerful scene.

To Jerome Powell, a debt deflation is what taking children from their father is to Al Pacino’s character. He will turn heaven and earth before he lets it happen.

This is the reason the system IS BROKEN. It can’t undergo recessions and slowdowns; TOO MUCH DEBT allows it to work only in boom times.

The world is too divided to DECIDE ON a new monetary structure, so when China finally HAS ENOUGH of American currency dominance, THE SEPARATION will be like an earthquake.

My analysis doesn’t show the Yuan becoming the new reserve currency, but that China will be able to persuade ITS BLOCK OF COUNTRIES – which give more of their allegiance to China than they do to the U.S. – to trade in a basket of Chinese-led currencies/commodities.

The dollar will NOT CEASE being the world reserve currency, but it will have competition.

As can be seen above, the number of bankruptcies IS INCREASING; no doubt Covid-19’s economic damage has been PAPERED OVER, but you can’t bail out everyone – it’s NOT POSSIBLE.

This will put additional pressure on government and central banks – more stimulus packages WILL FOLLOW.

This crisis has hit both the young and the elderly, FINANCIALLY SPEAKING (check it above).

It mostly hurt the ALREADY-STRUGGLING, who are laid off more quickly since they’re replaceable. And if a competitor recruits them, it doesn’t create long-lasting damage.

For America, Covid-19 will be remembered as the crisis in which the Federal Reserve showed what it means to be ALL-IN, and I believe this will change how investors view future crises.

The reason I say that is because from now on, the focus will no longer be on the Federal Reserve, but on the DEBT OVERHANG that its programs create. It will be considered a given that the central bank fixes market issues, but the debate will revolve around the unintended consequences of their policies.

Central banks have entered a NEW ERA. They will need to prove that their actions don’t create UNSOLVABLE problems for countries.

Everyone understands now that central banks simply print currency; nothing fancy about it… they are just COUNTERFEITERS WITH A LICENSE.