Canning foodstuffs for preservation without refrigeration was once a lot more commonly done than it is now. Anyone who grew up in a rural area in the middle of the last century had a family that canned or knew someone who did. Time consuming on the front end, it was a necessity for many families. Safe pressure canning of food can easily last a whole year. Increasing affluence and improved efficiency in the production and distribution of food made it easier to buy food at the grocery store. Canning gradually became an anachronism.

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Canning 101: Easy Steps to Keep Your Pantry Packed With Fresh Foods

Canning is far from a lost art. Its benefits may be more important today than they were to our grandparents. More than anything else, canning allows you to take complete control of your food supply. It goes hand in hand with growing your own fruits and vegetables, raising your own livestock and harvesting your own fish and wild game. If you do any of these things, it’s probably because you desire good, healthy, natural food uncontaminated by pesticides and unaltered by genetic enhancements or growth hormones. When you can your own food, you know what you’re putting in your body.

Before you start canning, here is a must-read list of safe steps to take.

10 Steps to Safe Pressure Canning

1. Read all the instructions that came with your pressure canner prior to getting started.
2. Check dial gauges for accuracy before use each year and replace if they read high by more than 1 to 2 pounds of pressure. Gauges can be checked at most county Cooperative Extension offices.
3. Clean canner lid gaskets and apply a light coat of vegetable oil once a year. Nicked or dried gaskets should be replaced.
4. Make sure all vent pipes are clear and contain no trapped material or mineral deposits.
5. Center the canner over the level burner.
6. Always stay nearby when pressure canning to monitor the pressure gauge.
7. Be sure to follow the recipe’s headspace instructions. Too little headspace can cause food to escape over the rim and cause the jar not to seal.
8. Vent all types of pressure canners 10 minutes before pressurizing.
9. At the end of processing time, allow the pressure to drop to zero naturally and wait two to five minutes before opening the lid.
10. Do not set processed jars on a cold surface or expose to breezy conditions as they can crack.

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Knowing how to repel pesky insects is an important tool to have in your back pocket and will be crucial in any survival situation. Of course, you can prep your survival kits with over the counter insect repellents but you are also risking many possible reactions to your skin and respiratory system due to the very harmful chemicals within most bug repellents. Luckily, some of the very best bug deterrents and bite treatments are natural, safe and have a much longer shelf life than store bought products. Let’s chat about some easy, inexpensive and effective ways to keep those bugs away from you and how we can treat the annoying bites than do manage to find you!

Best Ways to Avoid the Sting!

Essential Oils

A high quality and pure essential oil that is free of synthetic fragrances is a very effective and versatile tool for your survival kit, especially for warding off insects and soothing skin irritations and bites. Just a very small amount is needed (1-4 drops) and can be diluted in coconut oil (another natural bug deterrent) before applied to exposed skin. You can also use essential oils to make DIY bug sprays and skin soothing sprays with distilled water, a little witch hazel and essential oils. Here are some top oils you will want in your survival kit:

• Citronella
• Lemongrass
• Rosemary
• Eucalyptus
• Tea Tree
• Lavender

Plants

Essential oils are all derived from various parts of plants and trees so it would make sense that there are very effective plants to help deter insects. Keeping some potted plants and drying the flowers and stems are a great way to grow your stash. You can freeze dry them to keep the therapeutic benefits strong for many, many years. Allow them to soak in witch hazel and distilled water to create a gentle bug repellent spray. Some plants that are great for keeping bugs are bay:

• Bay leaf
• Catnip
• Wormwood
• Basil
• Marigolds

Some other really great natural deterrents to consider:

• Garlic: peel and let sit out. You can also rub your skin with garlic cloves or even eat extra garlic to change the scent of your own oils in your body
• Cedar Blocks: natural cedar blocks are really great at keeping bugs away. Keep a stash of cedar chips or blocks and using them indoors or outdoors will keep bugs turning in the opposite direction. You can refresh your cedar blocks with a natural cedar oil from time to time.
• Vanilla extract: when it a pinch, dab some vanilla extract on your skin or where bugs enter to keep them away

To Soothe Pesky Bites

Herbs such as lavender, chamomile and calendula are very good for reducing inflammation and redness. Seep them in some hot water and make compresses and apply to the bite as often as needed. Make sure the compresses are room temperature and not too hot for the skin. To help with itchiness, peppermint and lavender essential oil can help do the trick. Tea Tree oil is a great antimicrobial and can be applied to bites to help avoid infection from brewing.

When a big bite gets very inflamed or you feel other symptoms such as fever, chills or sweats, this is considered a medical emergency and you will want to seek medical attention. Bug bites can cause severe infections or allergic reactions and should be taken seriously. Avoiding these annoying little critters is not only helpful for your sanity but could very well save your life as well!

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably given some thought to “bugging out.” You may even have a solid kit and plan. It’s relatively simple when you’re a single manor woman. When you start adding in children, spouses, and pets, things get complicated. If faced with the situation, you may choose to leave your dog at home to protect the house. Personally, I wouldn’t leave my dog at home. She would pee on my nice clean carpet, get into the trash, jump on the couch, and puke everywhere. If the fire or police department came by to check on the place, she would either charge them and get hurt or show them where my valuables are, I have no idea.

By J. Bridger, contributing author to SHTFblog and Survival Cache

Bugging out with your dog has advantages: Dogs are good for your morale. Dogs don’t nag or complain, they’re just happy to be dogs. They provide security because their ears and sense of smell are sharper than ours. Lastly, they provide protection. If your dog is decently sized, their presence may deter someone from choosing you as their next potential victim.  

 Getting Ready

Now is the time to prepare your dog. Take them camping. This will give you a chance to test your bug out bag and see how your dog behaves (if you don’t already know). You should start training your pooch on the basics: Sit, stay, come, heel, and walking on a leash. Anothergood one is “drop it!” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been walking my dog, and suddenly she is chewing furiously on something she’s found and swallowed it before I can ID it. Is your dog healthy enough to walk several miles? Walking or running with your dog every day is a good way to keep you both in shape. A trip to the vet to ensure your pup is up to date on immunizations is important. In some states, if your dog bites someone and does not have a recent rabies vaccine, they may be put down. If they tangle with a wild animal, it’ll be one less thing you will have to worry about. Make sure they have a collar with your information on the tag. Keep in mind tags and collars can slip off. You should consider microchipping your pet.

Also read: Survival Debate – Dog or No Dog?

Your furry companion should be on a good flea and tick medication. It’s the humane thing to do and will make your life easier too. If your dog is infested, you may be next on the bug tour. Fleas and ticks carry diseases! There are many brands and kinds of medications out there including chewables, collars, and medications you apply topically between the shoulders. You should ask your vet which medication is best in your area, as this will vary by region. 

 Your Dog’s Kit

You have enough to carry, so keep this simple. Don’t overload yourself or your dog. They should carry no more than 10-15% of their body weight. Keep in mind if their pack gets wet, it will get heavier.

When we take the pooch on an adventure, we measure out her normal amount of dog food, divided evenly between two 1-gallon Ziplock bags. One goes on each side of her pack. In a perfect world, we would stow her food in dry sacks, but haven’t made the change yet. Wet food is heavy, I would steer clear of it for this application. Freeze dried dog food is available but is expensive and must be reconstituted with water. If you know you’ll be near a water source, that may be a good option for bugging out. Otherwise, I’d stick to dry food for convenience sake. Water is heavy. We use two 1L Platypus bags when we won’t be near water. Bladders are great because they’re lightweight and don’t slosh around. If you’re near a safe source, your dog can drink creek water without treatment (keep in mind, your dog CAN get Giardia, but it is not common). To check if your dog is dehydrated, pinch some of their skin. It should be elastic and rebound normally. If it doesn’t, they are dehydrated. If you hear someone talk about checking skin turgor for “tenting,” this is what they are referring to.  

A leash is a no-brainer. We also carry two 12’ lengths of webbing, in case we need some assistance getting the dog up or down a steep scramble. Depending on the weather, you may want to pack something for your dog to sleep on. Cold ground can suck the heat out of them. A blanket, cut down Therm-A-Rest Z-lite, or cut down Walmart sleeping pad are good places to start. Our dog has a fleece sweater, a down jacket, and a rain coat. It can get pretty chilly on the mountain, and these don’t weigh much. Your dog’s favorite toy would be a nice addition. Ideally its rugged and won’t get water logged. Our dog likes a hard bone you can stuff treats into. It keeps her occupied when we’re setting up a tarp or cooking.

Related: The Best Guard Dog for TEOTWAWKI

There are tons of companies making dog packs. Ruffwear and Granite Gear are our favorite. Mountainsmith, Ezy Dog, and Outward Hound make good packs. I would recommend looking for a used one on Ebay, they can get expensive. Make sure it has a beefy lifting strap and drain holes, these get heavy when wet! Our dog’s pack, bladders, leash, collapsible bowls, webbing, bedding, fleece, jacket, and raincoat weighs 5.2 lbs when dry. She weighs 70 lbs, so adding a couple pounds of food and water is well within her weight limit.

You may want to include a small survival kit in your dog’s pack for redundancy. Water treatment tablets, a fire starter, and a small pocket knife would weigh next to nothing and give you an added layer of security should you lose yours.

 Canine Medical

Dogs are tough. I had a chubby little beagle mix that got bit on the face by a rattlesnake. She swelled up and laid around for a few days and was good as new. I called up the vet and she told me there wasn’t anything to do, but some Benadryl may help her feel a little better. If I got bit, I’d probably die or lose a limb.

Even though dogs are tougher than people, you should seek out medical training specific to canines. You may be able to find a course through your local REI. Even the American Red Cross lists some canine first aid classes. There is far more advanced training available but be prepared to pay for it. Techline Trauma in Pennsylvania offers a K9TC3 course (Canine Tactical Combat Casualty Care) that runs for two days and costs $850.00. If I had the time and money, I’d do this twice. TCCC is one of the most fascinating and informative trainings I’ve ever had. In the K9TC3 course you will learn canine assessment, legal considerations, how to manage penetrating trauma injuries, severe bleeding, poisoning, blunt trauma, airway emergencies, cardiac arrest, IO/IV/IM/SQ, intubation, hypo/hyperthermia, and more. The University of Colorado offers a Wilderness Emergency Canine Care class for $145. Your vet may also be able to point you in the right direction.

There are a lot of canine specific first aid kits out there. You should have a medical kit, and a lot of the same things will work on your pup (ie: bandages). That being said, you should never assume human medications are okay for dogs. Don’t give your dog ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen (Tylenol).

A lot of people say you can use hydrogen peroxide to make your dog vomit in case they ingest something poisonous. That may be so, but I’ve never met a vet who recommended this. Your dog can aspirate the vomit and develop lung problems. I trust the experts on this one.

One dog specific medical device I would invest in is a good muzzle, in case your dog is injured. They won’t like it, but it will protect you or someone caring for them.

If your dog is walking on roads or rocks, their paw pads may become sore or raw. You may consider booties or rubbing paw balm on your dog’s feet when you stop. Unless you and your dog are active, chances are you’ll both be sore if you bug out. Massaging your dog’s muscles and stretching them will help prevent soreness and stiffness. There are a ton of YouTube videos about how to stretch your dog, and it’s easier than you’d think. If your dog is older or not used to the distance, they’ll appreciate it.

 Other considerations

• Keep in mind if for some reason you hitch a ride in an ambulance, they may not take your dog.
• You should be burying or packing out your waste, but now you will be pulling double duty with your dog’s doodie.
• If your dog isn’t well trained, bugging out will be a headache. You may want to consider an obedience school or trainer.
• If your dog becomes tired or injured, you may be carrying their pack (and them). Make sure you have a comfortable way to secure it to yours before the time comes.

 Conclusion

Choosing to take your pet with you or not is a choice you have to make. In most situations, I think the advantages are clear. The companionship and security they provide more than make up for double doodie duty.  

 

The political climate has risen to a boiling point in the United States. It would seem that the possibility, while improbable, of another civil war could erupt at any given moment. With that in mind, it is always good to be ready for any type of civil unrest to defend yourself, your family and your home. But, when equipping your AR-15 with an optic which one would serve you best if you are in a “bug in” situation that could last one or more weeks? What optic would best suit you in a close quarter combat (CQB) and an open environment situation? That is what we are going to explore.

What Types of Optics Should I Consider?

With the booming popularity of the AR-15 in the last 15, or so, years, we have also seen a surge of innovation in the optics market. Starting with the Aimpoint M68 CCO red dot, we found that an optic could quickly be a combat multiplier in giving the shooter not only fast acquisition of a target but also the ability to place well aimed shoots up to 300 yards away. As technology advanced, more optics became desirable due to their ability to provide more features. Optics like the EOTech 512, and later the XPS-2, the Trijicon ACOG fixed 4 power optic, Primary Arms 1-6x24mm variable scope with the ACSS reticle are just a few of the advancements in sight technology.

Why a Red Dot May Not Be the Best?

There is no doubt that a red dot is an excellent choice in an optic for your AR-15. The Trijicon MRO or Aimpoint Micro T-2 are excellent choices. They have the ability to find and engage a target quickly. In low light situations, some red dots can be coupled with night vision goggles to increase your lethality. High end red dots also have battery life that can sustain operation for 50,000 hours of continued use. However, they do have limitations. Shooting targets at distance can be challenging without the use of an added magnifier. This will add more items to your rifle that translates to a heavier rifle. In addition, if you have astigmatism, red dots can be difficult to use since the dot may be hard to see. Depending on the severity of your astigmatism, a red dot may appear as a star burst or several dots in a line. This may eliminate this sight for a lot of people.

Are Holographic Sights Better than Red Dots?

As mentioned, red dots are an excellent option; however, a holographic sight like the EOTech 512 or XPS-2 may be superior to the red dot. For those that are plagued with astigmatism, a holographic sight will not look distorted due to the use of mirrors and a laser to generate the reticle. A red dot uses a LED light that reflects off the front lens to the shooters eye. A sight like an EOTech can sustain damage to the lens, or lose it completely, and still project a reticle making it far more durable. Any damage to a red dot’s front lens could spell disaster for the shooter due to the design and technology required for a red dot to work. However, a holographic sight does have one disadvantage to the red dot and that is battery life. A laser requires far more energy to operate than a LED light and battery life is usually relegated to about 1,000 hours of continuous operation. That could also be an issue for someone that does not have access to replacement batteries.

Fixed Power Optics Suck for CQB…

Fixed power optics, like the Trijicon ACOG, are another great option for AR-15s. In the last 5 to 10 years, we have seen more military units begin to use fixed power optics to allow additional lethality to the Soldiers or Marines. These sights allow a shooter to better see a target which allows for more accurate round placement. Newer versions of the ACOG even have fiberoptic illuminated reticle that assists in finding the reticle. Yet, with the increased magnification does hinder a fixed power optic from being the best option for CQB. If you are in an urban environment and must maneuver in and/or around homes, apartments, or other types of buildings the ACOG may be too much optic for what you need.

Why LPVO are the Most Versatile?

Red dots, holographic sights, and fixed power optics are all fine choices; however, the low power variable optics (LPVOs) have the most versatility built into them. A great example is the Primary Arms 1-6x24mm FFP ACSS scope. This optic is a first focal plane sight that can be set on a magnification from 1 power up to 6 power for long range shots. The ACSS reticle is the pinnacle of innovation with optic technology by providing a reticle that allows the shooter the ability to be precise in aiming but also provide ranging capabilities as well as bullet drop compensation. It even allows the shooter to shoot moving targets by using the built-in lead points. A first focal place LPVO mimics a red dot at 1 power since the ACSS reticle will reduce in size to appear to be a dot. The reticle for the Primary Arms LPVO can be illuminated and features 11 brightness settings. In most higher end offerings, the reticle will be etched into the glass that will ensure durability if the optic gets knocked around.

Wrapping It Up…

All modern optics are going to suit most people well on their AR-15. Yet, having the ability to use an optic like a red dot or increase the magnification to 6 power quickly makes the LPVO the best option. Every sight will have pros and cons; however, the LPVO pros outweigh the cons. For a reality where you may be forced to protect your family and property for prolong periods of time, the ability to have an illuminated sight, if desired, and the flexibility to choose the magnification needed for the scenario that is front of you makes it the optimal option for a “bug in or out” situation. Since the reticle is not dependent on being illuminated, batteries may not be a major concern when put in a situation where they are not readily available. Regardless what optic your preference is, you can only be as lethal as your training allows. Choose a sight and train to ensure your proficiency gives you the best opportunity to make it out of any situation.

 

About Mark Grimsley

Mark Grimsley is a former U.S. Army Officer that started his career as an enlisted Abrams crewman. He has served in 3 overseas tours that include Korea in 2002, Iraq in 2003 as a tank gunner and Afghanistan in 2010-11 as a logistics officer. He completed numerous schools in the Army to include Air Assault and Airborne. Currently, Mark is an Army spouse and enjoys running a YouTube channel

 

The post Most Versatile Optic for the AR-15 appeared first on Off The Grid News.

If only the speed and dexterity of camera tripods could extend to rifle stability. Ahh, but there is a saddle-like apparatus that snipers have been using for years. But the three drawbacks of the saddles include price (good ones exceed $300), weight (good ones hover round one pound), and the saddles completely consume the tripod head thus preventing it from quick use with other attachments including spotting scopes, cameras, rangefinders, and the like. Enter the Magpul Magpul M-LOK Tripod Adaptor, a tremendous solution that solved all three problems in one ounce-and-a-half $50 plate that seamlessly integrates the rifle into a stable support platform that is common across photography, and it follows the massive number of photo-oriented stability options.

By Doc Montana, contributing author to Survival Cache and SHTFblog

Stable shooting platforms are not rare. From sticks and sandbags, to fence posts and pickup truck hoods, standard rifles smoothly slide around providing the shooter an optimum position. Then came the popular bench rests like the Caldwell Lead Sled. Now I love my Lead Sled for traditional rifle stocks, but the AR15 with its plethora of handguard configurations and accessories, tactical stocks, and especially the magwell filled with a stick up to a foot long. Further the stock-to-handguard alignment of an AR platform rifle tends to make it sit quite high in traditional rests. But what if you could just snap your AR into a tripod with the ease and security of a DSLR with large telephoto lens? Obviously you can since that is the point of this article. Enter the Magpul M-LOK Tripod Adaptor.

 Also Read: Back to Basics – The KISS AR-15

Bolting onto the underbelly of your handguard, the Magpul M-LOK Tripod Adaptor is barely apparent until it’s needed. In fact it makes are reasonable good handhold upgrade although not as efficient as Magpul’s own AFG.

The CNC machined aluminium plate is designed to integrate with the popular Manfrotto RC2 and Q2 interfaces. The small footprint of the plate provides ample strength to the system. With the average balance point of a typical AR15 somewhere around the magwell, the Magpul M-LOK Tripod Adaptor, mounted just forward of the magwell, safely and secures an AR platform rifle up to 10 pounds, in my estimation anyway. And that’s based on a quality tripod with an equally quality tripod head.

And speaking of tripod heads, a popular choice for the Magpul M-LOK Tripod Adaptor is a ball head tripod head, in specific one of Manfrotto’s heavy duty choices. A quality ball head allows both freedom of movement and adjustable drag giving a fluid (but not literally fluid as with fluid-head video tripod heads) motion.

One of the amazing aspects of using a Magpul M-LOK Tripod Adaptor and tripod support is the extreme diversity of shooting positions, heights, and angles. Basically, any direction a camera on a tripod can point at, an AR15 can as well.

Depending on the particular tripod, from ground level to seven feet plus is possible, and pretty much any angle that allows the rifle to remain balance is possible as well. Many quality (and I mean quality) tripods have legs that can extend far beyond the usual 66 degrees or so. And speaking of tripod legs, I fully recommend metal or carbon fiber over anything plastic. And of the metal, I suggest round aluminium over rectangular or channeled aluminium. Of course you can use whatever you like, but it will be a rude awakening when you start popping off shots only to have your lightweight tripod collapse, twist or bend.

Related: Survival Cache Podcast: The AR-15 Part 1

For those with more extensive needs, Magpul makes solutions for a popular railed tripod mount that not only mates with more advanced tripod heads, but slides back and forth for additional balance preferences. Magpul’s Dovetail Adapter chassis rail for RSS and ARCA tripod head interfaces is the next step for those with greater stability needs. If the future for rifle tripod adapters looks bright, Magpul just makes it blindingly bright.

 

All Photographs by Doc Montana

 

 

The post Survival Gear Review: Magpul M-LOK Tripod Adaptor appeared first on Survival Cache.

The average range environment tends to box shooters into a situation that focuses more on safety than it does on developing the skills you need to survive a gun battle. The safety angle isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Most shooting ranges are designed to accommodate both the expert shooter and the first-time shooter who has never handled a weapon in his or her life. In order to accomplish this mission, ranges operate under a series of safety rules that prevent things like prone, crouching, or kneeling shooting positions as well as any sort of movement or deviation from the firing line. Drawing from the holster is usually not permitted, unless the shooter happens to be law enforcement. The net result is that range shooters will typically have an incredibly narrow and focused shooting ability that is far less tactical than their military or law enforcement counterparts.

While you may not have access to a shooting area that permits any of the above described alternate shooting positions, there is a segment of your shooting that you are probably not as well practiced at. The one that you can practice in any indoor range – off-hand shooting.

 

Off-Hand Shooting

Sometimes referred to as weak-hand shooting (as opposed to strong-hand shooting), off-hand shooting is simply shooting with your non-dominant hand; if you’re right-handed, this means shooting with the left hand, and vice versa. To some people, switching hands results in the feeling of the gun being totally new and foreign to them; the feel is different. The angle over the sights might even be different depending on how you normally hold the gun in your dominant hand. Everything about off-hand shooting is different when you try it for the first time. Everything of course, except the fundamentals of marksmanship, which remain the same no matter the hand or the weapon you use.

 

Off-Hand Shooting Fundamentals

It’s easy to say that the fundamentals of marksmanship remain the same no matter the hand you use, but it’s difficult to put into practice. Sight picture and sight alignment will be almost identical; same for breath control. Trigger squeeze, however, often presents a problem since your dominant hand trigger finger may have learned to gently but firmly squeeze the trigger over the course of thousands of trigger pulls, whereas your non-dominant or off-hand has no such experience.

Handheld solar generator provides power in emergency situations

 

So why should we even practice off-hand shooting in the first place?

1. Because you have two hands. They should know how to do the same things as each other, especially with regards to firearms.
2. Because in a firefight there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to use your dominant hand. Circumstances will dictate with which hand you will reach for that gun.
3. Your dominant hand may become injured or unusable prior to or during a firefight.
4. You may be forced to shoot from behind a barricade or obstacle that favors your weak hand. For example, if you are right-handed and lean up against a corner, and want to shoot towards your right side, around the corner. To expose yourself to the target the least, you will have to shoot with your left hand.

Off-hand shooting is a skill that must be mastered. Try it at the range by simply switching hands – it’s that easy! For handguns, most people will do just as good – or sometimes better – than they do with their dominant hand. This is because they tend to spend more time lining up the shot. They more careful than they would be with their dominant hand, and thus are just as accurate. The downside is speed; few people unpracticed in off-hand shooting can crack off as many rounds as accurately as they could while shooting with their dominant hand – but thankfully that changes with practice.

 

Rifles

As far as rifles or shotguns go, the learning curve is a little steeper. You are holding the gun on a different side of your body than you normally would. A pistol held in the off hand is still in the middle of your body more or less. While a rifle is fully on the other side of your body than it normally would be. It’s like viewing your back yard from a neighbor’s house – the details are the same, but the viewpoint is different. Off-hand rifle shooting is a particularly useful skill for shooting around barricades that face the “wrong” angle and thus prevent you from using your dominant hand.

If you’ve never practiced off-hand shooting, consider picking up that handgun with the other hand. Or placing the butt of that rifle on the other shoulder. In doing so, you’ll pick up a new skill plus add a measure of versatility to your shooting.

 

The post Why You Must Practice Off-Hand Shooting For Survival appeared first on Off The Grid News.

When preparing for disaster, it is necessary to consider our pets. When unpredictable disasters strike, it is not uncommon that thousands of animals are left behind or left to fend for themselves. Remember, house pets are not equipped for this kind of survival. Our furry friends have basically been spoon fed since birth. We have taken care of their every need, and we can’t expect that they will turn from lap pets to wild animals overnight. Preparing might be as easy as having an extra bag of dry food with you but that’s not the case for all pets. Consider their individual needs and current diets. Then get prepared for your animals by stocking up on food for them that can get you through a week, minimum. Here are some basic tips and foods that can give you a good start.

• Be sure you can feed them for 1-2 weeks.
• Food that can also be used for human consumption is ideal
• Know your pet’s current digestive/health needs and adapt
• Purchase dry nutrient powders for your pets to add to food or water
• Consider purchasing a bin of freeze dried pet food

Cats

We suggest having a bag of dry food set aside, but some cats have dietary needs that will require you to have softer foods on hand. Aside from stocking up on wet canned food for cats, grab some bags or cans of tuna that are versatile and can be used for you as well. Cats love tuna and it is very nutritious, giving them lots of protein.

You should also have a bag of dry white rice that can be boiled. Mixing this with tuna is a great, nourishing option for both you and your cat.

Dogs

Dogs need vegetables and meat sauce. They tend to do better with richer grains so brown rice is a better option. We recommend having a bag of brown rice, dried meat such as a good quality beef jerky and freeze dried vegetables. With this, you have everything you need for nutritious and filling meals as long as you can boil some water and add these items to your cooked rice. The best part, man’s best friend can share this hefty meal. Again, a bag of dried dog food is also wise to have on hand, but consider the heavy weight as you make your survival plan.

If you have a variety of pets in your home, be mindful of the different needs and pack accordingly. Our animals deserve our preparation. Animals also need an adequate supply of clean drinking water, a food bowl and a cooking pot. Your beloved pets will be grateful for your extra planning when SHTF.

While I may be a bit over the top with my home defense gun storage, I would rather be way overprepared than underprepared.

I’ve put a lot of thought into where weapons should be placed throughout my house. Each one is in a very specific location, and serves its own distinct purpose. The way that I have placed my weapons was based on a few different threat levels that I assessed. All total, I store weapons in five rooms.

 

Level One Home Defense Gun Storage

The first threat level that I considered was an immediate threat. To me, an immediate threat constitutes someone actively breaking into my house. In this situation, I would like a firearm easily accessible and ready to rock.

The weapon that is best in an immediate threat is a shotgun in the bedroom. I view the most dangerous situation to be someone breaking into my house in the middle of the night. I generally still have my daily carry weapon in my nightstand, so it’s easy to grab on the way out the door.  A shotgun permanently lives on the wall above my nightstand in a custom concealed weapon case. The reason that I decided to go with a shotgun in the bedroom is that I’m a pretty heavy sleeper, and in the event that someone is actively breaking into my house, I like the point-and-shoot ease-of-use of a shotgun.

The next weapons that I considered for use against an immediate threat are handguns. Handguns are kept in the rooms that I am most frequently in.  I have a revolver tucked away in my living room and in my kitchen. Similar to my shotgun, these are all concealed in some type of box or case that is easy to open.

Pocket Sized Solar Generator Provides Dependable Power In Times Of Crisis

 

Level Two Home Defense Gun Storage

To me, a secondary threat constitutes someone lingering suspiciously around my house or poking around my vehicles too much. It’s a situation where I’m not planning on immediately engaging a threat, but I’m getting the feeling that something is wrong and I want to be ready in the event the unpredictable happens. For a secondary threat, I want a handgun with a higher ammunition capacity near the back door and the garage door of my house, so that I can easily grab it and throw it in a sweatshirt pocket or the waist of my pants to see what’s going on. I conceal these in boxes on shelves.

 

Level Three Home Defense Gun Storage

The last threat level that I considered is the unlikely chance that I’m engaged in some type of firefight or a gunfight that moves out of the house. To me, these are the kind of weapons that can be tucked away in a closet or in a safe. It is not necessary for me to have them immediately accessible. In my situation, I have my AR-15 with three loaded magazines in my closet.

 

Safety First

Lastly, I will touch on safety. A headline we see all too frequently involves young children getting a parent’s weapon and accidentally harming or killing someone – perhaps themselves. Since I don’t have any children, I have absolutely no qualms leaving my weapons completely ready to go. Every single weapon in my house has a round in the chamber, with the exception of the AR. However, as soon as I do have kids, things will be different. I’ll still keep the magazines loaded, but I will refrain from keeping a round in the chamber. A habit that I will have to break is simply leaving my daily carry weapon on my nightstand. Weapons should be up high and even locked away where a young child can’t reach.

Like I said, I am probably over the top on home defense. I feel that being overprepared is far superior to being underprepared. My biggest concern when it comes to home defense is being adequately prepared to engage any threat that may face me or my family.

Where do you keep your guns in your home? And if you have children, how do you keep your weapons out of reach? Share your home-defense tips in the section below:  

The post Home Defense Gun Storage: In 5 Different Rooms-Here’s Why. appeared first on Off The Grid News.

Major cities all over America are being transformed into rotting, decaying, disease-infested hellholes, and it doesn’t exactly take a genius to figure out why this is happening.  Our actions are the product of our belief systems, and the major U.S. cities where the conditions are the worst are always dominated by a particular political ideology.  If the citizens of those major cities like the results that they are currently getting, then they should just continue to do what they have been doing.  But if they want real change, then those citizens are going to have to be willing to make fundamentally different choices than they have been making in the past.

Today, large cities all over the country are dealing with mountains of feces, millions of rats and horrific diseases that we once had completely under control.  Let’s start our tour in Philadelphia, where cases of Hepatitis A are starting to spread like wildfire…

Philadelphia usually sees no more than six cases of Hepatitis A annually, said Abernathy. City officials count 117 confirmed cases this year to date, with more under investigation.

The Kensington, ground zero of the region’s opioid crisis, where many people struggling with addiction live on the streets, has grappled with poop on the street, in parks and on porches for years. Hepatitis A spreads primarily through contact with fecal matter.

“There’s so much human feces on the ground it’s unbelievable,” said Jacelyn Blank, a board member of the East Kensington Neighbors Association and the co-founder of the group Philly Tree People, which plans and cares for trees in the city’s many leaf-deprived neighborhoods.

It is difficult to read those words without being totally grossed out.

And in case you are wondering, Philadelphia has been run by Democrats for a very long time.

Another major city that has been dominated by Democrats for an extended period of time is Seattle, and it is yet another “liberal utopia” that has a “very serious poop problem on its hands”…

A recent string of power outages reportedly sent at least 4.5 million gallons of raw sewage from wastewater treatment plants throughout Seattle directly into the crisp waters of Puget Sound, once again illustrating that this leftist-run metropolis has a very serious poop problem on its hands.

Whenever the power goes out in Seattle, it seems that all hell breaks loose at its sewage facilities, which end up polluting the otherwise pristine beaches and waterways of coastal Washington without prejudice. Even as city leaders maintain strict focus on plastic straws and disposable bags as being the biggest issues that Seattle faces, it’s all of this raw sewage that’s the real problem – and the one that’s not being addressed or fixed.

Further south, beaches in Los Angeles are being “completely overrun with fecal bacteria”.  Just check out what Dr. Drew Pinsky told Laura Ingraham during a recent appearance on her show…

As Dr. Drew told Ingraham, small amounts of runoff in various places along the coast is normal, but there is now a consistent, recurring water contamination problem. He believes that the 60- to 80,000 homeless people defecating, urinating and bleeding directly into gutters on a daily basis is the major source of contamination. All that sewage and human waste makes its way into the L.A. River and Santa Ana River Basin, ultimately ending up in the oceans.

Dr. Drew noted:

“There is an organization out here called Heal the Bay which keeps tabs on safety of our beaches in Southern California, from Orange County to Ventura. Since the rains last Winter, [Heal the Bay] has been giving our beaches C’s to F’s, and F means completely overrun with fecal bacteria. What comes with that are other things like syringes, Hepatitis A and other infectious diseases.”

Not too long ago, I wrote an entire article about the struggles that Los Angeles is facing regarding the mountains of trash and piles of human feces that are seemingly everywhere, and these unsanitary conditions are being blamed for the sudden outbreak of typhus cases…

Officials have not managed to explain why typhus is suddenly spreading in the area as nine cases have been recorded in downtown LA in the past two months. They are investigating the issue.

Several homeless people who live near City Hall have also contracted the diseases as human waste and trash litters the nearby sidewalks.

Needless to say, Los Angeles has been run by Democrats for a very, very long time.

San Francisco has been firmly controlled by Democrats for decades as well, and nobody has a bigger problem with human feces in the streets than they do…

San Francisco’s escalating homeless crisis continues to impact thousands of residents across the Bay Area, with officials confirming they’ve responded to nearly 6,700 reports of “human waste” in the first quarter of 2019 alone.

But at least San Francisco doesn’t have as many rats as Los Angeles does.  Millions of rats are rampaging through the city as you read this article, and they are leaving their “droppings” just about everywhere…

The city’s rodent population has now “exploded” into a serious public health risk.

“Rats are everywhere,” Niamh Quinn, Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor with University of California, told KNBC Los Angeles in June. “And it’s just not acceptable to expose people to this amount of disease.”

After inspecting an area of LA’s Produce District, a shocked Quinn said: “I’ve never seen this many droppings, ever.”

Another Democrat-controlled major city that is making global headlines because it is so rat-infested is Baltimore.  In fact, things are so bad there that Animal Planet actually ranked it number 3 on their list of the “Top 10 Worst Rat Cities in the World”…

“Baltimore’s rat problem is bad enough that at one point, rats tunneled so intensely beneath a particular area of pavement that when garbage collectors drove over it, their truck sunk up to its axles,” reported the TV network. “Rats in the vicinity took full advantage of the mishap and swarmed the truck, gorging on the garbage inside.”

The network listed Baltimore number 3 on the “Top 10 Worst Rat Cities in the World.”

And since we are talking about Baltimore, I also wanted to mention that Baltimore’s homicide rate is ten times the national average.  I have been to Baltimore many, many times in my life, and to be honest I am not too keen to go back any time soon.

But as bad as things are in Baltimore, there are many who believe that the rat problem in Chicago is even worse…

The grand prize, however, must be awarded to Chicago. Topping Orkin’s list for four years running, the city is America’s undisputed rat king. According to a separate study conducted by the apartment search service Rent Hop, Chicago officials received more rat complaints than any other city in the country in 2017, observing a 55 percent increase over the three years prior.

By now, you have probably figured out what I am going to say next.

Yes, Chicago is run by Democrats and it has been for ages.

As I explained in my most recent book, bad beliefs lead to bad choices, and bad choices have unpleasant consequences.

If you live in a community that is deteriorating, the only way that things are going to turn around is if the people of that community start making better choices.

And the same thing can be said for the nation as a whole.  America has been making unfortunate choices for a very long time, and if we want to have any hope of ever turning things around, we have got to start making fundamentally different choices.

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.

Editor’s note: if you enjoy this article, check out Doc Montana discussing this same topic in much more depth on The Survival Cache Podcast; find it here: Seven Deadly Prepper Sins

Recycling cans is good. But recycling faulty intel is bad. Yet so much of the general prepping information floating around includes recycled information based more on wishful thinking and popular fiction than on science and historical lessons.

By Doc Montana, contributing author to SHTFblog and Survival Cache

Common sense has its limits. Sitting in a comfy chair designing your post apocalyptic survival strategy can be entertaining, but play your scenario out further with all the grit of a real SHTF and you will quickly see that many prepper plans might be little more than lipstick on a pig. So here are my 7 Deadly Prepper Sins based on my observations while hanging out next to the recycling bin to see what people toss into it.

1. SEARCHING OUT OTHERS WITH LIKE MINDS. Everyone can disagree about something. Spouses who have pledged their lives to each other still snap and growl over the smallest things. Even tight families blow up at each other over the holidays. So why would you want to shack up with or bug out with a bunch of people that you don’t plan on being able to disagree with? My point exactly. You should stock up on smart people, talented people, skilled people, strong people. Avoid those “yes men” who you think share the same values, purpose, and identity as you. Instead, you should be ready to make a community work with diverse ideas, skills, honest disagreements, and dare I say, democracy. But if you need a dictatorship of like minds to survive, then I’d give it a 50/50 chance of ending well for you and your clan without the likely intervention of competing clans. Under constant stress, I’d give a compound of like minds ten percent or less chance.

2. HAVE PLENTY OF ITEMS FOR BARTER. I hear this all the time and cannot believe it’s still a thing. So much so that I’ve met preppers who have easily crossed the line from prepping to hoarding. Barter is fine when things are good, but barter at any other time is just asking to be robbed or worse. Now I’m not against bartering, but Doc Montana’s rule for Barter is simple: My skills for your stuff.  Or my skills for your skills. Once your own stuff enters the barter equation, you are on the losing end of the deal. Unless you are trading with a truly virtuous person, you will be considered a minor soft obstacle between your stuff and what someone else wants. And those truly virtuous will unfortunately be weeded out quickly by the black evil that will populate the WROL landscape.

3. THERE WILL BE A NEW CURRENCY OF BULLETS OR SILVER COINS OR…. The simple brick wall that a new currency will hit is in the unknown quantity. The paycheck-to-paycheck prepper sees the small picture. But those with real assets will need to move wealth around in more than scrap gold or pre-1965 dimes. All hard assets will rapidly exceed the value to small pseudo-currency items. If we are to maintain an economy of scalable resources like housing, land, and employment, then there will be a need for large-scale asset movement. And boxes of .22 shells won’t cut it. Further, for a currency to work, it must have an agreed upon value that transfers between people. Paying a million dollars for a painting does not mean you have a million dollars of collateral. It just means in your personal economic sphere, you chose a painting over the liquid asset of a million dollars. It also means you now have a piece of colorful canvas that requires care and feeding if it is to reamass any value when we emerge from darkness. But until then, the currency of the future is limited to the need and imagination between any two parties at that specific moment in time. And as we’ve seen even today, people will trade anything to save a loved one’s life. And I’d argue that it’s impossible to negotiate fairly when one of the parties has an empty belly.

4. STOCKPILE FOODS YOU ARE USED TO EATING. Recycled wisdom will have you believe that you should store food that you eat regularly. That way your digestive system and taste buds will be fine with eating on the run. This Bug Out Mistake is doubly bad. First, bug out food should be chosen on an entirely different nutrition philosophy than daily food. In fact, it is roughly the opposite. Your daily food intake should be a balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates with a preference towards the freshest foods closest to their natural state. In other words not processed. Bug out food, on the other hand, is highly processed with a long shelf life, high in sodium, preservatives, and far from fresh. And if your current daily diet mimics bug out food, well then you likely have some dietary issues that will cause you more serious problems whether you need to bug out or not. Just sample your prepping food to know what you’re in for.

5. COUNTING ON ONLY NINE MEALS FROM ANARCHY. The concept here is that civil society will only remain so as long as bellies are full. And after three days of no food, it will be game-on WROL. In reality, the WROL alarm clock will go off long before the pangs of hunger drive our reactions. More likely the flow of information or lack there of will push society over the edge. An EMP would cause near instant reaction, and not in a good way. The first unchallenged looting will signal the end of civility. And using recent history as a model, depending on the situation, it could be three days, three hours, or even three minutes to anarchy. So read the signs and jump the gun.

6. 

   Heating the bacon grease

   ENDING YOUR PREPS WITH THREE WAYS TO MAKE A FIRE. The mistake here is not in the number of ways to start a fire, nor in the selection of choices, but rather in the outright lack of ways to maintain a fire. Campfires are hungry beasts. Even a small fire requires pounds of fuel per hour. A cooking fire even more. So the focus on fire starting at the expense of continuous firewood processing is an oversight that can be deadly in more ways than one. The initial tinder of a fire is small and fast burning, but a mature campfire requires a supply of larger fuel that will only burn as efficiently as the wood is processed. Dragging a downed tree across the fire is hardly a smart play for controlling a bug out fire. So have on hand big tools including an axe, a bow saw, a hatchet. In fact add a splitting maul, splitting wedge, and sledge hammer if you are truly serious. Don’t forget the gloves!

7. BELIEVING YOU ARE PREPARED. A common theme that runs through prepper-oriented advertising, and in fact the very word prepper, is the belief that you can be prepared. In reality, “prepping” is nothing but a continuum or spectrum of possible situations for which you have potential solutions. Of course you should work towards preparedness, but the deadly sin here is to reach a point of contentment where you now believe you have the means and skills necessary to survive your predicted scenarios. But here’s the catch: things on planet earth are actually quite good right now. If you’ve invested money, time, energy, and loads of thought into a project, it is easy to let that project drive your future decisions. Patiently waiting for a collapse, or hoping for a little economic or civil shakeup so you can go into active prepper mode is not only dangerous, but also unpatriotic. It means you have given up on the great American experiment. Any downfall might get your prepper juices flowing, but it will traumatize and terrorize children who are the next generation of leaders of this great country. Stockpiled preps should never be a comfortable excuse to burn down institutions that America built over centuries. Like a 250 year old tree, once you cut it down, the landscape is forever changed, and it will never be as good as it was. At least not for another few centuries. So prep with goodness in your heart, not darkness in your future.

While there is plenty of room for debate here with these 7 Deadly Prepper Sins, all seven are based in reality. Whether science, psychology, history or economics, we humans have amassed a great wealth of knowledge and personal predictability. Therefore imagining anything to the contrary is pure fiction simply because there is little evidence to support the recycled intel, and ample evidence to discount it. Oh, and stay tuned for my 7 Deadly Bug Out Sins.