Thursday, January 26, 2017

Ozark Prepper Homestead

 Preppers are self-reliant and like doing things on their own.  But have you given thought to being part of a Prepper Homestead?  The authors of this blog have their group, with a few openings, but the My Ozark Homestead group has lots of room for people wanting a Prepper or summer retreat in the remote mountains. Click the link above to see what they have to offer... things like a green house, garden, live stock and underground bunker.
http://myozarkhomestead.com/ 

For additional information see the following:

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Modern Home Security

According to the FBI, a home burglary occurs every 13 seconds. These criminals tend to be desperate people looking to steal things they can turn into quick cash. To read more on this topic, click HERE
 
Burglars do not like lights, loud sounds and dogs. Some of the best things you can do are good lighting, motion lights or alarms and a big dog bowl. Solar powered motion detecting lights last for years, maintenance free and work during power failures (or sabotage). Here are a few good passive lights that are solar powered and use common AA so they can double as solar battery chargers:
2)  Economy version

Another good deterrent are light timers that make it look like you are home, even when you are away. By plugging a timer in to a timer, you can add an element of randomness that prevents burglars from realizing you are actually gone and just using a timer that is on/off at the same time each day Here is a budget for some simple security improvements:


Go one step further and add my favorite motion detecting game camera for $110; batteries and 32 GB Memory chip not included.  There are cheaper ones, but these are the best and good alkaline batteries last 6 - 12 months; good rechargeable batteries last about 4 - 6 months.

For additional information see the following link:

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Alone Survival Plan


You have been accepted as 1 of the 10 participants on the HISTORY CHANNEL ALONE Survival Season 10.  

What is your plan?


First you must select the 10 personal items to carry with you.  Here are some lists to consider: 
1. Season 1 Participants pack list
2. Season 2
3. Season 3
4. Below are the 10 items I would select.  It is a nomadic list intended for a light, low energy, temporary camp sight, but heavy on tools for getting food, especially larger animals that could prove to be a game changer in the competition. Imagine getting a hundred pounds of deer or wild pig that could last you for months if rationed and supplemented with other things.

After my 10 items are selected, and I've been delivered to my location, here is my plan:

Day 1: 
  1. Scout around for an hour or two to select a temporary camp site.  Look for a dry location, out of the wind (if cold), in a windy area (if there is heavy bug infestation), near water and sunshine. Be sure to gather any edible plants, cordage or potential resources when ever traveling & always have your Bow & Arrows with you.
  2. Make a good spear / walking stick for defense and spearing fish using my hunting knife (personal item #1) and later fire harden the tip.
  3. Set up a quick low A frame tent with the para-cord (personal item #6) and the common tarp.  Design in some water catchment at the bottom of the tarp sides by having a curled edge.
  4. Gather in enough small fire wood to stay warm through the night, or camp near a large log that you can burn without having to cut it up.
  5. Dig a hole in your shelter to set up a small fire with a pot of water ready to light and boil later.  Plan on a bigger fire out front at a later time.
  6. Working our way further and further from camp, set out fishing lines until about two hours before dark, using my fishing hooks and string (personal item #7). It is extremely critical that you get your food generation in place early, before your energy starts running low.  Automate the process as much as possible with traps and nets that can make multiple catches with out having to be reset.   
  7. As time permits, set out two predator traps using spring loaded wire lines with large treble fish hooks (personal item #7), then a few snare traps using the wire (personal item #8) until an hour before dark.
  8. With an hour till dark (4 fingers), head back to camp, checking the fish lines on the way.  Be sure to gather any edible plants when ever traveling.
  9. Cook in your boiling water and consume a pound of fish (if any) along with any plants you were able to forage.  Dry the remainder of your meat over the fire.
  10. Spread fire ashes around your camp to deter insects.  Pee on several trees around your camp to deter 4 legged guests.
Day 2:
  1. Check fish lines, predator traps and snares. Be sure to gather any edible plants when ever traveling and seek additional resources.
  2. Process any meat acquired. Build racks to dry meat and places (bear bag) to store food in multiple places so it is protected from predators. Para cord or vines can suspend it up high. Use waste / by-products for chum to draw other fish and as bait.
  3. Continue setting out more as you move further and further from camp and look for additional camp sites in the process.  Primitive Sapiens were wanderers, hunters and gathers, until they were able to domesticate animals (goats) and grow plants (wheat) around 9,000 BC.  This is not going to happen here, so as resources are exhausted near our existing camp, we will move to a new (more bountiful) area.
  4. Once all fishing lines, snares and predator traps are set and harvested, begin hunting using the Bow and Arrows (personal item #10)
  5. Spend the last hour of daylight each day at camp improving the comfort and convenience, but no more as it consumes too many calories and our primary focus needs to be on finding calories, not expending them. For example, do NOT cut small firewood pieces but rather leave them in long lengths and burn them in half as you use them
Day 3 forward:
  1. Continue checking fish lines, snares, foraging for plants, hunting and seeking a more bountiful camp site. In the process, move the fish lines and snares to new locations further from the existing camp, but closer to the next camp site. 
  2. Relocate to the new camp site as your daily harvest begins to decline. Its important to build food stores for a rainy day. 
  3. Grow your tool supply.  Flint nap some arrow and spear tips; build more traps.  Each time you relocate, leave a fish line behind that can catch multiple fish and that you can come back to periodically and check.  Stash extra tools, cordage, food, etc. at old camp locations that you can come back for if needed.  Don't try to carry everything with you. 
  4. Broaden the range that you cover.  Exploring forward on some days, inland on some days and periodically go back to check the left behind traps.  

For additional information see the following links:

 
 
Survival Pack (Security Patrol or Bug Out pack)  
Greenbriar (catbriar) 
Or click on a label below for similar topic

Sunday, January 1, 2017

5 C's of Survival

Like the Rule of 3, the 5 C's of Survival is a tool to help you organize your thinking process.  This is particularly important in a Survival Situation because your decision making ability is impaired as you become tired, dehydrated and hungry.  

The five (5) C's include the following:
  1. Cutting tool - Knife
  2. Combustion - Fire
  3. Cover - Shelter
  4. Container - boil water
  5. Cordage- multiple uses
Dave Canterbury of Dual Survival introduced this in Dual Survival - "After the Storm," aired in August 13, 2010. I like to imagine a picture of a camp fire, in front of my tarp shelter, with a small pot suspended over it by paracord as I cut food for the pot. Regardless of how you remember, these are some minimal needs for wilderness survival. Our Wilderness Survival Pack video below shows a lot more to consider as does the Deserted Island Survival link.


For additional information see the following links: 
Blog Table of Contents;
Alone Survival Show Pack Contents
Alone Season 2 Pack Contents 

Edible Wild Plants
Greenbriar (catbriar)
Cattails 
Dandelion
Chickweed & Hackberries
Survive on a Deserted Island