Having a stockpile of food will keep you thriving during an emergency or disaster. In most cases, canned and dry foods will last a couple years at most. Although this might suffice for some preppers, freeze dried meals are the ultimate best case scenario. Why? Freeze dried food completely locks out moisture, is fully prepared and has a shelf life of up to 25 years. Yes, 25 years!

This means no more rotating out cans and boxes every couple, checking expiration dates and replenishing food that is no longer good. Let’s be honest, life gets busy and rotating your stockpile can easily get lost in the to-do list. The last thing you want is to attempt replenishing when you hear the warning alert of a possible disaster. Having a weeks worth of freeze dried meals is a wise investment.

Best Ways To Store Your Supply

Freeze dried foods should be kept in a climate control location to maintain freshness. Most cans are sustainable for 25 years and pouches up to 7-30 years (depending on the brand). Because the packaging is vacuum sealed and moisture has no way in, they are safe from bacteria and mold. The weight of freeze dried foods is minimal, making this a very good option when on the move, camping or only able to pack what you can carry.

The most convenient part of these meals is that all you need is a pot and water and voila, a full meal awaits you! Be mindful that many freeze dried meals are pretty high in sodium so drink plenty of water and try to balance the nutrition with low or no sodium foods.

Some of our favorite freeze dried meals include:

• • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Stews
  • Meats
  • Rice and grains
  • Spaghetti with sauce
  • Eggs
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Potatoes
  • Nori (seaweed)
  • Ration food bars
  • Soups

Top 3 Stockpile Brands

We recommend checking out various brands. Do some taste testing before investing too much. Purchase a pouch or two of different brands to test. This may be more expensive than purchasing in bulk, but you’ll learn what you like. We have a few well known brands that we recommend:

1. Mountain House is a very well known and reputable brand with a large variety of meals. When you purchase in bulk, the cost is much more affordable than individually packaged meals. Many enjoy the not overly seasoned taste while others complain of an odd texture. Each meal contains about 10-15 grams of protein which is solid. Mountain House also prides themselves in their 30-year shelf life.The best part in our opinion, they offer desserts. Who doesn’t want dessert in stressful survival situation?
2. Good-to-Go is a unique brand that is highly focused on healthy options. They offer meal options for both vegetarian and vegan diets and all of their meals are preservatives and gluten free. This does however come with a cost, as the shelf life is not quite as extensive as Mountain House. Due to the lack of preservatives, these meals have a 4 year shelf life. The meal choices are certainly more limited but since they focus on quality, it is often not complained about by health nuts.
3. Backpackers Pantry is another great option for your freeze dried meals. The brand offers healthy options and some desserts. They are known for their tasty variety of meal selection while focusing on quality ingredients. Backpackers Pantry promises MSG free foods and is decently affordable against competitors.

All of these brands are available on Amazon. We encourage you to check out some of the user reviews and if you have experience with any freeze dried meals, share them with our community of preppers!

Bank of America strategist is warning that we should enjoy 2019 right now, while we still can.  A note led by top strategist Michael Hartnett, says investors will have to grapple with the long-running bull market as it limps into 2020 because the “big top is coming down.”

“We are bullish on risk assets in 2019 as bearish investor sentiment and the irrationality of central banks and bond markets allow an ‘overshoot’ in credit and equity prices,” he wrote. “We are bearish on risk assets in 2020 as recession/policy impotence/bond bubble risks induce Big Top in credit and equities.”

“The 2020s are likely to witness a more forceful attempt to create inflation,” he said. “Even the slightest sign of success will lead to dramatic rotation… away from the deflationary winners of the 2010s to the inflationary losers.” But Hartnett says stocks could still rise too.

Bank of America issued a similar ominous warning back in July.  Back then, Hartnett and chief economist, Ethan Harris wrote a piece on the law of large numbers, arguing that an ever-expanding list of uncertainties would likely undercut the markets going into year-end. At the time, the main concerns were the trade war, a hawkish Fed, Brexit, Quitaly, and Iran oil sanctions.  Bank of America once again warns a similar set of concerns could come to a head and halt the current rally in global equity markets.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-07-21/bank-america-enjoy-it-while-it-lasts

BofA economists are becoming concerned that the tariffs are permanent, and that there will be no de-escalation of the trade war.  That means higher prices for a majority of goods and services are here to stay at a time when many Americans struggle to make ends meet. According to ZeroHedge, the deadline for avoiding auto tariffs is mid-November. Additionally, there is a steady drift toward some kind of currency war: in the form of either countervailing duties or outright intervention. Countries that benefit from production shifting out of China, including Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, could face at least a serious threat of US tariffs.

Economic expert Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse Blog and Barbara Fix, author of Survival: Prepare Before Disaster Strikes, address the whys and the hows of getting prepared for the coming crisis in their new book.  Topics include looming economic collapse, Ebola, drought and increasing weather-related disasters, our extremely vulnerable power grid, civil unrest, and practical steps for storing food and supplies that you will need.  Get Prepared Now! walks readers through survival in a short-term or protracted crisis whether in the city or the country with budget-friendly advice

Welcome the spring with newly germinated seedlings using only egg cartons and shells!

RELATED: How To Raise Quail For Eggs And Meat

In this article:

1. Using Eggshells to Start Your Seeds
2. Using Egg Cartons to Start Your Seeds

Learn How to Use Egg Carton and Shells to Grow Seeds

Using Eggshells to Start Your Seeds

If you have an empty egg carton material lying around, you can use it to begin growing your garden. Now is the right time to do so as spring is just around the corner.

In this blog post, you will learn two methods on how to do it.

Let’s begin with eggshells. The great thing about this project is nothing ever goes to waste.

The eggshells will hold the healthy plant while the empty egg carton box can keep the shells in place and safe.

Once the seed starts to germinate and grow, you can plant the entire shell into the soil. The shell may also help provide additional nutrients to the plant.

Directions:

1. Save your eggshells. Rinse them, so they won’t become sticky or smelly.
2. Add soil to the eggshells. You want to be sure to use seed-starting soil. This is a lighter soil that allows the root system to grow freely through the plant so it becomes strong and healthy.
3. Add the seeds to the soil and slightly push down just until it covers fully the seeds. Make sure you don’t push them too deep. Otherwise, it will take longer for your seedlings to germinate.
4. Water your seeds preferably with a spritzer bottle, especially for very small ones, so it doesn’t push the seeds too deep into the soil. Keep the soil moist but not soaked. Carefully poke a tiny hole perhaps with a nail at the bottom of the eggshell for water drainage.
5. If you really want to give your seeds a jump start, place the eggshells in plastic egg cartons, which act as mini-greenhouses, and put the lid on. Once your seeds sprout, remove the lid so mold does not develop.
6. Put them in a sunny window and enjoy watching them grow.

What Is a Greenhouse? It is a structure that can help protect the plants from environmental elements and regulate warm temperature.

If your weather is ready for planting, then put the plant into the soil, eggshell and all!

RELATED: 10 Gardening Tips And Tricks You Can Use Right Now!

Using Egg Cartons to Start Your Seeds

If you find using eggshells a hassle or you don’t have them, go straight with egg cartons. They will still help you germinate seeds inside your home.

Materials:

• Paper egg carton
• Potting soil
• Seeds
• Toothpicks
• Plastic wrap

Note: You can use the dimples within the egg cartons as individual seed-starter pots.

Directions:

1. Take an empty cardboard egg carton and poke a small hole in the bottom of each dimple to allow for water drainage.
2. Fill each individual dimple with seed-starting soil.
3. Plant seeds according to the planting-depth instructions (found on the back of the packet) in each individual dimple.
4. Mist with water regularly keeping the soil moist (but not soaked). You may want to keep the carton on a plate so the water doesn’t go everywhere.
5. To give extra warmth and humidity (if needed), cover the top of the egg carton with plastic wrap, which can work as a little tent. To prop it up, position toothpicks in the middle of the clear egg carton.
6. Place the carton in a sunny spot and watch the plants grow!
7. Once the seeds start to sprout, cut apart the individual dimples and plant the seedlings straight into your prepared garden or pot. There is no need to remove the sprouting seed from the carton—just plant the whole thing!

Check out this video from eHow Garden to learn more about how to plant seeds in egg cartons:

There you have it — two easy, earth-friendly, and cheap egg cartons crafts you can do today. All you need to do is save some of the eggshells from cooking.

Once the weather is right, start planting and let the shells supply the nutrients.

Have you tried growing seeds from egg cartons? Tell us about it in the comments section below!

UP NEXT: 

• 20 Survival Gardening Plants For Spring
• 12 Budget Friendly Must-Haves For Every Beginner Gardener
• Container Gardening Tips For Preppers And Survivalists

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 20, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

Since the end of the last recession, the outlook for the U.S. economy has never been as dire as it is right now.  Everywhere you look, economic red flags are popping up, and the mainstream media is suddenly full of stories about “the coming recession”.  After several years of relative economic stability, things appear to be changing dramatically for the U.S. economy and the global economy as a whole.  Over and over again, we are seeing things happen that we have not witnessed since the last recession, and many analysts expect our troubles to accelerate as we head into the final months of 2019.

We should certainly hope that things will soon turn around, but at this point that does not appear likely.  The following are 28 signs of economic doom as the pivotal month of September begins…

#1 The U.S. and China just slapped painful new tariffs on one another, thus escalating the trade war to an entirely new level.

#2 JPMorgan Chase is projecting that the trade war will cost “the average U.S. household” $1,000 per year.

#3 Yield curve inversions have preceded every single U.S. recession since the 1950s, and the fact that it has happened again is one of the big reasons why Wall Street is freaking out so much lately.

#4 We just witnessed the largest decline in U.S. consumer sentiment in 7 years.

#5 Mortgage defaults are rising at the fastest pace that we have seen since the last financial crisis.

#6 Sales of luxury homes valued at $1.5 million or higher were down five percent during the second quarter of 2019.

#7 The U.S. manufacturing sector has contracted for the very first time since September 2009.

#8 The Cass Freight Index has been falling for a number of months.  According to CNBC, it fell “5.9% in July, following a 5.3% decline in June and a 6% drop in May.”

#9 Gross private domestic investment in the United States was down 5.5 percent during the second quarter of 2019.

#10 Crude oil processing at U.S. refiners has fallen by the most that we have seen since the last recession.

#11 The price of copper often gives us a clear indication of where the economy is heading, and it is now down 13 percent over the last six months.

#12 When it looks like an economic crisis is coming, investors often flock to precious metals.  So it is very interesting to note that the price of gold is up more than 20 percent since May.

#13 Women’s clothing retailer Forever 21 “is reportedly close to filing for bankruptcy protection”.

#14 We just learned that Sears and Kmart will close “nearly 100 additional stores” by the end of this year.

#15 Domestic shipments of RVs have fallen an astounding 20 percent so far in 2019.

#16 The Labor Department has admitted that the U.S. economy actually has 501,000 less jobs than they previously thought.

#17 S&P 500 earnings per share estimates have been steadily falling all year long.

#18 Morgan Stanley says that the possibility that we will see a global recession “is high and rising”.

#19 Global trade fell 1.4 percent in June from a year earlier, and that was the biggest drop that we have seen since the last recession.

#20 The German economy contracted during the second quarter, and the German central bank “is predicting the third quarter will also post a decline”.

#21 According to CNBC, the S&P 500 “just sent a screaming sell signal” to U.S. investors.

#22 Masanari Takada is warning that we could soon see a “Lehman-like” plunge in the stock market.

#23 Corporate insiders are dumping stocks at a pace that we haven’t seen in more than a decade.

#24 Apple CEO Tim Cook has been dumping millions of dollars worth of Apple stock.

#25 Instead of pumping his company’s funds into the stock market, Warren Buffett has decided to hoard 122 billion dollars in cash.  This appears to be a clear indication that he believes that a crisis is coming.

#26 Investors are selling their shares in emerging markets funds at a pace that we have never seen before.

#27 The Economic Policy Uncertainty Index hit the highest level that we have ever seen in the month of June.

#28 Americans are searching Google for the term “recession” more frequently than we have seen at any time since 2009.

The signs are very clear, but unfortunately we live at a time when “normalcy bias” is rampant in our society.

If you are not familiar with “normalcy bias”, the following is how Wikipedia defines it…

The normalcy bias, or normality bias, is a belief people hold when considering the possibility of a disaster. It causes people to underestimate both the likelihood of a disaster and its possible effects, because people believe that things will always function the way things normally have functioned. This may result in situations where people fail to adequately prepare themselves for disasters, and on a larger scale, the failure of governments to include the populace in its disaster preparations. About 70% of people reportedly display normalcy bias in disasters.^[1]

For most Americans, the crisis of 2008 and 2009 is now a distant memory, and the vast majority of the population seems confident that brighter days are ahead even if we must weather a short-term economic recession first.  As a result, most people are not preparing for a major economic crisis, and that makes us extremely vulnerable.

In 2008 and 2009, the horrible financial crisis and the bitter recession that followed took most Americans completely by surprise.

It will be the same this time around, even though the warning signs are there for all to see.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

The post 28 Signs Of Economic Doom As The Pivotal Month Of September Begins appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog.

A new study has discovered that we are far more dependent on America’s great debt creation machine than most of us would have ever dared to imagine.  Today, debt is involved in most of our major transactions.

In order to purchase a home, most of us go into debt.  The same thing is true when most of us buy a vehicle.  Total credit card debt is well over a trillion dollars, and total student loan debt is now over a trillion and a half dollars.  Corporate debt has more than doubled since the last financial crisis, state and local governments are absolutely drowning in debt and unfunded pension liabilities, and the federal government is more than 22 trillion dollars in debt.  The Federal Reserve and the “too big to fail” banks are at the core of this insidious debt-based system, and it has been systematically destroying the bright future that our children and our grandchildren were supposed to have.  But if we suddenly turned off America’s great debt creation machine at this point, our entire economic system would totally collapse because we have become so dependent on it.  In fact, a study that was just conducted by Bloomberg discovered that “gross domestic product per capita would plunge into negative territory” if the ability to borrow was suddenly removed…

The nation’s health as measured by gross domestic product per capita would plunge into negative territory without its dependence on borrowed money, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

In fact, the U.S. would fall almost to the bottom of a ranking of 114 economies by GDP per capita. Only Italy, Greece and Japan would fare worse. That’s a seismic shift from America’s comfortable No. 5 spot on a list based on conventional measures.

Our massively inflated debt-fueled standard of living is completely and utterly dependent on the continual creation of more debt.

In essence, this study found that without debt we wouldn’t have much of an economy at all.  In fact, Bloomberg says that U.S. per capita income would collapse from $66,900 a year to “negative $4,857”…

To get this somewhat dystopian measure, Bloomberg took each economy’s 2020 GDP as projected by the International Monetary Fund as a starting point. We then adjusted the number by removing the ability to borrow, while adding reserves to create an alternative wealth measure.

U.S. per capita income of $66,900 would be slashed to a negative $4,857 using this measure. That’s a total loss of almost $72,000 for every man, woman and child.

So the only thing keeping us from complete and total economic collapse is the fact that debt is flowing like wine.

But what would happen if some sort of major national crisis erupted someday and all of a sudden everyone was afraid to lend money?

That is something to think about, because such a scenario may be a whole lot closer than many people might think.

As it stands, we appear to be on the precipice of the worst economic downturn since the last financial crisis, and our trade war with China just went to an entirely new level as the month of September began…

The biggest reason for last week’s torrid stock market rally was rekindled “optimism” that the escalating trade war between the US and China may be on the verge of another ceasefire following phone conversations, fake as they may have been, between the US and Chinese side. This translated into speculation that a new round of tariffs increases slated for this weekend may not take place or be delayed.

However, that did not happen, and with no trade deal in sight, at 12:00am on Sunday, the Trump administration slapped tariffs on $112 billion in Chinese imports, the latest escalation in a trade war that’s ground the global economy to a halt, sent Germany into a recession, and given the market an alibi to keep rising because, wait for it, “a trade deal is imminent.”

Only, it isn’t, and 1 minute later, at 12:01am EDT, China retaliated with higher tariffs being rolled out in stages on a total of about $75 billion of U.S. goods. The target list strikes at the heart of Trump’s political support – factories and farms across the Midwest and South at a time when the U.S. economy is showing signs of slowing down.

The Chinese knew that these tariffs were about to go into effect, and so they were ready and waiting to retaliate just one minute later.

Of course, many U.S. companies will be hit extremely hard by these tariffs that the Trump administration just implemented.  The following comes from CNBC…

That means that when an electronics company imports a TV, or a smart speaker, or a drone from China starting September 1, it will have to pay a 15% tax to the U.S. government.

Eventually, this will end up raising prices on gadgets and other products for people in the United States, said Bronwyn Flores, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Tech Association (CTA), a trade group that represents 2,000 different companies in the electronics industry, including brands like Apple and LG and retailers like Walmart and Best Buy.

Basically, people are not going to be able to buy as much stuff during the holiday shopping season, and overall economic activity will be slower than it otherwise would have been.

Meanwhile, President Trump continues to sound hopeful that trade talks with China will bear fruit…

President Donald Trump said trade talks with Beijing are still planned for September after a new round of tariffs went into effect on Sunday.

“We are talking to China, the meetings in September, that hasn’t changed,” Trump told reporters Sunday on the White House South Lawn after returning from Camp David.

These sorts of comments helped stabilize the financial markets last week, but if there was any hope that a trade agreement was imminent we would not have seen both sides impose new tariffs on Sunday.

And now we are moving into the month that is traditionally the worst for Wall Street.  The following comes from Fox Business…

Investors may breathe a sigh of relief that August, typically a volatile month for stocks, is over, but history shows that September could be even worse for Wall Street.

Since 1950, September has been the worst month for the S&P 500 Index, which has dropped, on average, 0.5% during the month, a phenomenon referred to as the September effect. According to Dow Jones market data, the average decline of the Dow Jones Industrial Average in September is 1%, while the Nasdaq Composite generally sees an average fall of 0.5%.

We shall see what this September brings.  Certainly things are really shaky on Wall Street right now, and any piece of really bad news is likely to set off another wave of panic.

Without a doubt, the market is more primed for a crash than it has been at any point since 2008, and it definitely will not take much to make this a “September to remember”…

There is more benefits to creating homemade bug spray than just removing harmful chemicals from your life. Sure, DIY cleaning and pesticides are way better than those mixed up in large vats but what if that bug spray finds its way into our survival kits?

RELATED STORY

Killer Bugs: Keep Disease Carrying Insects and Parasites Out

What Your Kit is Missing

There are two common sense items that many people overlook when preparing a kit. This kit could be a bugout bag or even a simple survival kit.

While you might have the high speed water filter, multiple methods for starting fire, a simple and effective shelter and maybe you even have something like a frog gig for procuring food, what are you missing?

Many people don’t think about bug spray. In fact, sunscreen and homemade bug spray are often overlooked because they don’t sell them in “tacticool” containers that attach to MOLLE or slip onto a gun rail. We get a little full of ourselves in the survival and prepping world.

That high powered AR15 cannot protect you from the effects of sleep deprivation, if you are up swatting mosquitoes all night.

Dealing with bugs is not a joke and it can go way beyond discomfort and sleep loss. Still, many people build bugout bags that are void of a means to keep the bugs away.

Disease and Discomfort of Dealing with Bugs

While ticks, chiggers and mosquitoes might seem like a nuisance and nothing more, they can carry disease. These diseases can range in severity but some of the worst can really wreak havoc on the human body.

Ever heard of malaria? While not a problem in the US, this mosquito borne disease infected 220 million people last year and killed 435,000. We have our own problems in the US with things like Lyme’s Disease and a growing list of mosquito borne illnesses.

The scariest thing about Lyme’s Disease is that its misdiagnosed regularly. People can go decades without understanding their affliction.

Keep these little monsters at bay, and the diseases they carry, with this homemade bug spray recipe.

Homemade Bug Spray Recipe

When it comes to homemade bug spray, it doesn’t get much easier than this. Honestly, this is a mix up and spray recipe. The base is vodka and that goes a long way with deterring bugs. The addition of the essential oils also helps with that.

Whether you decide to use the coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable glycerin is up to you. Just understand that you need something to smooth this out. You will have problems if you spend all day spraying alcohol on your skin or your kids’ skin.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ Cup of vodka
• ¼ Cup of water
• 1 TBSP of fractionated coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable glycerin
• 50 Drops of lavender essential oil
• 1 TSP of pure vanilla extract

PROCESS

This mix all goes into a spray bottle or a mason jar and can be shook to combine. That is literally the entire process!

Interesting fact about vanilla: Gnats, flies and mosquitoes among many other bugs, hate the smell of vanilla.

How to Store or Pack your DIY Homemade Bug Spray

When we are talking about long term storage for this spray you could keep it in that mason jar. The alcohol base will hold this mix for a long time. However, you should keep it out of direct sunlight. The oils will not last forever and direct sun will only shorten shelf life.

Now, you do not want to carry around a big spray bottle in your backpack. There are a couple ways to put this mix to use.

1. You could find a small vile with a spray top. Something like a little cologne bottle would work well. Some hand sanitizers work this way as well. The smaller and more compact the better. Just be sure you have some sort of safety or lid to avoid spraying it all into your bag.
2. You could take small squares of cloth (old shirt or shemagh cut up) and place them into a Ziploc. Pour some of your homemade bug spray into the Ziploc bag to coat the cloth. Don’t add a bunch of extra liquid to the bag but use enough to get them wet. Now these can be used as wipes to apply.

Pack up your homemade bug spray and take it on your next adventure. Or add it to your bugout bags, get home bags and anywhere else you might need it. You’ll be prepared to keep those buzzing and biting creatures at bay.

For the most recent copy of Survivor’s Edge or American Frontiersman or to subscribe, go to OutdoorGroupStore.com.

There’s nothing like the sweetness of honey, and when SHTF you can sustain yourself with a supply of it. Beekeeping gives us many useful products and food, including honey and beeswax. Beeswax is used for both candles and soap, and honey has dozens of uses.

Bees are the Livestock for Serious Preppers

While bees are much smaller than the animal livestock that come to mind, they produce many products that are useful and can be kept in storage for years.

1. Hives do not take up much space. This makes it sustainable as far as land use. Bees pollinate all flowering plants. If you have a hive and a garden, the garden has nearby pollinators to keep vegetables growing throughout the growing season.
2. Honey is the perfect food and can last for centuries. A good, healthy hive can produce 50 pounds of honey. When supermarkets close, and sugar and sweeteners are hard to come by, a reliable source of honey will be valuable. Honey is a great source of calories if you are ever in a situation where food is scarce. It boosts the immune system and can be used in canning and baking.
   There are primarily two different kinds of honey that beekeepers harvest from their hives. The most common type of honey is liquid honey extracted from the comb. This is easily extracted with centrifuge equipment called an extractor. Most beekeepers use ready-made extractors, but some make their own.
   The second form of honey produced is known as comb honey. This is when the honey is left within the original wax combs. Comb honey is a lot less common than liquid honey, but many people prefer the more natural flavor.
3. Beeswax provides light and soap. This can be used to make slow burning candles perfect for grid down situations. Beeswax can also be used in soaps and this soap lasts longer. Beeswax helps to waterproof leather and other textures that have to be out in weather.

Bees For Healing

There are medicinal properties to honey that go far beyond allergy prevention. Propolis is the glue that bees make to repair and weatherproof their hives. This has antibiotic properties that can be used to fight infection. And some research indicates that propolis also has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and wound healing properties. Propolis can be collected from hives and needed when pharmacy shelves are bare.

Bee pollen is one of the most complete and compact foods in nature. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes. It’s been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to boost energy, fight acne, fight depression, improve blood pressure and aid in digestion. Install pollen traps on your hives to collect the left-over pollen.

How to Start a Beehive

1. Bees can usually be kept anywhere, but be sure to check with local county regulations. Rural preppers will have less trouble finding a convenient spot for a hive. Suburban preppers can keep a hive in the backyard. A small fence is recommended as a precaution to keep kids and pets away. You want bees to fly higher past an obstacle such as a fence, so a stream of bees won’t go into your neighbor’s face.
2. Check with surrounding neighbors before getting started. If anyone has a big problem with your plan, this is the time to resolve issues. Some people are deathly allergic to bees, so you may have to reconsider. Set up in another location with a friend or family member, and offer to share the benefits.
3. Buy or build the beehive. Beehives are available on Amazon or your local beekeepers organization can help you. Beehives can be made from a variety of materials.
4. Buy necessary equipment. This includes a queen catcher, bee smoker, bee feeders, and other accessories that you will learn more about as you get into beekeeping.
5. Purchase safety gear such as a beekeeper suit. This will include a hat, veil, safety footwear and gloves.
6. Purchase bees for the new colony. Make sure you buy these bees are from a reputable source. Your orders should be placed by February at the latest. Apiaries will begin shipping orders in March and April, depending on your location. Most will ship with the United States Postal Service. The queen bee will come in a separate container. The rest of the bees will be feeding on a sugar solution while they are being shipped.

Installing Bees into the New Hive

Step 1 – Meet your bees
Before opening the package, spray some sugar syrup outside of the box to prevent the bees from flying around. Make sure your smoker is lit and smoking nicely. You may not need it as the bees will be docile from transportation, but you want to be safe just in case. Pry open the box with your hive tool and dislodge the bees by vigorously shaking the package.

Step 2 – Remove the queen
If your bee package has the queen in a separate cage, leave the queen until after all bees have been installed in the hive.

Step 3 – Remove hive frames
Remove some frames from the top of the hive. The number of frames to remove and the placement for the false bottom will depend on the size of your new colony.

Usually, it is recommended to place the false bar about 10 bars from the front of the hive. This way you can establish a brood nest right in front of the hive.

Step 4 – Put the bees in the hive
Empty the package into the hive through the opening. This is where your bee brush or feather will come in handy. Scatter any clusters around the bee cage and ensure that all bees are transferred from the package into the hive.

Additional Notes after Installing Bees

• Don’t touch the hive for at least a week. The bees need time to accept the queen. If the queen has been released from her cage, then she has been fully accepted by the colony. If not, you may need to give the hive a helping hand.
• Keep the feeder full during this time.
• Bees will be very confused and fly haphazardly. In no time they will adjust and become more coordinated.
• When you notice undertaker bees taking out the dead bees, then you’ll know that the colony is doing well. Also, look out for bees gathering pollen, this is another sign that the colony is thriving.

After a successful installation, you’ll need to give the bees time to adapt to their surroundings. Inspect the hive and ensure that they have started gathering pollen and nectar. They should begin to build the comb.

Starting a Hive without Buying Bees

If you are going to catch bees in the wild to start your own hive, the easiest swarms to collect are bees on tree branches. All you really need to do is cut the branch and gently place or shake the branch inside a container.

Bees on a fence post or flat surface are not that easy to collect. You will need to guide the bees into the box by brushing them gently with a bee brush or cardboard. They can also be guided to the container by using a smoker to direct and encourage them to move in the opposite direction.

Using a smoker will entail spraying the box with a sugar and water solution to attract the bees and keep them in the container. Then placing the smoker in the direction that you DON’T want the bees to go. Sometimes using more than one smoker may be necessary to get the swarm where you want them.

To transfer the bees from the container to your hive, gently shake the container and give them a nudge. Make sure the hive is ready to receive the new bees.

Don’t forget to wear safety clothing. Also, it’s a good idea to take a smoker on your bee collection adventure so that you can calm any ill-tempered bees down. Basically, follow the rest of the steps the same way to get the bees and the queen used to your hive.

Bees are not as aggressive as their reputation often lends them to be. Bees tend to focus on their roles in their colony. Beekeeping does require a bit of work and a new skill set. But, if it fits your lifestyle, this could one day prove to be one of your most valuable preps.

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

If you have a squash bug (SB) or squash vine borer (SVB) problem, it can be a big problem. Some areas have even greater trouble due to increased season length and mild winters.

Despite SB’s greater versatility, I hate SVB even more. It’s utterly devastating, and requires much more attention ahead of time, because once the plant wilts, it’s pretty much too late.

Even if you’re not growing yet and don’t have any problems, push through this one anyway, just in case. You’ll need the fixes and preventatives on hand ahead of time.

Recognize the Enemy

SVB is a moth larvae that chews into and then up through vines of susceptible cucurbits. The plant suddenly wilts, then dies. It limits its destruction to cucurbits and doesn’t usually bother thin-stemmed melons or thin-stemmed gourds.

The SB is a beetle, and spawns freakish little spidery babies that go through green and gray stages. In addition to munching all kinds of plants, they spread disease. There are similar-looking pests with very similar control and prevention difficulties.

The eggs are the best identifier ahead of time. SB lay tight, regular patterns. SVB lay fewer, more irregularly.

SVB usually lay on stems, as close to the base of the plant as possible, but I’ve found them upwards of 1’ above the ground and some trailing up under leaves.

SB wants to lay on the underside of leaves, but I’ve found those diamond clusters on stems, too.

Check other plants, too – It’s not as frequent, but SB will lay on beans, peppers, sunflowers, okra, etc. SB adults will be found anywhere, too.

Conventional Traps, Spray & Powder

In their early stages, SB is somewhat vulnerable to Sevin spray. Powder isn’t super effective and it doesn’t bother the eggs. If SVB larvae aren’t crawling across it as they hatch, it doesn’t bother them, either. Spray can be more effective on more of the life-cycle stages, but it’s “more” – it’s not total wipe-out.

Some find neem oil effective, particularly in the early life stages.

All of them have to catch the bugs to be effective. SB are active enough to evade that spray by leaping away. SVB are inside, so you have to fill those stems to catch them.

Big Ag may be able to blanket enough dust and spray to do so, but most home growers even with a tow-behind disburser are going to struggle to blanket a big enough area fast enough.

!!! – Pesticides aren’t super effective on SB and SVB, but they are wicked effective against pretty much every single beneficial bug in our gardens, from worms and fireflies and their slug-hunting larvae, to pretty much every single pollinator, bees to butterflies to hoverflies and wasps, and can even affect the gut microbiology of hummingbirds and bats. – !!!

Traps work well, but require specific attractants and have to be replaced or rejuvenated.

Conventional Prevention’s

Squash vine borers can pop up after years of not growing squashes anywhere within 200-500 yards. Squash bugs are the same, with an added problem: They like squash. They don’t need it.

That means crop rotations aren’t super effective in breaking this particular pest cycle.

The smaller our spaces, the less effective it becomes.

The mobility of the moths and adaptability of the beetles means that for most home-consumption and small-plot growers with less than an acre (‘bout a football field) per crop butting into another half- or full acre of clean, bare earth, the advice to keep a “clean” garden and avoid mulches doesn’t actually help much.

Without that space, there are too many other options for them: tree and shrub windbreaks, perennial crops and ornamentals, wood piles, overgrown ditches and fence lines, woods, lawns and pastures, straw and hay piles, gaps under sheds.

Weigh that against the values of mulches before going the bare-earth road.

Unfortunately, control once they’re established is difficult, too. Enough to make you fantasize about spraying gas and lighting a match.

Tried & True: Squish ‘Em

Good luck catching the moth. (If you find something that doesn’t affect good bugs, please share.)

To help lower the load for the beetle, carry a jar to the garden to flick them into, and a board you can squash them against.

That board is handy for collecting SB’s – so is cardboard. Lay a chunk near the plants, flip it, stomp.

Tried & True: Pluck Eggs

Attentively checking stems and leaves for little red eggs is the most effective way to control damage.

You can scrape with a butter knife or thumbnail, or try wrapping good, sticky duct tape or packing tape around hands or fingers. You’ll have to press pretty firmly.

I do not just let the eggs fall to the surface under the belief stuff will eat them there (maybe, but maybe not). Nor do I deliver them to birds (some may escape). They get carted to the trash – the trash. In a world without trash, seal them in jars/pails.

Tried & True: Stick Juveniles

I like tape for snagging itty-bitty, speedy SB babies, although you have to really stick them or they can wiggle free.

There’s also the theory of stabbing the SVB by sticking pins/toothpicks in the stems and base of squash either as a preventative or as soon as frass is visible. It has merit, especially if a plant is months into growing but isn’t anywhere near harvest, particularly in a situation where we need this food.

Squashes develop really wide bases, though, and may have more than one larvae, so make sure you’re thoroughly stabbing to kill. They can easily crawl out and chew in elsewhere otherwise.

Foil – Fail

I have tried full-sheet widths of foil in a ring around squashes from the time they pop up. I have interwoven strips around as much of the base of the vines as possible.

The foil at the base in a wide collar akin to brassica collars might be helping, but it’s limited. I have no luck with other materials, either.

Again, I see SVB eggs way up on stems, not only at the base – mama lays on whatever’s exposed, and babies adapt.

Conditionally: Sacrificial Hubbard

Yes, SB-SVB do like Hubbard. I have ringed lots with it, with 20-yard gaps to the nearest other squash, and thrown it in right beside the other cucurbits. Sometimes it’s the only victim or the damage elsewhere is limited, but it’s at best 50-50 and it does nothing to lower the pest loads.

In Big Ag, the Hubbard goes out early and farmers kill the bugs on it to lower pest loads for direct-seeded cash crop squash.

Otherwise, once they’ve killed the Hubbards, SB/SVB have plenty of time to leap over to other cucurbits and kill them, too.

Yellow Traps – Fail

This is where you hang something fairly smooth and happy yellow (cups, frisbees, painted canning lids, yogurt tubs), lightly coat it in something semi-sticky or clogging (kitchen and garden oils, thinned-down glues), and hang it so that itty-bitty munchers get snagged and stuck or coated and suffocate. Wipe, re-coat, repeat.

I have never actually seen hoverflies, fireflies, brown wasps, or striped and fuzzy bees attached, no big butterflies or moths, just the teeny-tiny stuff, so it’s not really hurting. However, I’ve only nabbed juvenile SB on versions stuck down into the dense sections of foliage or laid out in a ring under foliage, and it’s few and far between and mostly a waste of time and resources.

(Again, it can take significant pressure to snag those SB babies – you need a serious level of sticky, and for them to willingly crawl onto it to get stuck, or to fall/jump onto it; they’re not flying or leaping to it on purpose like white-fly.)

Cup Collars – Fail

These guys are effective against some types of pests for other types of crops, just like foil and cardboard collars, but, again, SB lays mostly on leaves and is not restricted to cucurbits – it just likes them – and SVB will lay well up on the mature stem, with the wormy larvae crawling down as far as possible to enter but in no way restricted to entry right at the base of squash.

In the time when the plants are small enough to fit in the cups, their vines aren’t actually vulnerable to borer larvae, still too skinny.

Too, those cups only reach a couple inches up. Any SVB that come by later are going to have nice, exposed stems and leaves protruding to lay on, with their young readily able to slide down and chew in.

Squash are big plants with wide bases and sprawling vines by type – you only contain them in a cup for a little while. Then, there are months of season left for SVB to lay on exposed, viable vines.

So… once again, while effective against some pests, it’s a waste of time and resources for SVB/SB. 

Semi-Helpful: Bury Nodes

There’s the belief that once the adventitious root nodes of longer vines is buried, the adult SVB moth doesn’t know it’s there, and won’t lay her eggs there to burrow in. The idea that she can find a seed-started stem but not a buried node… I don’t know how that even gains traction.

Plus, again, she’ll lay way up on stems. Where they are doesn’t matter.

However, there is a benefit: It creates another feed point for the plant.

If you can kill the larvae in the original stretch(es), active nodes can keep the plant alive long enough to mature any fruits further down the vine.

Tried & True: Row Covers

They work, but there’s some issues that come up, because you have to seal the edges.

SB require really sealing the edges. They’ll crawl under any loose sections. It’s a definite time and resource suck to bury-unbury-rebury every time we need access.

Mesh is my choice control for the consistent SVB problems all over my area, though. They’re not quite as small and tough, so it doesn’t require sealing to the same degree. (I wouldn’t bother if we only had SB.)

Second Hitch: Pollinators can’t get in. That means hand pollinating more than seed stock. It’s also totally devastating for squash bees, so plant some melons for them.

Combatting SB/SVB

It takes some attention and it can be laborious, but we can mitigate SB/SVB infestations. There aren’t many critters that prey on SB/SVB, so it’s all on us. Since the most effective methods require time and in some cases materials, we have to make some preparations so we can act immediately when they show up.

Be Safe out there and be sure to check out The Prepper Journal Store and follow The Prepper Journal on Facebook!

The post Survival Gardening: Squash Bugs and Borers appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

I believe the neck gaiter (a.k.a. face shield mask) is one of the most versatile survival accessories.

So which is it? Neck gaiter or face shield? Well…it’s sort of both but it’s also not quite either.

You see, traditionally a “face shield” was a large plastic see-through device used in police riots or chemical cleanups.

While the term “neck gaiter” is normally thought of as a cold-weather alternative to a scarf.

But what I’m talking about today is something a bit different. It’s more of a face shield mask/neck gaiter/survival bandana combination…

Regardless of what we call it – these pieces of cloth are essential for survival, preparedness, and outdoor adventures.

And I think everyone should own at least one.

Note: in this article, I will primarily be calling them neck gaiters but lots of people call them face shields.

So, today, let’s discuss everything I know about neck gaiters, such as:

• What Is a Neck Gaiter Anyways?
• The Many Reasons (and uses) Of A Neck Gaiter
• The Key Features To Look For In A Quality Neck Gaiter
• The Best Neck Gaiters On The Market Today

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

WHAT IS A NECK GAITER / FACE SHIELD ANYWAYS?

---

Technically speaking, a neck gaiter is an article of clothing worn about the neck for warmth.

It is a closed tube of fabric, often thick fleece, merino wool, synthetic wicking, or knit material. It can be slipped on and off over the head. And it can also be pulled up over the mouth to keep out wind and sand.”

It’s simply a swath of cloth worn around your neck to protect it from wind, sun, debris.

But it can also be easily lifted over your mouth and/or nose. This helps to protect your face from dirt, debris, bugs, dust, or easy identification….

Identification? Yes, just like the traditional ski mask.

The ski mask has become a symbol of nefarious activities for decades. And a neck gaiter can be used to conduct similar mayhem without easy identification.

Anyways, the neck gaiter has come a long way over the years. As textiles have become more synthetic, and more breathable, neck gaiters have become more comfortable.

And with the advancement in printing technologies, you can get one in a color or design that feels like “YOU”.

THE MANY REASONS (and uses) OF A NECK GAITER

---

The sheer number of neck gaiter uses is incredible. There are so many reasons why you should own one.

Let’s start with a couple of easy reasons why…

UV Protection

One of the most popular (and best) uses for a neck gaiter is to keep harmful rays off your neck. This can work wonders in many outdoor sports and recreation situations.

Let’s cover a few of the most popular ones:

Fishing Neck Gaiter

If you enjoy fishing for long hours, you know just how nasty the sun can be while out on the water.

Normally the sun’s UV rays beat down on you from above. But water reflects UV rays sending burning beams up at you from below.

Dangerous UV rays hitting us from below is not something you think about often. So, we tend to forget to apply sunscreen to our necks. So without some sort of protection – you can get a nasty sunburn on your unprotected neck.

Well, with a neck gaiter (especially one with UV protection) you keep harmful rays off your tender neck

Skiing / Snowboarding

The suns rays bounce off the water surface, and they bounce off the snow…

So it’s the same idea for snowboarding and skiing as it is for fishing. However, with winter sports you’re also interested in keeping your neck and face warm from the bone-chilling winds while on the slopes.

Face Protection / Face Shield

Your face and neck are exposed when riding. Be it a motorcycle, bicycle, boating, ATV or any other activity where you’re moving quickly without a windshield for protection.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of adding a windshield to a motorcycle. I mean, the point of riding is for it NOT to feel like you’re riding inside a car…

Now for long road trips, a motorcycle windshield can make sense but not for afternoon cruises.

I also hate the feeling of gnats pelting my nose, mouth, and face at 45 MPH. It’s both gross and hurts. But with a good neck gaiter pulled up – these nasty projectiles are no longer a big deal.

And there are more than just bug missiles causing problems. There’s also dust, leaves, gravel and sometimes rubber pellets from tires flying towards your face.

So if you’re like me and not a fan of adding a windshield to your bike, wear a neck gaiter instead.

Project Dust – Debris

With any outdoor project, you run the risk of breathing in dirt, dust, and debris. For small projects, it’s usually not a big deal but for larger ones, it can become a serious health issue.

For example, you might be a fan of woodworking (a great survival skill for TEOTWAWKI). And if you’re running a saw all day long, you might want to avoid inhaling a bucket’s worth of sawdust.

Or if you’re a construction worker or farmer who runs a tractor for a living – you already know there are days when you eat dust (literally).

If this sounds like you, then it’s time you invested in a face shield to avoid this occupational hazard.

Warmth

I’ll be honest – I’m not a “scarf guy”. At least not in the traditional sense. You see, sometimes I think there are two types of people in the world.

Those who wear scarfs and those who wouldn’t be caught dead wearing one – I’m in the second category.

But a neck gaiter; now that’s a different story…

After I wore my neck gaiter out on a frigid cold walk with my dog, I was never the same. All these years, I’d never fully realized how much warmer it is when your neck was wrapped in a layer of warmth.

So now if it’s below freezing outside, I always wear my neck gaiter. I don’t always pull it up over my mouth and nose, but I do when it’s really cold or extremely windy.

And if you love winter sports, a neck gaiter is a must. Whether you snowboard or ski, a neck gaiter with a cool logo or design is worth every penny.

Comfort and Multi-Use

Now this “benefit” or reason is highly dependent on your personality. But for me, I’ve learned to enjoy having something soft and warm around my neck.

It’s both comfortable and comforting knowing I have a tool that can provide protection from the sun and the cold.

I can also use it for all sorts of other purposes in a pinch. I can turn it into a headband to keep sweat from dripping into my eyes. This is great if I’m doing some hard work outside in the heat of the day.

I can also use it as a makeshift helmet liner to add a small layer of comfort between me and a hard bike helmet.

And for anyone with long hair, it can be used as a stylish hairband to make a ponytail. This is extra helpful when it’s muggy out and you need a quick way to get your hair up off your neck.

And are even more ingenious ways to use a piece of neck gaiter cloth in a pinch. So I see it as a highly useful, highly effective survival multi-tool of sorts.

That’s why I also keep one packed away in my bug out bag, go bag, and get home bag – just in case.

Exclusive Bonus Content – Skilled Survival’s 104 Item Bug Out Bag Checklist – the only bug out checklist worth using. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

Incognito

Lastly, a neck gaiter CAN provide a layer of identity protection.

But it’s not a cloak of invisibility. Lifting a neck gaiter over your mouth and nose and won’t make you disappear from view…

Sure, you can hide your facial features (making you harder to identify). But you’re also wearing something that sticks out like a sore thumb. It gets noticed.

With a neck gaiter pulled up, you’re no longer applying the “gray man theory”. You become MORE notable while walking around. Then people take note of your other features; your height, your vehicle, your eye color, your hairstyle, etc.

So the neck gaiter is only helpful to hide your identity if you’re doing something criminal. Because if you’re robbing a bank – you’re going to be noticed anyways. So in that situation, a neck gaiter pulled up can provide some ability to keep your identity hidden.

With that said, if you’re the type of person who robs banks, then I’m sure you have more elaborate identity concealing measure than using a neck gaiter…

But the overall point still stands. If people can’t see your major facial features (such as your nose, mouth, chin, etc.) you’ll be harder to identify in a line-up.



As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

THE KEY FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN A QUALITY NECK GAITER

---

Not all neck gaiters are created equal. And with new textile and printing processes, neck gaiters just keep getting better…

So let’s go over a few of the features to look for when buying a new neck gaiter.

Breathable

First off, this is important if you plan to use your neck gaiter in hot weather OR cold weather. If this sounds like you, then you’ll want to go for a newer material that’s both breathable and not scratchy.

One reason why I don’t wear a wool scarf is that it itches my neck. Wool is warm, and it can be somewhat breathable but it’s not comfortable.

Instead, look for a neck gaiter that features breathable, lightweight, and moisture-wicking technologies. These types of neck gaiters will stay cooler in the blazing hot summer heat.

And they will also avoid the dreaded moisture trapping that happens when you raise the gaiter over your mouth and nose in the winter.

Because a neck gaiter that traps moisture from your mouth or nose will quickly become a wet neck gaiter. And a wet neck gaiter in the winter will quickly become a frozen neck gaiter. A frozen neck gaiter is a cold neck gaiter. And this defeats the entire purpose of wearing it in the cold in the first place.

UV Protection

If you’re going to invest in a neck gaiter make sure it’s one with built-in UV protection. Sure any cloth material is better than nothing when it comes to sun protection.

However, I’ve worn a super-thin shirt when outside all day. I was assuming I was protected, only to discover the sun’s UV rays blasted straight through it.

So make sure the material you choose for you neck gaiter is made to block UV rays. This keeps your neck from looking like an angry lobster at dinner…

Stretchiness / Fit / Size

Everyone has a different sized neck. So the best neck gaiters take this into account by using flexible stretch materials.

That way, whether you have a thick neck or a slim neck the gaiter will fit. Especially when pulled up around your mouth and nose.

Color / Design

This “feature” is highly personal. Do you want something that looks menacing like a skeleton? OR are you more likely to wear something with a pretty flower pattern on it?

Or maybe you like to keep things simple with a flat black design.

The design options of a neck gaiter CAN (and often DOES) make or break a sale.

So just be aware if you don’t love the design options available. You can always keep shopping around until you do. Just don’t skimp on all the other “more practical” features for the design alone.

Price

As always the price can be a feature. If you can get your hands on a decent quality FREE neck gaiter or face shield mask – then you have nothing to lose. So you might as well give it a try, right?

But if you have to fork over $100 for a neck gaiter, well, then it best be the most amazing neck gaiter I’ve ever seen. And it should be able to cook dinner and wash the dishes too!

The point is, price always comes into play with any survival gear. FREE can be amazing but it can also mean cheap POS as well. But since the risk is so low, it’s normally worth checking out.

Or you can invest a few more dollars on something that’s a bit more proven. Your choice.

9 BEST NECK GAITERS / FACE SHIELDS ON THE MARKET TODAY

---

Finding the “best” neck gaiters on the market today can be an overwhelming task. You can spend hours and hours hunting around online. Wasting time reading hundreds of reviews, only to end up being more confused than ever.

The number of neck gaiters and cloth face shields coming on the market is stunning.

That’s why we’re here to help you cut through the chaos and show you our top favorite neck gaiters on the market today:

1 – “American Woods” Multi-Use Face Shield

The “American Woods” Multi-Use Face Shield is the neck gaiter I want to highlight first.

Why? Because it’s of excellent quality AND affordability.

Let’s cover the quality first.

This American Woods Face Shield is ideal for hunting, bike riding, fishing, and any outdoor activity.

It’s also great for protecting yourself from breathing harmful dust when mowing the lawn or on construction sites.

This Face Shield is durable, it won’t fall off, it keeps its colors and it holds its shape!

So if your an active outdoorsman, or woman, you won’t be disappointed.

Plus, at the time of this article being published, you could get The American Woods Face Shield for FREE (just pay s&h). So, Click Here Now to see if this fantastic deal is still available!

Check Out Today’s Deal

---

2 – SA Face Shields – 5 Pack Bundle

These SA Face Shields have unique patterns & are multifunctional.

There are 12 different ways you can wear one for your adventures or daily life. Wear it as a face shield, bandana, wristband, hair tie, headband, neck gaiter, doo rag, balaclava, face mask, beanie, etc.

The SA Face Sheilds include both SPF 40 & dust protection.

They also wick away moisture to keep you dry and add an extra layer of warmth for your ears, nose, mouth, head, and neck in the cold.

These SA Face Shields are made with a durable microfiber technology, which comes in at a length of 20.5 inches, and a width of 10.5 Inches.

They are also backed by a lifetime warranty.

Finally, on a per face shield basis – you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better value…

Check Out Today’s Price



3 – Mossy Oak Seamless Bandana Face & Neck Cover

This Mossy Oak Seamless Face & Neck Cover will keep you protected from the sun. It’s rated at UPF 30 for great sun protection and blocks up to 97% of both UVA and UVB rays.

This Mossy Oak Neck Gaiter is made out of 100% polyester microfiber.

It’s woven together so it features a soft, seamless, fit. It’s approximately 19.5 x 9.5 inches and due to its ability to stretch, it’s one size fits most!

Check Out Today’s Price

---

4 – KastKing Sol Armis Neck Gaiter

KastKing Sol Armis makes a quality neck gaiter rated at UPF 50 for both face and neck protection.

It’s also highly breathable due to its unique poly-spandex material.

This KastKing Neck Gaiter also has a 4-way stretch to p0rovide a snug comfortable fit so your gaiter stays in place all day long.

The KastKing Neck Gaiter was designed by an in-house team of elite anglers for a comfortable fit. So if you’re an angler this is the best neck gaiter to protect you from the sun.

Check Out Today’s Price



5 – SUNMECI Neck Gaiter Windproof Mask

The SUNMECI Neck Gaiter is made of a versatile, super soft fabric. It’s perfect to keep you comfortable in extreme temps.

Plus, the SUNMECI Neck Gaiter has built in UV protection.

So it’s a no-hassle, no worry, high-quality neck gaiter for any outdoor activity.

Check Out Today’s Price

6 – Tough Headwear Fleece Neck Warmer – Gaiter

---

This Neck Warmer/Gaiter by Tough Headwear is ready for anything but looks less menacing and more stylish than other neck gaiters.

It’s a double-layered neck warmer and will keep your neck warm and cozy, even in the coldest winter weather.

This Tough Headwear neck warmer is also reversible. One side a stylish design, the other classic black. So you can rock one style on the slopes and another going out with friends. 

It’s 3 accessories all in one – an ear warmer headband, a face mask, and neck tube.

It also comes with a lifetime warranty, so you can’t beat that!

Check Out Today’s Price

---

7 – JOEYOUNG 3D Face Sun Mask, Neck Gaiter

The JOEYOUNG 3D Face Shield Mask is unique with its visual 3D effect. 

This 3D effect is great for camouflage if you’re a hunter. 

This neck gaiter also passes the SGS UPF TEST – so it blocks up to 95% of the harmful ultraviolet rays.

The JOEYOUNG Neck Gaiter is made of 100% Polyester microfiber. It has exceptional absorbing and wicking features. So it’s cool in summer but warm in winter.

The standard size is 18.9 inches long, 9.4 inches wide and 0.4 MM thick. It’s also highly stretchable so it easily fits both teenagers as well as adults of all ages.

Finally, its a no risk to purchase with their 100% money-back guarantee!

Check Out Today’s Price

---

8 – Terra Kuda Face Clothing Neck Gaiter Mask

The Terra Kuda Face Neck Gaiter is designed to always be mission ready.

Whether you’re in the backcountry, on the water, or cutting a mountain trail, these face and neck covers are designed to protect you from the outdoor elements.

Unlike other leading brands, The Terra Kuda Face Neck Gaiter’s unique design outperforms the competition while staying in place over your nose, even during strenuous activities.

This is thanks to their utilization of cutting-edge fabric welding technology.

It’s both THIN-lightweight and BREATHABLE.

The Terra Kuda Neck Gaiter provides UV protection up to UPF 20 (varies slightly based on the model: color/pattern).

It’s “one size fits most” with dimensions approximately 18.5 inches x 10 inches.

Check Out Today’s Price

---

9 – iHeartRaves Seamless Face Mask

iHeartRaves Seamless Face Mask features design options that harken to your more fashionable side.

The iHeartRaves Face Shield features a super stretchy fabric that accommodates most head sizes (adults & kids).

It also has a moisture wicking fabric that transfers heat and humidity away from your body and outside of the seamless bandanna, helping to keep you cool.

The iHeartRave’s quick-dry fabric technology lets your face mask dry in minutes, instead of hours. 

This iHeartRaves Festive Face Mask is great for dusty music festivals, concerts, biking, raves, and outdoor sports like paintball, hiking, yoga, exercising, yard work, riding or whenever you want to live dust-free!

Check Out Today’s Price



WRAP UP

---

As a survival site, we’re always on the hunt for the best gear for any sort of survival or emergencies situation. In the past, we’ve covered most of the obvious survival gear we think everyone should own, such as:

• a bug out bag
• a survival knife
• survival shovel
• a survival machete
• survival matches
• Ferro rods
• survival watches
• etc., etc., etc.

But I feel like we’ve been missing a key component. We’ve overlooked the survival neck gaiter (a.k.a. face shield mask)!

I’ve been using one myself for years, but for some reason, it’s gotten lost in the shuffle.

That’s why I’m happy we were able to circle back around today. To finally catch everyone up to speed on this handy useful survival tool called a Neck Gaiter.

“Just In Case” Jack

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 9 Best Neck Gaiters / Face Shield Masks On The Market Today appeared first on Skilled Survival.

You can believe that we will somehow beat the odds this time if you want, but history is completely against you.  One of the biggest reasons why there is so much anxiety on Wall Street right now is because of how the yield curve is behaving.  We have seen yield curve inversions before each of the last seven U.S. recessions, and now it has happened again.  Perhaps this helps to explain why insiders are dumping stocks right now as if there will be no tomorrow.  If you were looking for a giant waving red flag to tell you that it is time to run for the exits, it doesn’t get much better than this.  This week, we watched the yield curve do something that it hasn’t done in 12 years…

The spread between the 10-year Treasury yield and the 2-year rate fell to negative 5 basis points, its lowest level since 2007. This is called a yield curve inversion. Experts fear it because in the past it has preceded recessionary periods. The 3-month Treasury bill rate also traded higher than the 30-year bond yield.

“The primary thing is yields are going down and going down with some acceleration,” said Art Cashin, the director of floor operations at UBS.

In addition, the spread between 3 month Treasury bonds and 10 year Treasury bonds just hit negative 50 basis points.  We haven’t seen that happen since March 2007.

And as David Rosenberg has noted, when the spread between 3 month Treasury bonds and 10 year Treasury bonds goes negative for at least three months, we have a recession 100% of the time…

We now have had three months of a 3-mo/10-yr yield curve inversion. The track record this has had in predicting recessions: 100%.

Yes, it is theoretically possible that this indicator could be proven wrong this time.

But do you really want to bet against an indicator with a track record of 100% accuracy?

Plus, we have a trade war with China to deal with this time around.  Hopeful comments from President Trump briefly bolstered the markets on Monday, but over in China prominent voices continue to pour cold water on the notion that a deal will happen any time soon.  Here is an example from Tuesday…

Sentiment was also dampened after Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times in China, tweeted that China is “putting so much emphasis on trade talks,” adding that “it’s more and more difficult for the US to press China to make concessions” as China’s economy becomes increasingly driven by its domestic growth. China announced measures aimed at boosting consumption, including potentially removing car-buying restrictions.

Unless one side chooses to fold like a 20 dollar suit, there isn’t going to be a resolution to this trade war any time in the near future, and that is going to mean a tremendous amount of pain for the U.S., China and the entire global economy.

Another indication that things are about to get bad is the fact that investors are starting to flock to precious metals.

Gold and silver are considered to be “safe haven assets” during a financial crisis, and right now gold and silver are both surging…

Gold prices are moderately higher in early U.S. trading, while the silver market is again sharply higher and hit another two-year high overnight. Bullish technical postures in both metals continue to invite the chart-based buyers to climb on board the long side. A weaker U.S. dollar index is also supportive to the precious metals markets today. December gold futures were last up $4.60 an ounce at 1,541.90. December Comex silver prices were last up $0.295 at $18.075 an ounce.

But for most hard working Americans, it is going to be far more important to build up an emergency fund as we head deeper into this new crisis, and this is something that I have written about repeatedly.  The reason why so many Americans lost their homes during the last recession was because they were living right on the edge financially.  It is imperative that you have a financial cushion so that you can pay your basic expenses when things start getting really hard.

Unfortunately, it is often young people that get the hardest during an economic downturn, and this is something that Annie Lowrey discussed in her most recent article…

Recessions are never good for anyone. A sputtering economy means miserable financial, emotional, and physical-health consequences for everyone from infants to retirees. But the next one—if it happens, when it starts happening — stands to hit this much-maligned generation particularly hard. For adults between the ages of 22 and 38, after all, the last recession never really ended.

Millennials got bodied in the downturn, have struggled in the recovery, and are now left more vulnerable than other, older age cohorts. As they pitch toward middle age, they are failing to make it to the middle class, and are likely to be the first generation in modern economic history to end up worse off than their parents. The next downturn might make sure of it, stalling their careers and sucking away their wages right as the millennials enter their prime earning years.

I understand that a lot of people may not want to hear this, but every economic indicator is telling us that a U.S. recession is coming, and many experts believe that it will be far worse than the last one.

If you prepare in advance for what is coming, that is going to help to take fear out of the equation.  Because when things get really crazy, it is those that don’t understand what is happening that are going to give in to fear, depression and despair.

We have not seen an economic environment like this in a decade, and there is no reason to believe that a miracle is going to come along and rescue us from the storm that is now looming above us.

The months ahead promise to be quite “interesting”, and not in a good way.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally-syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including Get Prepared Now, The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters. His articles are originally published on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News. From there, his articles are republished on dozens of other prominent websites. If you would like to republish his articles, please feel free to do so. The more people that see this information the better, and we need to wake more people up while there is still time.

The post An Indicator With A 100% Perfect Track Record Of Predicting Recessions Says That Another One Is Coming appeared first on The Economic Collapse.