Alaska Preppers Network

2011-12-25T12:35:00.001-08:00

Merry ChristMass to all!

Casey in Alaska

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We are moving to wordpress

2011-12-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

The APN sites are moving to wordpress, the new url will be www.Alaska.PreppersNetwork.com

Tsunami Safety Tips

2011-03-11T08:12:00.001-08:00

Tsunami Safety Tips
From Janet Liebsch
Website: "It's a Disaster and What are You Gonna Do about it?"

A tsunami [soo-nah´-mee] is a series of huge, destructive waves caused by an undersea disturbance from an earthquake, volcano, landslide, or even a meteorite. As the waves approach the shallow coastal waters, they appear normal and the speed decreases. Then, as the tsunami nears the coastline, it turns into a gigantic, forceful wall of water that smashes into the shore with speeds exceeding 600 miles per hour (965 km/h)! Usually tsunamis are about 20 feet (6 m) high, but extreme ones can get as high as 100 feet (30 m) or more!

A tsunami is a series of waves and the first wave may not be the largest one, plus the danger can last for many hours after the first wave hits. During the past 100 years, more than 200 tsunamis have been recorded in the Pacific Ocean due to earthquakes and Japan has suffered a majority of them.

The Pacific Ocean tsunami warning system was put in place back in 1949. As of June 2006, the Indian Ocean has a tsunami warning system, and NOAA expanded the Pacific system to include the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and areas of the Atlantic around the U.S. coast as of mid-2007.

Did you know...

...a tsunami is not a tidal wave - it has nothing to do with the tide?!

...another name used to describe a tsunami is “harbor wave”

...“tsu” means harbor and “nami” means wave in Japanese?!

...sometimes the ocean floor is exposed near the shore since a tsunami can cause the water to recede or move back before slamming in to shore?!

...tsunamis can travel up streams and rivers that lead to the ocean?!

BEFORE A TSUNAMI:

Learn the buzzwords - Learn words used by both the West Coast / Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC - for AK, BC, CA, OR, and WA) and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC - for international authorities, HI and all U.S. territories within Pacific basin) for tsunami threats...
• Advisory - an earthquake has occurred in the Pacific basin which might generate a tsunami
• Watch - a tsunami was or may have been generated, but is at least 2 hours travel time from Watch area
• Warning - a tsunami was / may have been generated and could cause damage to Warning area - should evacuate

Learn risks - If new to area, call local emergency management office and ask what the warning signals are and what to do when you hear them. Coastal areas less than 25 feet above sea level and within a mile of shoreline along coasts are at greatest risk. Or visit http://www.tsunamiready.noaa.gov

Make a plan - Develop a Family Emergency Plan (e.g. establish meeting places, list of emergency contact #s, out of state contact person, etc) and Disaster Supplies Kits/BOBs.

Listen - Make sure you have a battery-operated radio (with spare batteries) for weather forecasts and updates. (Radios like Environment Canada’s Weatheradio and NOAA’s Weather Radio have a tone-alert feature that automatically alerts you when a Watch or Warning has been issued.)

Water signs - If near water or shore, watch for a noticeable rise or fall in the normal depth of coastal water - that’s advance warning of a tsunami so get to high ground. Also - if water pulls away from shoreline and exposes sea floor - run to higher ground ASAP!!

Feeling shaky...? - If you feel an earthquake in the Pacific Coast area (from Alaska down to Baja), listen to the radio for tsunami warnings.

Is that it...? - Don’t be fooled by the size of one wave - more will follow and they could get bigger … and a small tsunami at one beach can be a giant wave a few miles away!

Be ready to evacuate - Listen to local authorities and leave if you are told to evacuate.

DURING A TSUNAMI:

Leave - If you are told to evacuate, DO IT! Remember - a tsunami is a series of waves - the first one may be small but who knows what the rest will bring. Grab your BOB/Disaster Supplies Kit and GO!

IF ON OR NEAR SHORE - Get off the shore and get to higher ground quickly! Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean since tsunamis can travel up them too. You cannot outrun a tsunami ... if you see the wave it’s too late!

IF ON A BOAT - It depends where you are -- either get to land or go
further out to sea ...

• In port - May not have time to get out of port or harbor and out to sea - check with authorities to see what you should do. Smaller boats may want to dock and get passengers and crew to land quickly.

• In open ocean - DO NOT return to port if a tsunami warning has been issued since wave action is barely noticeable in the open ocean! Stay out in open sea or ocean until authorities advise danger has passed.

Don’t go there - Do NOT try to go down to the shoreline to watch and don’t be fooled by size of one wave - more will follow and they could get bigger so continue listening to radio and TV.

AFTER A TSUNAMI:

Listen - Whether on land or at sea, local authorities will advise when it is safe to return to the area -- keep listening to radio and TV updates.

Watch out - Look for downed power lines, flooded areas and other damage caused by the waves.

Don’t go in there - Try to stay out of buildings or homes that are damaged until it is safe to enter and wear sturdy work boots and gloves when working in the rubble.

Strange critters – Be aware that the waves may bring in many critters from the ocean (marine life) so watch out for pinchers and stingers!

RED or GREEN sign in window – After a disaster, Volunteers and Emergency Service personnel may go door-to-door to check on people. By placing a sign in your window that faces the street near the door, you can let them know if you need them to STOP HERE or MOVE ON.
Either use a piece of RED or GREEN construction paper or draw a big RED or GREEN “X” (using a crayon or marker) on a piece of paper and tape it in the window.
-- RED means STOP HERE!
-- GREEN means EVERYTHING IS OKAY…MOVE ON!
-- Nothing in the window would also mean STOP HERE!

Insurance - If your home suffers any damage, contact your insurance agent and keep all receipts for clean-up and repairs.

Mold - Consider asking a restoration professional to inspect your house for mold. Also check out http://www.epa.gov/mold

Some additional things to check and do...
- Check electrical system (watch for sparks, broken wires or the smell of hot insulation)
- Check appliances after turning off electricity at main fuse and, if wet, unplug and let them dry out. Call a professional to check them before using.
- Check water and sewage system and, if pipes are damaged, turn off main water valve.
- Throw out food, makeup and medicines that may have been exposed to flood waters and check refrigerated foods to see if they are spoiled. If frozen foods have ice crystals in them then okay to refreeze.
- Throw out moldy items that are porous (like rotten wood, carpet padding, furniture, etc.) if they’re too difficult to clean and remove mold. Remove standing water and scrub moldy surfaces with non-ammonia soap or detergent, or a commercial cleaner, rinse with clean water and dry completely. Then use a mixture of 1 part bleach to 10 parts clean water to wipe down surfaces or items, rinse and dry.
- Secure valuable items or move them to another location, if possible

Above extracted from IT'S A DISASTER! book (proceeds benefit APN)

Additional resources...

West Coast / Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC - for AK, BC, CA, OR, and WA) http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC - for international authorities, HI and all U.S. territories within Pacific basin) http://www.weather.gov/ptwc/

TsunamiReady:
http://www.tsunamiready.noaa.gov/

CDC's Tsunami page:
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/

Flood safety tips thread on APN:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=634&t=824

Earthquakes mitigation & safety tips discussion on APN:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=634&t=7288

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Tsunami Warning

2011-03-11T07:51:00.001-08:00

From: the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center:

To: U.S. West Coast, Alaska, and British Columbia coastal regions
From: NOAA/NWS/West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
Subject: Tsunami Warning and Advisory #10 issued 03/11/2011 at 6:47AM PST

The advisory and warning regions remain the same. New observations are listed below.

The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of California and Oregon from Point Concepcion, California to the Oregon-Washington border.

The Tsunami Warning continues in effect for the coastal areas of Alaska from Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak) to Attu, Alaska.

The Tsunami Advisory continues in effect for the coastal areas of California from the California-Mexico border to Point Concepcion, California.

The Tsunami Advisory continues in effect for the coastal areas of Washington, British Columbia and Alaska from the Oregon-Washington border to Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak).

A Tsunami Warning means that all coastal residents in the warning area who are near the beach or in low-lying regions should move immediately inland to higher ground and away from all harbors and inlets including those sheltered directly from the sea. Those feeling the earth shake, seeing unusual wave action, or the water level rising or receding may have only a few minutes before the tsunami arrival and should move immediately. Homes and small buildings are not designed to withstand tsunami impacts. Do not stay in these structures.

All residents within the warned area should be alert for instructions broadcast from their local civil authorities. A tsunami has been recorded.

A Tsunami Advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is expected. Significant, widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory. Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.

At 9:46 PM Pacific Standard Time on March 10, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 8.9 occurred near the east coast of Honshu, Japan . (Refer to the United States Geological Survey for official earthquake parameters.) This earthquake has generated a tsunami which could cause damage to coastal regions in a warning or advisory. Estimated tsunami arrival times and maps along with safety rules and other information can be found on the WCATWC web site.

Measurements or reports of tsunami activity:

 Location                   Lat.   Lon.    Time        Amplitude
 ------------------------  -----  ------  -------     ----------- Shemya  AK                52.7N  174.1E  1130UTC   05.1FT/01.56M
 Adak  AK                  51.9N  176.6W  1223UTC   01.8FT/00.56M
 Midway Is.  USA           28.2N  177.4W  1044UTC   05.1FT/01.55M
 Wake Is.  USA             19.3N  166.6E  0918UTC   01.7FT/00.52M
 Dutch Harbor  AK          53.9N  166.5W  1134UTC   01.6FT/00.48M
 Naha  Japan               26.2N  127.7E  1022UTC   01.6FT/00.49M
 Nikolski  AK              52.9N  168.9W  1342UTC   01.9FT/00.59M
 French Frigate Shoals     23.5N  166.2W  1334UTC   01.8FT/00.56M
 St Paul Is.  AK           57.1N  170.3W  1225UTC   02.0FT/00.61M
 Sand Point  AK            55.3N  160.5W  1347UTC   01.1FT/00.35M
 Nawiliwili Kauai  HI      22.0N  159.4W  1344UTC   02.5FT/00.76M
 Barbers Point  HI         21.5N  158.0W  1312UTC   02.3FT/00.70M
 Honolulu Oahu  HI         21.3N  157.9W  1316UTC   02.2FT/00.66M
 Kahului Maui  HI          20.9N  156.5W  1331UTC   05.7FT/01.74M
 Hilo  HI                  19.7N  155.1W  1343UTC   03.4FT/01.04M

Time - Time of measurement.
Amp. - Tsunami amplitudes are measured relative to normal sea level. It is NOT crest-to-trough wave height. Values are given in both meters (M) and feet (FT).

TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK TWO TO THREE HOURS AFTER INITIAL ARRIVAL ALONG THE NORTH AMERICAN COAST. FORECAST TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE WCATWC WEB SITE WCATWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV. THE TSUNAMI CCONTINUES TO IMPACT THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. THE OBSERVATIONS FROM THESE INITIAL WAVES MAY NOT REPRESENT THE HIGHEST IMPACT.
Tsunamis can be dangerous waves that are not survivable. Wave heights are amplified by irregular shoreline and are difficult to forecast. Tsunamis often appear as a strong surge and may be preceded by a receding water level. Mariners in water deeper than 600 feet should not be affected by a tsunami. Wave heights will increase rapidly as water shallows. Tsunamis are a series of ocean waves which can be dangerous for several hours after the initial wave arrival. DO NOT return to evacuated areas until an all clear is given by local civil authorities.

Pacific coastal regions outside California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska should refer to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center messages for information on the event.

This message will be updated in 60 minutes or sooner if the situation warrants. (For updates please go to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center:) The tsunami message will remain in effect until further notice. For further information stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, your local TV or radio stations, or see the WCATWC web site.

Link to Standard Warning Message
Link to Public Warning Message
Link to XML/CAP Message
Link to Printable Message

Download these free Tsunami Survival and Preparedness manuals from www.FreeSurvivalDisk.com

- Fact Sheet - Tsunami

- Tsunami

Alaska Preppers Roll Call - All Preppers Please Check In

2011-03-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

The American Preppers Network is conducting a network-wide roll call. Whether you are a member or not please check in and let us know what you are doing to prepare.

This is a good opportunity to network with other preppers near you.

Alaska Preppers, to respond to the roll call please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=222&t=9245

Reply to the Roll Call and let us know what you have been doing to prepare.

If you are not yet a member of the forum you can register here for free:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

Hibernating Bears and Humans

2011-02-26T21:10:00.001-08:00

How can hibernating bears help gravely ill humans awaiting transplants? Watch this video to find out.

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Marc Faber Says President Obama is a Prostitute

2011-01-26T12:23:00.000-08:00

Referenced via The Daily Crux with transcription and commentary provided by Zero Hedge:

Earlier, Marc Faber appeared on Bloomberg TV, in what may go down in history as his most scandalous interview ever. When asked, in advance of the SOTU address, what he thinks of the president, Faber, who appears to have had enough with all the bullshit, propaganda, and lies, replies:

“I think he’s done a horrible job and I think that will continue, I think he is a dishonest person, and nothing has changed… Some politicians are more honest than others. I don’t think that I have a very high regard for politicians, I have a high regard for businessmen and for people who work, and not for people who abuse the system continuously. And in comparison to other politicians, I think he came in on a platform as a president that would want to change the government in Washington, and actually he’s made it worse… We foreigners, we just laugh at someone like Mr. Obama. I was very critical of Mr. Bush, but at least he had one line and he stuck to that line, and at least he set out to do a thing and he was relatively straight on the thing that he did. He may have been wrong, but at least he didn’t change his mind continuously, and didn’t prostitute himself.”

If nothing else, how many other people do you know who will compare, in front of a live Bloomberg audience, the president of the formerly greatest country in the world to a whore?

As for what Faber thinks the real state of the union address should be, he says:

“I think what should happen in the US is for the president to tell the US, you have to tighten your belts. ‘We have to go through hard times for 5 years to repair the damage that was committed over 20-25 years by the Federal Reserve, by the Treasury, by the politicians, and somebody has to tell the truth. But the politicians keep on fueling the illusion that you can spend yourself out of the misery, and that by printing money you will improve the economy, which is not the case.”

On the topic of the Fed and relative performance:

You don’t know. Maybe [Bernanke] will resign. After he sees the disaster he has created he may resign. Or he may be disposed, who knows. But all i want to say is in terms of investments we have a very interesting situation, because from the March lows, the EM universe has performed fantastically well, and industrial commodities have done fantastically well, and the US has underperformed everything. And now we have a change: the US may outperform, it may not go up, but may go down less than emerging markets.

On his latest opinion on Treasurys

In the long-run, for sure US Treasurys and most government bonds are a suicidal investment. But as a shorter-term timeframe, and I think for the next three months or so, I think we have a situation where stock markets have become very overbought, and emerging markets in January, most of them failed to make new highs above the November, December highs, and recently some of them have sold off very considerably, plus the Chinese market is giving you a signal that something is not right in the Chinese economy, because it is going down. For the next three months you have to shift out of the Emerging Markets, they may correct 20-30%, out of industrial commodities, on a relative basis. And I think the sentiment, just recently, was overly optimistic on the reflation trade, and overly negative about treasury bonds, so treasury bonds right now are oversold, and as of tonight I got the buy signal on US Treasurys. I think Treasury are the best place for the next 3 months, as is the US dollar. I think a correction is coming in the range of 10% in the S&P and 20-30% in the emerging markets.

On all the current batch of Davos participants:

I dont think the ‘thinkers’ are in Davos. I think it’s a group of liars, and people that go along with the system, and perpetuate fraud and abuse, and dubious practices in the financial system.

As for what he thinks of Keynesianism, and gold, well, we’ll just let you hear that for yourselves.

Author: Mac Slavo
Date: January 26th, 2011
Visit the Author's Website: http://www.SHTFplan.com/

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Do you think this Constitution-loving is getting out of hand?

2011-01-08T16:02:00.000-08:00

Author: Mac Slavo

- January 5th, 2011

Joy Behar and Bill Press discuss Republicans’ announcement that the Constitution will be read when the new Congress is convened:

Behar: Do you think this Constitution-loving is getting out of hand? I mean, is it a nod to the Tea Party? What is this about, exactly? And, Is it the first time a lot of congressmen will have heard about it, read it?

Press: First of all, I think on the one hand, it’s hooray for Hollywood. It’s just a so obvious - publicity stunt. I gotta tell you there could be some benefit here, because I think most Republicans haven’t read the Constitution, to be honest. I hope they listen carefully. There’s some good stuff in there about the right of privacy they probably never heard before. There’s something in there that says only Congress can declare war, not a President of the United States. I bet they never heard of that before.

Behar: Probably never did.

Ms. Behar’s questioning of the reading of the Constitution in Congress comes on the heels of another mainstream media analyst who takes issue with Constitution loving. MSNBC’s Ezera Klein recently said, “the issue of the Constitution is that the text is confusing and was written more than one hundred years ago.” According to Ezra, people don’t read the text of the document and believe they’re following something that isn’t actually in it.

One example of someone who may or may not have read the document is Bill Press who seems a bit confused himself. He is apparently unaware that no such “right to privacy” is defined in the Constitution. Our founding document does, however, provide protections in the fourth amendment so that the people are secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures without probable cause or a warrant. It seems neither Joy Behar, Bill Press, DHS chief Janet Napolitano, or President Obama read that particular portion of the Constitution when they were supporting and/or implementing new security screening procedures at the Nation’s airports. The California Supreme Court itself may have failed to read the founding documents, as evidenced by a recent decision which claims law enforcement has the right to search the cell phone of anyone taken into custody when placed under arrest in the state. Examples like this pervade our country and lead to thousands of Constitutional violations by federal and state officials every day.

While it can’t be denied that many of the Republicans in Congress are in it to make a show of the reading of the Constitution, We the People are somewhat bemused that our politicians didn’t think of it sooner, especially when you consider that Congressional representatives take an oath which specifically says:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.”

It may be in the best interests of the country for those representing us in the Federal government to not only read the Constitution every time a new Congress convenes, but to take a preliminary pass or fail assessment prior to their their names being added to the ballot. The assessment would simply ask potential House and Senate candidates to match the amendment number with what it actually says. We could even standardize the test with multiple choice answers to ensure the test is culturally and socially sensitive.

When you take an oath to support or uphold something, it’s usually a good idea to understand what that entails.

Author: Mac Slavo
Date: January 5th, 2011
Visit the Author's Website: http://www.SHTFplan.com/

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Feds target airline pilot for exposing TSA security sham on YouTube

2010-12-27T05:57:00.001-08:00

A Sacramento-based airline pilot is the subject of a federal investigation for exposing what he says are serious flaws in the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) airport security protocols. According to ABC News10 in Sacramento, the 50-year-old pilot who requested to remain anonymous says that TSA applies its strict screening protocols to passengers and even flight crews, but ground crews are freely able to access secure areas with a simple card swipe.

"As you can see, airport security is kind of a farce," the pilot explains in his video, as he shows an entrance to a secure area. "It's only smoke and mirrors so you people believe there is actually something going on here."

The pilot has worked for his airline for more than ten years and had been issued a federal handgun to carry with him in the cockpit. But after blowing the whistle on the serious security breaches taking place at the airport, four federal air marshals and two sheriff's deputies shows up at his house to confiscate the weapon, and they also asked him to give up his state-issued concealed weapon carry permit.

On December 6, the pilot also received a letter from the TSA explaining that "an administrative review into your deputation status as a Federal Flight Deck Officer has been initiated," a move that he believes is a warning from the Feds saying not to mess with the system, unless you want to face the consequences.

According to the same ABC News10 report, the pilot's airline asked him to remove the videos from YouTube shortly after he posted them, but portions of the videos captured as part of the ABC News10 report can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwLG...

Monday, December 27, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030844_airline_pilot_TSA.html#ixzz19JiD3qDl

Sources for this story include:

http://www.news10.net/news/article....

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Swine flu pandemic outbreak sweeping through Britain even though 70 percent were vaccinated last year

2010-12-27T05:56:00.001-08:00

(NaturalNews) A swine flu pandemic is sweeping through Britain despite the fact that 70 percent of Britain's over-65 population was vaccinated against swine flu last year. This year, that number is nearly the same -- 68.5% -- but flu vaccine proponents insist that until everyone is vaccinated, the flu will continue to infect people.

What these vaccine advocates absolutely will not admit, however, is how many of those who are sick with the flu this year also got vaccinated last year. This little detail is left out of every mainstream media report on vaccines and the flu. They simply refuse to mention this all-important number, leaving readers to leap to the incorrect conclusion that only those who were not vaccinated get sick with the flu.

Most infected patients were previously vaccinated

That assumption is false. In fact, of the 450 critical care beds in England that are now occupied by flu patients, I have no doubt that most of those infected patients are people who received flu vaccines in the past.

Such statistics are never made available to the public or the press, of course. To release such statistics would expose the Great Lie of the vaccine industry: That flu vaccines simply don't work on 99 percent of people!

In fact, the people who are most susceptible to catching the flu are precisely the very same people who get vaccinated. Why is that? Because vaccines weaken the immune system in the long run, leaving you more vulnerable to future infections. They deny your immune system the opportunity to practice its own adaptive response to invading microorganisms or viruses, thereby causing your immune system to atrophy in the same way that a wheelchair-bound person will experience leg muscle atrophy.

The immune system is a lot like a muscle: Use it or lose it!

But flu vaccines provide weakened viruses to the immune system (along with other preservative chemicals that can be extremely dangerous to neurological health). It's sort of like working out your muscles at the gym but having your trainer do all the heavy lifting for you. Obviously you're not going to have very strong muscles in the end because your body won't need to invoke a very strong adaptive response.

The same is true with vaccines and the flu: If your body is exposed to weakened flu viruses year after year, it gets lazy and weak, and when it one day comes into contact with a full-strength virus circulating in the wild, it's not in good enough shape to handle the challenge.

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in Britain

At the same time this is going on, a person who is vitamin D deficient will also have an alarmingly weak immune system response because vitamin D activates the immune system to do its job. In people with extremely low vitamin D levels, even vaccines containing weakened viruses won't solicit an antibody response. But instead of testing patients for vitamin D deficiency and prescribing that with the vaccine, conventional medical doctors and contagious disease authorities robotically urge everyone to just "get multiple vaccine shots" as if following one failed vaccine with yet another failed vaccine will somehow make them both work.

That's idiotic, of course. And the other idiotic thing about all this is that if people had sufficient levels of vitamin D circulating in their blood, they wouldn't need seasonal flu vaccines in the first place! That's because a strong, healthy immune system with lots of circulating vitamin D is universally effective at halting ALL seasonal flu strains, with near 100% success in those with vitamin D levels between 50 - 70 (ng/dL).

The three main reasons behind Britain's flu pandemic

So the real reason Britain is suffering a swine flu pandemic right now is actually three-fold:

#1) It's winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and Britain is so far north (of the equator) that the people living there aren't currently generating any vitamin D whatsoever. This makes virtually the entire British population ridiculously vitamin D deficient throughout the winter.

#2) The majority of the British population has been subjected to flu vaccines in previous years, weakening their immune systems and making them more vulnerable to this year's flu strains.

#3) The flu strain itself is so successful in the wild precisely because so many Britons walk around in chronic states of immune suppression (from vitamin D deficiency, chronic stress, poor dietary habits and so on). This creates a "viral breeding ground" which encourages more rapid virus mutations that make vaccines obsolete anyway.

The question you are not allowed to ask vaccine quacks

The vaccine-pushing quack medical community believes that if they could magically convince 100 percent of the people to get vaccinated, they would have this problem licked. In their own minds, they have unscientifically convinced themselves that a vaccine equals automatic and full protection against a flu virus.

And yet even they won't dare ask this simple question: Of all the people sick from the flu who are right now lying in Britain's hospital beds, what percentage were vaccinated against the flu last year or this year?

The answer to that question will expose the outright fraud of the vaccine industry because the answer is a very large number. No one in the medical industry dares ask that question, of course, because they realize that delving into the actual re-infection rate of flu vaccine recipients would expose their quackery and fraud, causing yet more people to lose faith in vaccines which are, after all, sold based entirely on misplaced faith and clever propaganda.

The flu vaccine propaganda, of course, demands that people never be allowed to collide with the scientific facts about how many people who are vaccinated against the flu still catch the flu anyway. (The flu re-infection rate.) That's why you will NEVER see an honest answer to this question released by hospitals, vaccine companies or vaccine-pushing doctors.

Keep taking your flu jabs, everybody. But don't ask whether they actually work, because that question isn't allowed to be asked in the cult of medicine that dominates the sick-care landscape around the world today.

We wouldn't want actual science to interfere with a really profitable con job now, would we?

Monday, December 27, 2010
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030845_Britain_swine_flu.html#ixzz19JfOYEgc

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Alaska Preppers Roll Call

2010-11-27T09:41:00.001-08:00

The Alaska Preppers Network is conducting a Roll Call on our forum. If you are a prepper please check in.

* Here is a link to the Roll Call:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=222&t=6216

You have to be registered to check in. If you aren't registered please join here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

* If you are a HAM Radio Operator check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6219

* If you are an A.N.T.S. member please check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=618&t=6220

Prepping... yep sometimes it is late when you realize it.

2010-09-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Recently we had a couple earthquakes as well as a nice windstorm, which is still blowing in some areas.

Some people had some damage. Others had power outages. Others took it in stride.

Jamie at Woodside Gardens, learned her lesson and is grateful it was just a power outage… even if it may have been a little late. They at least got what they needed for prepping:

This weekend was a big eye opener for my family and I. Friday night we lost power, due to the unusually high winds sending an unusually high number of trees into the power lines. No big deal, right? We've weathered lots of power outages before! They never last more than a few hours, and we have lots of candles and blankets.

Saturday morning came, and we were still without power. Hmm. We don't own a generator. The 6 year old keeps forgetting to NOT flush the toilet, and now we have no water. Should we try to find a generator? Nah, the power will surely be back on in a few hours!

Saturday night, still no power. DON"T OPEN THE FREEZER!!! I have hundreds of dollars worth of food in the freezer, and if it thaws out, we're in trouble. And its getting really cold in here. Its 36 degrees outside.

Sunday morning, still no power. The house is very cold, and everything in the refrigerator is spoiled, including all the green beans I just harvested from the garden and hadn't had a chance to process yet. Husband decided that we have to get a generator NOW. Off to town we go, and had to look at 6 stores to find one. Imagine that, we weren't the only ones who decided we should get one! $800.00 later, we're on our way home, sure that the power will be on now that we spent all that money. Thank God we aren't burdened by credit cards any longer and had money in savings to pay cash.

What the Hell?! Now its SNOWING!!!

Back at home, the power still isn't on, so we get the generator running, and get the fridge, freezer and furnace plugged in by running extension cords through the kitchen window.. No well pump, as we aren't wired to switch it easily to generator power. If it was colder out, the well lines would all be frozen by now. We all took baby-wipe baths and snuggled in to watch a movie on the little TV that we plugged into the generator. If we hadn't gotten the generator, the freezers would be thawing by now.

We ran the generator all night last night. At 5:15 the alarm went off. Time for Rob to get ready for work. UGH. But then, a flash and a buzz, and on came the power! Yahoo!!! It was off for a total of 60 hours. If we hadn't left early Sunday to get the generator, they would have been all sold out and we would have been out of luck.

Top 5 things I learned from this ordeal...

1. Canning my produce, and even as much meat as I can, is a very good idea. The freezer is not a dependable food storage solution.

2. This is ALASKA. You need backup power. Dependable back up power. And you need the house wired for that backup power.

3. Kids get scared when the power goes off, even if they say they are fine.

4. Have emergency funds. Since we don't have credit cards (thank God) we would have been in a much worse situation if we had no way to buy the generator and emergency food and fuel.

5. I want a woodstove. You can heat with it AND cook with it.

I have a generator, but we didn't need it. We would have let Jamie and family borrow it if needed. I was more worried about the trees falling over:

When everyone was freaking out about SNOW, I was driving through Wasilla at that time going.. look at the SNOW on the Mountains. I didn’t see the soft fluffy cold stuff coming down, it was more sleet like but nothing to get worried about.

Now, there was a nasty windstorm a few das ago and the wind left big trees laying everywhere.. including on people’s houses. The lights were on when we got to our cabin, but the Toyo stove wasn’t working. Air bubble in the line it seems and MAN was it chilly last night. Hubby is driving back up tomorrow to fix it and then we are going to sit down and figure out what to do for sure. Rent out the Cabin for honeymooner types, and get together’s and mountaineers and so on? Or should we go long-term rental? Or should we just sell. Someone told us about their rental and what they did. I don’t know.. but the honeymoon rental would work. IN Alaska in a Cabin WITH running water and sewer… hmm. Something to think about for sure. And if you didn’t know, Talkeetna has a huge population explosion when you can climb Denali and they rent well and are usually cleaner then most people.

So always remember, crap happens anytime, anywhere. If you aren't prepared you are going to wish you had been.

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Calling All Alaskans

2010-09-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome our new member:

North Polean

Just a quick "Hi" to everyone here.Anyone here from Central Alaska Region?[Fairbanks,North Pole,Delta Junction].I am a firm believer in being prepared.As part of living in this Great State,you [I am']are constantly challenged with raging wildfires,river flooding,earthquakes,excessive cold,ice build-up on power lines in turn breaking them,[It was -50 or colder for 13 days straight ,winter before last],wolves and bears migrating through your yard endangering your animals.Yes,it is rough up here and its all part of living here.If you are not prepared here,you can quickly die.I add,and subtract,from my prep list weekly.Best wishes to all!

Please welcome our new member by following the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=6550&p=61547&sid=

evilbro03 from our forum has started a thread for Alaskan introductions. Check in here to introduce yourself
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=222&t=506

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How to Join The Alaska Preppers Network

2010-09-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Come learn survival, preparedness and sustainable living with us!

The Preppers networks are all about volunteering our knowledge and skills with each other. We share ideas, tips and basically network with each other to survive any type of disaster whether natural, man made, or economic. Information that you learn and share with others will help everyone learn how to find "Freedom Through Teaching Others Self Reliance."

Joining the Alaska Preppers Network is simple, and most of all, it's Free! To join, just follow these few steps.

1) Register to become a member of the American Preppers Network www.AmericanPreppersNetwork.net The registration page is here: http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

2) Once you have your account, go to the index page of the forum and do your first post by introducing yourself in the new members area. http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/index.php

3) Once you know how to do posts, visit the Alaska forum and introduce yourself. The Alaska forum can be found by scrolling to the lower section of the index page where you will find a list of states, or you can go directly by following this URL: www.AlaskaPreppersNetwork.net

4) After you've visited the Alaska forum, follow this link to learn how to join the Alaska Preppers Network group: http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=564&t=2738

APN's success depends on your contributions. If you would like to donate to our organization by becoming a Gold Member you can join the APN Gold Members club by following this link:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/page.php?p=apn-gold-membership&sid=5b241e92a767cdfbe7a345c54dd55127 Gold Membership is only $5 per month. For a list of Gold Member benefits go here

Thank you for your support!

Bending an Ear!

2010-09-08T16:08:00.001-07:00

It has been a heck of a few weeks. Talk about going full speed.

We got the house we wanted. Has its own well, in an older neighborhood, with an acre or so of raw land, and a small very manageable house we can fix all ourselves. I am very happy with it and we aren't paying out the ying yang for it. Hubby is just as happy as he won't have to kill himself to get it up and running and gutted with all the new stuff in and fixed. This was an easy and well thought out house.

We decided to chill at our cabin, which we are going to refinance. I started cleaning out the garden, dumping the jalapeno, tomatoes and herbs in the compost. I noticed all the new growth. To little to late in this late fall. I will be transplanting most of the garden to our new house next spring. I pulled up the corn and started walking to the compost and looked at the odd bump... and I had an EAR! I grew and EAR of CORN! I was so happy I showed it to the hubby who laughed at me and was surprised in this really wet summer we actually got an ear! I hope to have the same if not better results next year! I now know when to start planting.

We have a house inspection in a couple of days, the appraisal coming very soon and then to sign. I will then have 3 mortgages. ACK! we will have to see what is next.

I hope you all are having a great week!

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The world sure doesn't slow down.... talking about different mortgages to save your farm!

2010-08-17T03:43:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, I am sorry for not posting like I had been. Life gets in the way. I and my Husband put in a bid on a house, got (many) preapproval(s) for any house and now we are in that limbo waiting stage where the stress makes you freak out.

Well wandering around, going to classes about housing and finance and so on, you start learning a few new things. And I thought I would forward some of the information on to those who MAY need it due to the crappy economic and depression like atmosphere.

The USDA has a bunch of new "mortgages" for those that live in Rural Areas. I am going to post what I can, but who would have ever thought the USDA would be involved? There is also this link for Housing Assistance. I double added the post for those who need it directly. I looked through it and you can also sign up for a grant to help with your home. Please keep in mind that these are government run! You are going to have to jump through hoops. But if you want to save your home and rural land and animals, this may be the way to go.

These are some of the few I have learned about. I will let you all know if I hear anything else. Don't lose your home if you can go to the USDA and get a mortgage with 1% financing. Money isn't everything, but home is where the heart is.

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The problems with stress

2010-07-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

The problem that stress causes are multiple and never ending. Be it family, work, economic issues, or just high anxiety… sometimes the best way to prep while stressed is to not prep at all. If you know the reason(s) of why you are stressed, take comfort you are also part of a large number of people around the world who are in the same stress boat.

When prepping and let’s say having a bad day before TSHTF, the first thing to do is breath. Get your mind off of what is stressing you out be it with a long walk, a favorite hobby, watching the TV or even taking a nap. These things can help add to your health as well as your state of mind.

When stressing about Family: Sometimes you can’t get around them and they be as mad or as frustrated as you are. Take a breather. Go for a walk. Drink some nice warm tea. Take a bath. Whatever it is that you can distress and do it fast, as you want your blood pressure to lower as it can lead to tension headaches when the BP stays high.

When stressing about Work: Lets face it, it is a worrisome thing anymore. There really has never been job security but now is just as bad concerning the job market or if you are just a small business owner trying to survive. If you are stressed out due to a situation with a co-worker, the best way to de-stress is to do some easy and painless stretching. This get the blood flowing to the muscles, letting them relax and hopefully making you feel better. If you can’t do this in your work area, I would recommend the bathroom stall. Just to be alone for a few minutes and stretching could be the good or a bad day. Business owners should take this to heart as well.

When stressing about economic issues: Oh man, who isn’t in this boat at the moment? Here is the deal, you have bills to pay and can’t make the normal payment… call them and tell them. Either they agree to smaller payments without extra charges, late fees and tacking on more interest, or they may not get paid until you have all the money. Make a deal, get a CONTRACT with them to prove they said it… it is to help you in the long run. But before you call and I know you are stressed. Makesure to breath, stretch a little bit on the phone but always be pleasant with who ever you talk to. It is easier to get bees with honey then … well you know the old saying.

Everyone is stressing. We are all having to deal with more burden, less money, less time and mean and nasty people. But that doesn’t mean you should have to have a higher blood pressure then need be, a stroke, or even a heart attack due to a fight, nasty co-workers or a over due bill. Your families need you and you need them. Just make the best of the situation at hand as it always could be…….

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What Skill(s) are you willing to learn?

2010-07-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

Skills. We all have some sort of skill. Be it gardening, hunting, sewing, baking and cooking, organizing, making knives or foraging, etc. I think you get the idea. I believe skills are important as a bartering act in the future. What you lack skill wise, you can barter for the skills you do have. But what skills are lacking at the moment are the ones who will be sought after later.

Skills lacking list for preppers to possibly learn:

Iron Forging; as in using raw ore (or known metals) and heating it up for making objects such as knives and instruments.

Black Smith; you don’t see many real black smiths anymore.

Raw Wool Spinning; but is coming back in full force due to knitters and the fact that everyone will need yarn and thread.

Glass Blowing; as glass bottles will come back and these people made windows as well.

Silver Smith; a skill seriously going by the way side and works with the Iron Forger.

Hand sewing; people do not like doing this, but it will make a re-appearance.

Fur Sewing; this is just a crucial as sewing for those who live in snow areas.

Making Paper; this is a hard skill to learn as it is like making bread and if not watched can lead to weak paper and holes.

Wood Carving or whittling: Someone has to carve handles, but this also goes for making spoons and other highly used items such as bowls.

Learning to trap; this skill is making a come back but 85% is recreational.

Skin stretching and using the hide; not enough people know or remember how to use the hides of animals for many items.

Building a Cabin; there are books out there, but only a handful of people who know how without power tools.

Weaving: this skill can bring in the money just as well as other, via making baskets and such or even clothing.

Pottery; yes is it still around and you can buy some good pottery at markets, but this skill can make life easier and not having to eat off wood slats.

Alchemy; you still need gun powder for that bullet.. right?

Soap; there are many types, ways to make it, and what to put in it for certain items.. like laundry. You learn this skill you will have to remember not to make the soap so hard.

Candle making: this will be a necessity

Wine making; it is making a seriously large climb, but even wine makers won’t have certain ingredients (citric acid) and we will have to learn the old fashioned way.

This is just a small list. Something I was thinking about this week on what if.

The what if was we will have to start over from scratch. A handful of preppers who know this won’t have everything besides food and the basics. But it will be a good idea to start learning, now instead of later.

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Happy 234th Birthday everyone!

2010-07-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

It is the start of another year for our Nation! We as Americans should be proud of our privledge to have the freedoms we ALL take for granted!

I wanted to add this video as a reminder, of how and why we as Americans should remember... Freedom is fleeting and we all need to work to keep our Freedoms. For it is easier to take Freedom away from those who assume it will always be there, then for those who knows it takes many to create what little Freedoms we all have. Happy Independence Day everyone and may God Bless you all!

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Late Blight and I am freaking bummed.

2010-07-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I got to our cabin, looking forward to 4 days of relaxing, sleeping, tending the garden and being a bum. Well I got to do 2 of the 4.

When I went into my hot house after inspecting the cabbage (no heads yet), broccoli (little heads) and the cauliflower (little heads), and I noticed something odd. Some of my Tom’s leaves were turning brown and had weird fuzz on the leaves. I didn’t think anything of it, and clipped the leaves back and making sure the weird looking mold wouldn’t spread. Then I noticed it on the herbs, the same weird mold. So I clipped what was bad herb wise. I then went to my peppers and saw it on some of their leaves and clipped those leaves off. What in the hell is going on?

I put down my scissors and went outside of the hot house to inspect my radishes, taters and a few other items I had planted. The last thing I inspected was the taters. They were as green as they were last year, until I noticed that weird brown fuzzy mold stuff on some of the taters leaves. I stop in my tracks. I knew anything that was on the taters was a BAD sign. I went inside and got online, first asking over at our APN forum if anyone knew about mold and then looking up garden mold. The first thing that popped up was blight. OH NO! I looked at as many pictures as I could and came to the conclusion I have late blight. Yeah, you can say I was pissed.

I think I know how I got it. A Tom I had not started from seed myself was brought into the hothouse and it must have been carrying the blight. We added a new irrigation system this year as Hubby and I are busy people and we both forgot to check what setting our automatic timer was set too. And it got chilly. That was all that was needed to spread the blight around.

But here is what I don’t get. How can it spread to the peppers? And the herbs? Yeah I know it is a mold ….. but blight doesn’t usually hit peppers or certain herbs due to their composition. I am still waiting on a reply from the extension services as to if they want a sample or not as I still have not touched the garden. The water for the irrigation has been shut off for a couple weeks and I was hoping for some warmer weather. Well it looks like that isn’t going to happen as it is raining again.

I just hope my cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower and a few others make it through.

*the pic is from another Gardeners sites, but that is exactly what I have.*
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When reality meets House Hunting.

2010-06-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

Houses.. a pain, a joy, stressful and when you are looking to upgrade or at least get a few extra feet, it can be a task.
But with that said, I wanted to mention something as my Soon to Be and my Parental Unit were with me looking at houses around the area for the three of us and I came upon something very sad.

It was Sunday, very nice, pretty warm and little wind and we were going to the first house of the day via an appointment I had called in about the week before. When we arrived, we could see someone was trying to cheaply fix the place up. New roof, new siding... but in desperate need of some serious TLC and cash to make it the house it was.
Eventually the realtor showed up to let us into the house. I first noticed an odd scent, of old wet wood smoke but something else I knew but couldn't put my finger on. We quietly walked through the house and looked around as it was large for the year it was built. I walked into the master and something struck me funny as I noticed that there was new rug laid down but not very well. I went downstairs but over heard the realtor mention to my Parental Unit that the original owner had died and the executor of the house and will was selling this off for a steal. I now knew why the house was very affordable for the area, even in the condition that it was in. The original owner had died in the house and had been there for a while, as I glanced up from the bottom bedroom under the master and noticed a profoundly dark wet spot in the old tile on the ceiling. As I looked to the right of me by a closet, there was a huge amount of dehydrated food that was actually the original company before it became Mountain House.

As we left all I could think of how sad that no one noticed that the man had passed away, had probably been there for a while and no one noticed or said a word. As well as all the food that now could not be touch, used or eaten as the possible decomposition from him body may be on those cans. It was a pretty sad, reality based day of hunting for houses.

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I promised Pics, didn't I!

2010-06-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of what is going on in the garden.

My Broccoli, with some red lettuce and celery mixed in.

Some of our garden. Two culverts on the left are squash in the front, and cauliflower with celery and red lettuce mixed in. Two culvert on the right are cabbage with celery and lettuce mixed in and the culvert in the back are strawberries!

Cabbage looking good!

Cauliflower is getting big.

STRAWBERRIES!!!!! Going to have a bunch.

The left side of the hot house is peppers of all kinds that we started from seed and a few we bought, some tom's, parsley.

Rights side are Tom's (sweeties, nenana, early girls and some of the micro patio types) all sorts of herbs and little seedlings in the back.

MORE Toms, with a few little green toms on the vine. I also have cukes in the back of this and some 3 ft tall corn in the back. I thought the corn would actually die but was shocked when they kept growing.

My Aphid eating pets. :)

Red and White Onions.

Golden potatoes and a few red ones as well.

One of our Himalayan Blue Poppies.

So if you are wondering I have more but those pics turned out pretty bad. The culvert is working out well and won't fall apart.. good idea on by S.O. for sure! The hot house is working great and I am glad S.O. decided to get that for now and we will eventually build our greenhouse. S.O. also found this really cool heater for Hot Houses and Greenhouses. You can't find them in the U.S. and they are only available in England. Now we haven't used it yet, but I will let you know probably around fall when it starts to chill, how it works.

Have a great weekend. :)

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Whats going on in the garden

2010-06-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

When I first started our compost this year, I just wanted good fertilizer. Now I just want it to help with my crappy swamp top soil. The potatoes love the high acidic soil, but other plants aren’t so happy with it.

So how did I start my compost? Well I grabbed 2 bags of grass from my in town house that the landscaping guys were going to toss. We have been throwing coffee grounds, old or bad vegetables and fruit in it. I also put in some soaked moose nuggets, lime and oh course our swamp dirt.

What is swamp dirt? Well, when we ordered topsoil for our new garden we put in last year, we didn’t realize it was coming out of a swamp area north of Willow, Alaska. I now have these weeds (not sure what they are) coming up and they are deeply rooted, and you only see them in swampy loess soil around the State. They remind me of little trees.

At the start of the thawing season I limed the heck out of my raised galvanized beds. All 9 of them have at least 7 cups of lime each in them and tilled the soil with my own hands and little plant shovel. It took a couple hours but it was worth it.

I made sure to put egg shells in the areas I know my tomatoes were going to be put in for the calcium and nitrates they needed and then fertilized with normal fertilizer, the rest of the garden. The end of this season I plan on putting a bag perilite each, in each raised bed as I have noticed the soil takes on a sandy/muddy consistency and the perilite will help with the drainage.

As of right now, I know the garden is doing better this year then last year. The one bed I didn’t do much with was the potato bed… as I said, they like acidic dirt. I will hopefully be going up on Friday to check on my little guys and seeing how much they have grown. I haven’t checked on them since Memorial day weekend and actually had tomatoes on the vine, little peppers on the vice and so much more growing fast and furious.

The only issues I have been having were my squashes. Everything I started from seed died for some reason. BUT as a precaution as I think subconsciously they would die, I planted a bunch of squash and zuke seeds and they were huge seedlings when I left to go subsistence fishing.

As of right now I have:

1 bed of potatoes, Alaska golden
1 bed of red and white onions that were about 6 inches tall when we left.
1 bed of arctic variety strawberries that HAD green strawberries on them when I left.
6 broccoli
6 cabbage
6 cauliflower
A nice couple of rows of carrots and radishes
2 rows of kohlrabi
2 rows of brussel sprouts
Lots of red lettuce but wishing I had grown romaine
Celery all over
Over 7 different varieties of tomatoes, 3/4th of them I start from seed.
Over 9 different varieties of peppers that are hot to sweet and over ½ of them I started from seed.
All sorts of herbs
Not sure how many tomatillo’s I have now.

I know I have more, but I can’t remember.

How are you guys doing? Pictures.. soon, I promise.

Oh did I mention I am growing wild cucumbers for the berries. AKA Watermelon Berries that you can foriage for.

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More weird remedies!

2010-05-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

Did I mention I usually try most of these to make sure that I am not posting stuff that doesn't work. So if you are wondering if these work... I wouldn't post them unless they did!

Cold Showers: Help with nasty fevers, helps dry skin (including eczema relief), reduces your blood pressure. Who would that thought that? It also helps with some migraines. The shower doesn't have to be bone chilling cold.. luke warm and just a tad colder can be very helpful... and cost effective!

Got Vinegar? Good for insect bites AND burns! It takes the burn and bite away.

Do you have an ulcer that makes you burp a lot? Put a pinch or so of baking soda in your drink. It will fizz a little but it WILL help with your sore tummy and burping as well. DO NOT USE IF YOUR ARE PREGNANT!

Castor Oil is good for very sore muscles if you also use them with some heat source... or no heat source. This is also good to use if you have issues with pain killers. I would NOT recommend you use Castor Oil in conjunction with prescription pain pills. I plan on using this with my Sig Other next week as we are doing marathon fishing!

Mineral oil can be used for constipation, ear problems and ear mites for animals. But I am very leary of it, as it IS a petroleum product. Be careful if used.

Tea Tree Oil. It is okay... not the best stuff I have used. It is not really a normal oil and drys out your skin. You can use it to help with cuts and scrapes that need to be dried out. It is good for acne as well as boils (to a degree).

Rubbing alcohol can be used for quick fever issues. You can rub it on someone with a nasty fever before putting them in a shower to help drop the fever faster.

Did you know, that after your smack you finger(s) into something, that if you kiss them yourself... the pain goes away faster? It is a psychological thing... and it works!

okay so these aren't the best.. but weird remedies are still fun to read about!

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Time to keep an eye out on the Media and North Korea.

2010-05-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Someone called me a doom’s dayer. Honestly I really don’t care.

When it comes to a Nation who is notorious for screwing over its own people for its dictator to gain off their backs, makes me watch them closely. North Korea or NoKo is for all accounts, not a Nation that thinks ahead.

Many don’t realize we have been at war still with NoKo since the initial Korean War… or the Forgotten War. They have done everything it seems to start a real war again, not just with us but with other Nations around the world. They have sunk many a ship, in the same area that the recent South Korean ship was suck. They have tortured people from other Nation’s who were unlucky to be captured. They have also been caught sending arms to Iran recently. Not to mention that Russia, who is not one to usually become alarmed has a missile defense shield on the Border or NoKo and Russia. Does anyone see this as a problem if Russia has done this?

China is the only “friend” of NoKo, besides the arms friendship with the Middle East. And if China doesn’t take a stand on where their alliance is concerning their NoKo “friends” or with the U.S. or even Russia…. Something is going to give.

Why am I talking about this? As Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal speak about the oil spill in the Gulf, there isn’t much news on this “crisis” at the moment. Why? Does the liberal Media not think this a problem? Or are they out to make Sarah and Bobby look like fools later?

I am writing this for you all to be aware. Think of it this way. Obama inherited the “Iraq/Afghanistan” wars. He has never fulfilled a promise to bring the troops back. He has never helped our troops and has made the ROE (Rules of Engagement) harder for our troops. Or troops can’t do anything; including saying harsh words… now imagine this “regime” with a Korean war. Or how about trying to dismantle all of our missile defense systems in the U.S., where NoKo can possibly send a Nuke over to our Western Shores. Are you scared yet?

Wading through the liberal spin of what is going on is key to figuring out if you are ready for whatever is coming. If you are prepped… good. If you aren’t quite there yet, I suggest you try to get there soon.

Remember, Obama and his Administration “Never let a Crisis go to waste”. With that said, you shouldn’t let other tell you everything from their point of view and only trust those who will give you other options to look into. I hope this wakes you up, and not just worry about the economics of the world.

Please be aware.

If you are curious. I have a multi series of posts on my other blog (The Palination) concerning why, how, and hundreds of links. You can learn and see I don't just use the normal Media stream in the U.S. I look around.

Cross posted at http://www.thepalination.com/
Cross posted at http://www.alaskapreppersnetwork.com/

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Bow Hunting while starving. Some tips to help you out.

2010-05-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

Bow Hunting or Archery in a starving situation can be good and bad. But let us start with the basics first.

There are multiple type of bows to choose from.

One is a long bow. Long bows are, 1. Long and 2. Very old fashioned as they are usually made from a very sturdy piece of wood with special curve in the grip area. It does not have an area for an actual grip but more leather in that area.

Then we have a recurve. A recurve bow is like a long bow, but this is “sculpted” with a hand grip. They are usually better as they are heavier and thicker around the middle (base) of the bow. Most recurves are now made via lamination. Long bows and recurves are considered Traditional or Heritage and are more used for closer range killings.

We now move on to the Compound Bows or composite bow. These are heavily manufactured as they can add more strength when you let your arrow fly due to the carbines at the end of the limbs holding pressure as you pull back. They can be more effective over longer ranges for a kill.

Last but not least is the crossbows, which are old and are the original compound bow with a trigger. It is effective but it is also needed to be close range.

Then you have your arrows which can be all different type from a composite to wood. Your arrow tips are also numerous and plentiful. But always remember that when you use arrows that there should be a separation of practice compared to your hunting as arrows weaken over time and can snap on you when you release for your kill.

Learning how to shoot a bow is easy. Put your arrow in the notch correctly, pull back and shoot. But to learn skill to effectively use it to kill is another story and can take a while to learn. You must learn to be patient and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. You must also have your muscles get use to the resistance of your bow and have memory. The other problem when using your bow is when the adrenaline hits, you start shaking like a leaf. And here is where you need to remember a few steps. And always remember, no matter how good you are, you will ALWAYS need Camo!

If out, in the starving situation and you come across an animal, what should you do? Watching the animal is always number one! You never know when an animal can move into a strand of trees, brush so on so you won’t have a good shot and hit a tree rather than the animal. Second, is do you have a good shot? Are their trees, brush, anything in the way of your shot? Third, where is the animal standing and how? Reason you want to make sure is that if you shoot and you get it in the gut, you make have some tainted meat… and that isn’t what you want. Also, let’s say you do shot the animal in the gut, or in a leg…. Are you going to follow it or leave it? Well think about this, if you are starving the animal shot in the gut will die even if it takes a while. But if you shot the animal in the leg, do you want the animal to take your arrow? Arrows are your mainstay; wasting an arrow is just as bad as letting a soon to be dying animal walk away and you not follow it! Or wasting an arrow is like wasting ammo. Would you do it?

Using a bow and arrow via your gun with a bullet or shoot can actually be better for you as well. With an arrow, the meat won’t be as tainted (unless you get them in the gut) and you don’t have to look for the bullet or shot later and possibly breaking a tooth or swallowing it accidentally.

Bow hunting is on the rise in the U.S. as it is good for the body as well as good for the brain. You also do not need a permit to own a bow and depending on most states, you have special hunts for bow hunters only. Learning to hunt with a bow and arrow takes skill and a will eventually pay off if you practice often. It will get you out and make you work for it though. Women are taking up bow hunting as fast if not faster than men as they are not as scared of a bow compared to a gun. Ladies I recommend you try and see if you like it. Women are starting to become the top players in bow hunting championships. Trust me, just ask Michele Leqve. She is one of the only women who have ever killed a polar bear with a bow. Talk about GUTS! You may think twice about bow hunting after reading Michele’s adventures. But bow hunting is not for everyone. So find a local Bow shop and talk to the Shop Manager. They can steer your in the right direction.

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Another method to hunting while starving: Trapping

2010-05-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

Now I am just a beginner myself, but I always have open options for whatever. I own traps and will use them this winter to learn as well as use the skins to further my "hobby" as people call it. I also own a bow (compound) which I practice on regularly. I am writing this as a here is what I have learned, and something to keep in mind.

Trapping has it's drawbacks. You have to do quite a bit of prepping to use them and then before setting them, you must find tracks and use bait for certain little animals and all this while making sure not to leave YOUR scent. Now at the moment I will not use snares. I know how to make them, I know how to set them... but I won't use them. I own 110, 120, and larger traps that squeeze the live out of the furbearers (conibear traps). It is more humane and usually doesn't harm the pelts, that people will buy. As much as some "organizations" say that it is cruel... well when they don't have anything to eat or wear, then they can talk to me about what is cruel when I leave them in the snow. But I digress.

Prepping your traps and snares takes a lot of time and if you screw up you have to start over again. Boiling them is the usual practice. The reason, as it takes the smell off from previous kills and sterilizes any smell that may be on it. It doesn't matter if your trap has rust on it.... as traps rust eventually. Boiling is just a precaution to help you get an animal. But oil can be a problem down the road. Always use gloves of some sort that is only used for your traps. it helps keep your smell off the traps. Also, always air out your traps before setting them... your scent on anything can be life or death for you later.

Setting them is usually the main problem. You have to know where and when the certain animal you are looking for, walks and has it's trails. If you are in a situation where you are in limbo concerning tracks, it is always good to it down and watch. Look for squirrels as they are not hibernators. Look for birds as they always know where the remains of something are. Look for trees. Now the reason I say trees is due to natural caves where some animals are wintering. Also looked for downed trees due to wolverines and beaver possibly around the area. I wouldn't recommend trapping either of these two until you are more comfortable with smaller furbearers. But always keep in mind they may be around. Wolverines, coyotes and wolves are known to follow your trap line and eat your kills. Beavers have been seen wandering around in the winter, younger ones, if they did not prepare their pond properly and are on the look out for uncovered snow trees and may trip your traps and possibly get caught. It is always good to have a track book with paw imprints in it to help you identify what you are looking at. Make sure it will work for your area as well.

Baiting your trap is up to you. Peanut butter is a great bait. Old smelling fish works. Even dog food. In some cases you don't need bait. It just depends on the type of trap you are using. Always check before you purchase certain traps what you need to do. It won't boil down to what type of trap always, it will boil down on how you can camouflage your trap to make it work for you.

You will only be successful in the first year(s) about 10% of the time. Mostly by pure luck. Don't get frustrated due to this. Trapping is a huge learning curve and is probably one of the hardest ways to hunt as it takes patience and in some cases luck. But when you learn how it becomes easier and easier. And when you learn the basics, it will always change. Always remember when you trap it is a waiting game but this can also be a life saver down the road as you don't need to use ammo in most cases. If you are trapping larger animals, then it would be advisable to use a gun... I recommend a shot gun per the type of animal you trap. Weasels, Muskrats, Rabbits etc you really do not need one. Foxes, Coyotes... 14 to 12 gauge is preferably. Anything larger... bring a rifle as you don't want to damage the pelt if you are going to sell it or use it for yourself. I own a over under 22/14. It works very well for what I trap for.

After you start becoming proficient in trapping... the next step is skinning and prepping the pelt. Everyone is different concerning this process. Field dressing is close to what you should do for your kills.. but there is more to it, if you want to keep your pelt. The link I provided has multiple ways of skinning.

After you are done skinning your animal. It is up to you if you decide to eat the animal. I would if I were starving. There is no reason to not use the meat, especially if you and your family are starving. Trapping is quite a bit of work, but it is low cost compared to using your guns and ammo, especially if your ammo is running very low. If you were in that situation, I am sure you would use it as well. The pelts could be a means of buying power down the road.

Keeping an open mind is what it is all about. What you can do and what you should do is the difference in living and dieing. I hope you look through the links I have provided and glean enough information to help you out in the future. Next post will be on bow hunting.

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Hunting while Starving and what you should think about.

2010-05-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Someone said something that made me think about this. So what would you do?

If/When/Where the SHTF and you were starving and you had some type of shot gun and ammo. You see a herd or group of moose/deer/etc., how would you decide to hunt?

Now the reason why I ask this is because you and your family are starving, think about the animals you are hunting. They also have to replenish their numbers, especially if they are starving. Let’s say you see a small group of females. Are they older? Are they pregnant that you can tell? Are there younger offspring with them? What would you do? Hard time to think if you are starving, but you will need to be efficient in your decision as this could be life or death for you and your family. So I will give you an idea of what you should do, but that doesn’t mean you have to take my advice.

You see a small pod of moose/deer. They are females and some have calves. You will want to shoot the younger moose/deer. Reason why. Most of the older females know how to find food, yet the younger calves still have to learn. Also the older females may be pregnant which will help replenish the population. Now which calf would you take? If you can tell which calf is a male or a female, the suggestion would be the male. If the older females are pregnant, in many cases they may be carrying twins (in a good summer feed) which may be both male and female. Also males are more prone to try to stick around mom, unlike the female calves which are kicked off faster since they are competition during rut. Male moose/deer are also more prominent during good summers and dropped in the march-june calving season. If there is a cooler summer, more females are born. FYI if you did not know.

(notice in this pic that the Mama Moose's ribs are showing. She has had a hard winter and was probably starving. The ratios for twin calves to live is not good.)

Now let’s say you see a pod of bull moose/deer. If does happen, but this is usually only during Rut or if in the deep of the winter. How do you choose? Watch the pod. Look to see who is hurt. Which one is the eldest? Which one seems to be in their peak? Which one seems to be the youngsters of the group? My suggestion is to go for either an elder or the youngest. Reason why, is that the eldest usually are past their prime and usually just eat and fatten up for the long winter as well as the youngsters, who are not in their prime and as much as they would like to “mate” they don’t have a chance for possibly another year or so. The meats on both of these are usually not too tainted due to the Rut, which can make the meat taste more gamey than usual.

(Male moose do not usually "hang out" as they are solitary. Only in the extreme cold of winter, Rutting season, or if they are brothers do they do this.)

Now, I know I said to kill the males more in general, rather than the females. But one male moose/deer can “mate” with over 20-30 doe(s) in a good season. While it would be understandable to hunt whatever you could, this is just a tool of suggestion if you happen to come across a pod in a starving situation. This is a conservation tool for you to use in future uses.

Common Sense is something not used a lot and in many circumstances and more so while hunting. Beginning to use good skills and practices for hunting will always help you out in the long run. Rememeber, you aren't out for the "Trophy" when you are starving.... this is for survival. Also don't forget that you will have to dress whatever you kill and bring it home. Don't waste anything, but make sure you are able to take as much as possible as it may not be there when you come back.

Have a good week.

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More Weird Remedies!

2010-05-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

More weird remedies for your viewing and wondering pleasure.

If you have a small burn in the kitchen via your arm touching the side of a pan. Try putting toothpaste on it for the burn.

Putting Vicks vapor rub on your feet (and under your feet) will kill athlete’s foot fungus (and some other fungus). **This also works for chest colds… don’t ask me why!

Have horrible acne? Grab two or three teabags and steep in warm water and put them on your face until the heat is gone. It will dry out your acne pimples in a day or two and leaves no scars as well as a fresh smell!

Have horrible hemorrhoids? Now I know this sounds odd… but bare with me, pun not intended. If you use Comet cleanser to clean out your tub, don’t wash all of the cleanser down the drain. Leave a little in there (or sprinkle some in the tub)… make a bath as hot as you can stand and sit in it with a little bit of the comet cleanser in the water. You will notice a difference as soon as you get out and they won’t bother you for a while. It does work!

If you feel tired and need some energy. Put your left hand under tepid water for a minute. You will wake up instantly!

Have a boil? Use the cuttings of a potato with some skin, put the white portion on the boil and tape it down. The potato will draw the boil poison out in a day!

Have insomnia? Eat a banana before you go to bed.

Do you suffer from menstrual cramps? Eat some dried ginger.

Cold/Canker sore…. Eat sauerkraut, or even better put it on your sore and leave it there for 5 minutes. Yes, it works.

Yeast Infections (guys cover your eyes). Get some plain yogurt, dip a tampon into it and insert. I would also recommend you apply it outside. It usually works in 2 days. (My Mom told me about this when I was a kid)

Have a bruise you don’t want people to see? Take a fine tooth comb and comb lightly over the bruise… it should be gone or very lightly colored the next morning.

Does a Family member/Friend have a new baby with cradle cap? Put olive oil on a rag and rub the baby’s head and body down. It takes the cradle cap (or what I call cradle crap) off and baby never notices.

Do you have BAD foot odor. Use Vodka! But don’t drink it after you are done… ugh.

Okay … this is good enough to make you go either hmmm or YUCK! Enjoy! 

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Flowers and Veggie Rhymes for planting.

2010-05-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

I ALWAYS forget what shouldn't be planted each year next to each other. So I decided to not just help myself out, but to help everyone else out as well.

Where catnip attracts cats,

Flea beetles flee.

To plant your carrots, deeply till
But keep them far away from dill.
Beets of red should never bed with beans of green, nor mustard wed.

Onion, garlic, leeks and shallots.
Keep carrot flies away from carrots.

But these pungent bulbs, unseen
Disagree with neighbor bean.

Lettuce is easy to grow, on the average
Except when competing with sunflower or cabbage.

Many vegetables love the potato,
which shuns its own cousins, eggplant and tomato.

Cucumber and Beans, love to be near each other it seems.

Tomatoes, tomatoes where can you grow,
with cucumbers, parsley and asparagus roam.

Corn hates Tomatoes and is happy next to a potato.

Celery likes just about everything, including asparagus. It is part of the family!

The cabbage is usually friendly but never assume heartily,
They hate strawberries, dill, tomatoes and the broccoli!

Dill is the herb who fights with all.
So grow by itself in a pot that is tall.

Marigolds love a crowd, and keep the aphids from coming around.

Chives are fun and taste good on potatoes,
But like to grow well around greenhouse tomatoes!

Always remember, when the sun is high,
Planting your loved ones from taller to smaller.
Following the sun or just catching the Rays,
Makes your plants happy and grow up taller.

Here are some good links for companion plants.
ghorganics.com
Love To Know/Gardening

Have fun everyone!
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May the Gardening start NOW! And a recipe for fungus flies!

2010-05-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend I have been fixing the garden like you wouldn't believe, to get it ready for our veggies and the BF for his flowers.

This weekend I made sure to lime all the areas needed for less acidic soil. I planted my potatoes and onion. I also planted my squash, zuke, brussel sprout, kohlrabi and a few other seeds that do not need to be babied in the house. I was a planting fool this weekend...... and it has only started!

This coming weekend, I will be planting in our greenhouse the tomatoes I have started from seed. I bought 5 larger tomato plants but a few of them will be for that topsey turvey thing as I want to see if they will really work this year. I will also be planting all my jalapeno plants (I think I have about 15 of them) in my greenhouse. As well as my herbs, cukes and a special winter squash that is more like a pumpkin but tastes better.

I am very surprised most of my seeds made it this year. Many people think gardening is boring or whatever but I enjoy working in it as it offers a stressless and in many cases mindless time for me to do what I like and nothing happening.

Now onto my fungus fly recipe.

1 gallon distilled water (or tap water that sit over night)
add: 1 table spoon of DAWN or JOY LEMON scented dish soap. 1 table spoon Baking soda. 1 table spoon of regular table salt. Shake well and put into a spray bottle. You can spray the plant as well as the soil around the plant. If you do this you have to make sure that you water the plant BEFORE you spray this mixture. Use for a week and do not water plant until 3 days after you have stopped using the mixture. You can use this as much as you want too.

You can use this for aphids as well on tomatoes.... but here is the catch.... you have to spray the plant and put a brown paper bag on it afterwards. The aphids hate salt! So they will be repelled at the taste of it. But you must use a brown paper bag to make them climb off your plant(s), especially tomatoes. Spraying the paper bag also works as well. After a couple days you can take off the bag and then I would use your garden hose and spray the plant(s) off gently. It does not affect the plants or the taste of it. Marigolds don't always help with aphids if you have a large tomato plant. So here is your helper for the season!

Hope you all do well in your garden... I will try to take pictures of what I have accomplished soon.

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My new and light B.O.B.

2010-04-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

I thought I would talk about my mini B.O.B. today as I am thinking very hard on what to put together. It will be small… hopefully no more then ten pounds total.

I have a good backpack that I bought out of state years ago by NorthFace at an outlet store. I like it because it has a few extra pockets and spots for other things which I will talk about as well as an area for a camel back water bladder.

So what to pack in it? I thought about this for quite a few days. I purchased at REI for reasonable prices a magnesium striker, a little waterproof match holder, a tiny mag lite and most important… some water electrolyte tabs made by Camel Back. I bought the little tab’s (which are in a hard case and round and very light) rather then the little on the go electrolyte packages as I can easily find this little container and use it later if needed.

I have a small first aid kit for only dire emergency basics in it in which I will put in a small Ziploc bag (double bagged) as it had a water bottle with it and I couldn’t beat paying 5 bucks for it! I will have 3 water bottles with me at all times (not filled until needed). I will also have 2 changes of socks, flip flops, lip balm, a small lotion, a wash cloth and a travel bottle of liquid soap. I will also be carrying a double bagged pile of lint from my dryer, a double bagged roll of toilet paper (for the obvious and to help start a fire if need be) and a very small bottle to squirt with HEAT in it to help make quick fires. I am also packing for myself my GoGirl cup and a Diva Cup (Thanks Gen!) as you never ever know when you are going to need to go pee or have a monthly issue occur.

Now, what else I am going to pack is the question. I have BDU’s in woodland color. But I think I will just pack my bottoms… and only the summers. The reason is the summers dry out faster then the winter BDU’s do. Why BDU’s? Well when you walk for a long period of time, you will be losing quite a bit of weight. The clothes you decide to use for B.O.B.’s will actually be to large after 3 days and very baggy. BDU bottoms can be adjusted at the waist and taken up and they do not usually stretch out.

I will also pack 2 black t-shirts (one long sleeve one short), a black sweat shirt (with hood) and my black Columbia zip up jacket with a pair of stretchy gloves. I am buying a new pair of shoes soon… so the outdoor shoes I like to wear now will be put into the bag as well. They do not cause blisters and a very comfortable as well as dry out pretty fast. If you are wondering they are Keen.

Now I haven’t decided on food… but it would be very, very limited. Gum I will for sure stick in the bag as it is a great deterrent for the munchies. I will update you with a picture on what I decide to also add. Any other tips you would like to mention… please do so!

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Looking Forward

2010-04-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

I think prepping is now more on the minds of Americans than one realizes. Today, speaking to a co-worker, it dawned on me they were talking about prepeping but in their mind it was not prepping it was a just incase. As I won't talk politics at work i asked them what they had which wasn't much and gave them recommendations on what they could get. They smiled thanked me and then curiously asked how I knew about these things. I smiled back and told them that I had been doing what they just started for years.

With what my BF went through recently, we have bought a few more hand guns. As I can not carry where I work, I have pepperspray that he bought me. I plan on buying a few smaller things as well.... as I am the only woman at work who will probably do something if someone tried to hurt a co-worker. Nothing is scarier when you realize you have nothing to defend yourself with.....

But on to better things. I have LOTS of little seedlings now. My little hot peppers are 4 inches tall. I have more tomato seedlings that are anywhere from 2-6 inches tall. I just need them to grow out and stop being so leggy... so I have a feeling I will be replanting them in a larger bucket and burying the leggy parts. I also have good looking 4 inch heirloom lemon cukes, a 12 linch long heirloom winter squash, herbs out the ying yang. I am doing pretty well. I didn't think we would as it started nice and got colder and started snowing again... but now it seems to finally be on the warming side.

If it stays warm this weekend I will start showing the BF how to start "hardening" the plants so we can plant them sooner rather then later. We had the greenhouse up but had to take it down due to the snow. But that will be going up again this weekend. Most of my raised beds are snow free and I will be looking out for potato starts soon! YAY!

I am also going to be doing a soil sample this weekend. I hope for good news, but since we have mostly clay/sand like supposed "top soil" I have a feeling I am going to be adding quite a lot to my raised beds. The faster we get out the samples the faster we can start planting.

On another note... we are going to be looking into building a cabin. So if anyone around Alaska, within reasonable areas, who wants to get rid of some of their timber on their land (not cotton wood)... let me know. I have no problems coming in and taking what you don't need or to thin out a little of what you have. Or would anyone know how to get some of the spruce off the parks they are cuting down? I haven't been able to find much information out on that. If you don't know... from Willow up to Kashwitna (and maybe further now) they are cutting back up to 100 feet and giving the wood away it seems if not on private land. Anyone know about it, please contact me.

Have a good week all.

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When you don't think to arm yourself...

2010-04-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, my Sig. Other went to grab some food for us, as it was late and we had both been in meetings.

Coming back out, he was attacked by a bunch of kids in a gang initiation. He didn't have any way of protecting himself, nor did anyone jump in and help him in any way possible. Why he was picked, your guess is as good as mine. The Cop who took the report won't do anything nor will go out and look for the kids who did it.

As of right now my Sig Other is fine... physically. Mentally is another story. PTSD is not good as a veteran to begin with, but imagine having that and being jumped by a bunch of snotty kids. He lost it and I unfortunately was up most of the night trying to make him calm and didn't do a great job even though I did keep him home and made him chill out.

Now, would this have been as bad if someone at least stepped in? I would say no. But why are people sitting on the sidelines watching this? Is it the fact that people are to afraid to become involved? It is the repercusion of events and they are afraid they will be next? Is it the fact that they are just afraid in general and wish everything is a utopian ideal? Either way... no one helped.

When they say an armed society is a polite society. I think it is true, to a point. When no one helps a fellow American from being attacked, guns can make or break a deal. There was a law inacted by our Legislature, which a few would know called the Castle Law. But is does not speak of protecting ones self on another property when threatened. There is a new ammendment to the bill coming out soon concerning this and will make it easier to defend ones self, no matter where you are.

I will be conceal carrying from now on due to the lack of police response (even if my property taxes do PYA their salary) and the fact that I am not going to be one to be assaulted by any means.

If you were in his situation, with no weapons and no way to defend yourself, how would you deal with it?

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Comfort Foods

2010-04-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

From BubbaJ on our forum.

Hello all. I thought I'd start a topic on comfort foods eaten during a disaster. It seems that the most common definition of comfort food is something familiar to us such as mac & cheese or candy. I remember reading awhile back that people would rather starve than to eat the same thing every day and that it's best to have a variety in order to make a disaster more bearable. That got me thinking of a few ideas. I assume the variety of food would also include our drinks. To me, if people would rather starve than eat the same food over and over, then they'd also rather not drink plain water over and over. So let's begin with drinks. Please note: I'm not promoting any product listed here. I'm just using them as an example.

1) Soft Drinks. There's an item out there called the SodaStream that allows people to make their own sodas. From what I've read from the site, the sodas have less sugar and sodium than commercially bought soda as well as no high fructose corn syrup. I'm sure most Preppers wouldn't store soft drinks for several reasons. For me it would be due to a lack of available space and that I don't drink much of it anyway. But there would be many uses for a bottle of soda, including barter. I'm sure plenty of people out there would trade for soda simply because they've become addicted to it. Of course, the SodaStream would be useless if the power is out.

2) Drink Mixes. There's a bunch of drink mixes on the market, but I'm only going to focus on two of them. The 1st is Tang. An 8oz glass of it contains several vitamins, including 100% of vitamin C. During any long term disaster, we could be faced with illnesses brought about by a lack of sanitation. Not from your average Prepper mind you, but from the surrounding area. One only has to look at pictures of the aftermath of Katrina to see how quickly sanitation can become a problem. So the vitamins in Tang can help us to fight off infections. The 2nd item is Metamucil. Yeah, I can hear the protests now: "Ugh, Metamucil is for old people." Not so my young padawan. The way I see it, a disaster could force us to eat foods low in fiber which could result in poor digestion. It's not as though we could run to the local grocery store for a loaf of wheat bread. With Metamucil we could get plenty of fiber and keep ourselves healthy.

Speaking of bread, that brings me to:

1) Bread Machines. Now, I'd rather have my own brick oven to make bread, but for those who own a bread machine could use it to make specialty breads. To me, a loaf of cinnamon & raisin bread would definitely be a comfort food. Add wheat to the mixure and you'd have fiber and antioxidants.

2) Candy. I've read a lot of posts about storing hard candy and that got me thinking about alternates. There are candy-like items out there called "Coldeeze (zinc), VitaPops (vitamins), and Ricola (herbs & vitamin c)". All of those would help in fighting off a cold, especially if a disaster has shut down all pharmacies...assuming they haven't already been looted. Even though they aren't considered real candy, I think the brain would accept them as such and satisfy any need for sugary sweets.

3) Ice Cream Machine. Ummm...Chocolate chunk ice cream. 'Nuff said.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. I'm interested in what you all think. What would you change or add?

Please go here to leave comments: http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/comfort-foods-t1802.html

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Organize your Preps so you don't have to look around for them.

2010-04-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

When it comes to be organized it can be hit or miss. Some do quite well while other lack either the means of being organized or the knowhow as they have never learned it.

The best way for most people to organize is to use labels. When it comes to prepping this could be a lifesaver as you may have a “Hectic” moment and forget what is where. The first step is using plastic bins with labels. This is very simple actually and doesn’t take much time at all if you have a communal effort with your family.

Figure out how you would like to “Bin” items. It can be whatever your heart desires in these bins. My method is pretty simple and makes like easy. I have a bin(s) for summer camping cloths, winter clothing, 3 for fishing (one fresh water, one salt water and one is gear but I think I may need to make a 4th bin for clothing), two for hunting (clothes in one and the other has all my hunting stuff), 2 for trapping (one small one for my lines and such the other is for my small traps), and I could go on and on. I do this with quite a bit of the items I own so I can grab and go and also so I know it is always in a good place that is dry and will last.

Then you have a food prepping bin. This can be more complicated. I have multiple bins for food stuff. A 5 gallon for flour only (don’t forget to put bay leaves in the flour), a 5 gallon for rice, a 5 gallon for spices and so on and I buy new buckets for this stuff and I have found reusing 5 gallon buckets can at time contaminate the food you put in it. When it comes to food, cans are heavy so I usually do not put them in a bin and besides rotating the canned food is always a good idea. But I do use the bins for dried good. I have a bin for pasta items. I have a bin for dehydrated food stuffs. I have a bin for fun food (brownies, mac and cheese). But I also have a bin for the wet storage food stuff like canola oil, olive oil, syrup etc. The reason I put those in a bin is if I ever have an earthquake I do not have to worry about it spilling and contaminating the rest of my food.

So while I put everything in the bins, I grab a notebook and write what I put into each bin. Some people do lists (which I think is awesome) on their computer. But the notebook paper does fine for me as I take things out and put new stuff in it, so it is easier to just scribble out what was taken out and replaced. Besides, there are times where a pen and paper is cheaper than a new ink cartridge. It is also a good idea (if you are inclined) to put the expiration date on most food stuffs to rotate them out. It makes life easy for you in the long run.

I also have a cheap label maker with a few extra label heads. The labels should be simple and easy. Such as… Food: Pasta. You know you have a list in your bin and just by glancing at the label you know what bin it is.

You can also make or buy (your choice this is your project) shelves that will fit your bins so you know where everything is at one given time. I put dehydrated on top as it is the lightest in most cases. And then work down. My canned food is separate from my binned food.

Lists for your bins should be simple. What is the item, how much do you have (4 bx *boxes* or 3 ea *each*) and do not forget expiration dates. In most cases prepped food can last well past the expiration dates. But I found out that if you buy those awesome prepped food stuff with a fruit (like raspberry bars) that they do go bad.

You should also make lists for your B.O.B.’ and if you have a Vehicles and what you have in them, especially if you are like me and have more than one. It will make life easier in the long run.

Here are some easy organizational links to look at. Some are fun organizational website, some are more informative on how best to help your prep.

http://www.organize.com/
http://www.myorganizedlife.com/
http://ineedmoretime.com/tips.htm

Just for the Ladies.... GoGirl Urinal Cups

2010-03-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

Just for the Ladies and Men if you feel the need to get one for your wife to make life simple on the road, camping or if the SHTF.

GoGirl urinal cups. Now, I know some of you may think this is weird, gross whatever. But I have one and have had one (almost exactly like this) for years. I bought it when I was in the army because when you had to go.. there was no where TO go. And the one I bought was from Australia so I don't remember the name.

These are medical grade, sanitary (if you flush them out with water afterwards), you don't have to throw them out, you can reuse them and CHEAP! I just bought two 3 packs. One for my truck, one for my B.O.B., one for my BF's camper, one for my day pack out (on the sled, ATV or just hiking), one for my Mom (who thinks it is weird and cool all at the same time) and a spare one.

I do NOT get any money for this. I am showing the women on here that they can go pee without having to pull your pants down around your ankles and getting bit on the butt during summer or freezing in the winter... or the dreaded pee on the clothes issue. These are PERFECT for B.O.B.'s! And I decided that you all need to take a gander. Something isn't right in the air... and if I can feel it, I know you can too.

B.O.B. and ideas for your animals.

2010-03-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have seen bits and pieces concerning animals and WTSHTF ideas but what would you really do?

Those who have more farm animals probably will not be moving or leaving their farms. But what about those like myself and others who live in the city yet have areas in which they can escape too? Here are some ideas, but nothing you have to live by:

Dogs and Cats. Yes they ARE domesticated, so don’t do the normal assholistic and just let them out and roam hoping they can take care of themselves. My dog and my cats are smart but they are also all pound rescues and have been through enough and only 1 could probably defend itself. And since I did not have them since the beginning I did not have the right to say what was to be done to them. I.E. neuter or spaying or in the cats world, declawing. Never declaw a cat! It is a horrible process and I am not a tree hugger by any means as I have worked in a Vet office a long time ago. It was horrible to watch the doctor use dog nail clippers and literally take off the cat’s toes. My one cat that is declawed wouldn’t hurt a fly and I think he may be slightly retarded but he is a good pet and de-stresses me. But I digress…

If you have animals and I am talking cats and dogs mostly, you need to find a metal or plastic container that can hold up to 2 large 40 lbs bags of dog food or at least 3 large 20 lbs bags of cat food. The less “oil” in their food the better. The oil is actually a fatty solution that is sprayed on the pellets (food) for flavor. There are other ways of getting some fat to your furried friends then the spraying type. Dog food is easier to find without the spray on oil then cat food as cats are, to be nice, picky. But even the pickiest eater will eat if they are starving. The best food I have found so far that is not highly sprayed with the oil and keeps pretty well as is high in protein for cats and dogs is called Taste of the Wild. All of their food is natural and they do not use grain! For me, that is a big issue as I have had dogs and cat die due to bloat. Check them out, Taste of the Wild is also an American company and is reasonably priced! Also.. put bay leaves at the bottom of the bucket and line it every 6 inches around on up. It keeps the bugs out as it does in flour. The power of bay leaves!

Vitamins are also a big deal. You don’t really need to use them as much now due to the food and the FDA making the pet industry put vitamins in the food, but what happens when the food is all gone and you may start feeding them with a beef/venison/chicken rice mixture? You will have to give some vitamins, at least to your dog once a week. Your cats absorb and create their own vitamins via what they eat. But giving them a nice rice treat (if they will eat it) with a vitamin mix once a month can prolong their life, especially if you are breeding them for mousers for other people.

A warm place for your animals is ideal as well. Just because they have a coat doesn’t mean anything. Their coat is like a layer of clothing and just like humans, they feel the cold and some hate it. I let the animals sleep with me, it keeps me warm and them as well. But it is also added protection if they sense something when I am asleep. Dogs and cats can get sick as well due to the elements and in some cases they are worse then us.

When your animals are sick, keep them warm. You CAN give them small amounts (and I do mean extreme small) of human medications. Aspirin is good for both dogs and cats. Cats should get 1/16th at most twice a day. Dogs can have a half tab twice a day. Pain killers work the same way. Just an itty bitty piece for a cat (not a kitten) and a quarter for a dog. You have to go off weights for cats and dogs and since most veterinarians prescribe the same stuff humans take, you have to be more cautious. I won’t go into details on what to use. But you can use benadryl for animals that have allergies, aspirin for pain(s), ointment to help with small wounds. Make sure to have a pill popper for your cats and dogs as they can choke too!

Make a small B.O.B for your animals as well. Cats and Dogs are simple; it is just their temperament you need to worry about. I always pack a 3 day pack of food for all the animals, collapsible water bowls, a gallon sized scoop-able litter kit and use an old collapsible water bowl for their liter pan so I can throw away the litter quickly and a extendable and fixed leash for the dog. I have a collapsible cat hut and I have two small harnesses for the cats to put them on leashes as well. Since I don’t take the cats out very often on their harness and leashes, I make sure they are use to wearing the harnesses at least. But these are also the break away harnesses so if anything ever happens and they get caught and I can’t find them, they can live. Also dog booties are a good idea and some bag balm. Your dog may not be use to walking a lot, so booties may be ideal due to type of land and the bag balm is for their pads.

These are just some suggestions. I don’t pretend to know it all. But if these can work for you, then you are more then welcome to it. Remember, your animals can be a bargining chip for others.

Weird Remedies for People.

2010-03-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

I just went to the Doc the other day and got some of the weirdest advise. But hey, if it works and I don't have to go back to the Doc's, I am all for it. So I probed and gleaned as much information as I could:

Men, do you have that pesky Jock Itch (lady this goes for you too)? Get Selson Blue. Apply on affected areas for 5 minutes and then wash off. Jock Itch is a fungus and the Selson Blue kills it.

Do you have Athletes Foot? This is totally gross, but pee on your feet when you take a shower. It will clear up in two weeks or less. The Doc recommended you do this in the morning as the acid in the urine is most potent.

Also, which is even more gross but it does work. Do you have lice or ever had lice? If you save your urine for a week in a jug you can take the urine and wash it through your hair and it will kill all the little bugs on your scale and sometimes actually takes care of the dandruff.

Have you ever had a Stye on your eye? Which is more or less a tear duct or a pimple on your eye lid. Use a warm used tea bag (a regular tea bag, not a herbal one) and place it there for 5 minutes, 4-6 times a day. It will help draw out whatever is infecting it and will clear up in a couple days.

Have you ever had a infected hair (and this works on smaller boils) that hurt so much (pubic area) you want to cry? The tea bag trick can work... BUT get some Carmex. Yes it works on extremely dry and chapped lips, but it also draws out the infection of the pimple, ingrown hair, boil and in some cases an infection of a ingrown nail.

Everyone knows that if you put a clove on a tooth it helps with the pain. It can also work on smaller open wounds, like a small puncture. You don't want to use a lot nor do you want to pack it. But it can help make the blood scab up in that area faster. You can use flour.. but it may become infected.

Have a headache and nothing to take for it? If you have willow around your area, chew on a freshly snapped (or sliced) twig. Asprin is orginally from Willow Bark. This works for migraines is to eat some of the inner bark of a willow tree, but no more then a couple table spoons. You can also steeps willow bark and make a tea but it doesn't taste all that great.

Asthma attack due to whatever? Grab a soda with HIGH caffine content and chug! It may take a minute, but you will start breathing just a little better.

I have more but these were the more interesting ones. My Doc is a neat older lady who helps with people out in the bush. So when she speaks. I listen!

Snow Machine rules and some blizzard advice.

2010-03-09T14:41:00.000-08:00

Recently, going out to the Iditarod and watching the mushers here as well as thinking “what if” something happened. I noticed that there was overflow on some of the lakes. I also noticed some branches broken and if I would have hit them with my leg on my snow machine I would have been in a world of hurt. I also noticed how fast people were going (as I put put around) and thought what would happen if I would have gotten hit by an obviously more powerful machine then the one I was on. Also, I hit a blizzard coming back in from Willow, so that was another challenge. So I thought I would take a few moments for those to keep aware if you ride snow machines.

1. Overflow is bad! On Lakes and River overflow can be a killer due to flooding of your machine, the possibility of the machine sinking into the water and disappearing all together and the fact you can become overly wet and it can become hypothermia. What happens if you hit an overflow area is accelerate! Don’t wait around and hope nothing happens or someone is going to be there to help you. Never Assume! Accelerate as fast as you can to get out of the water. After you are out of the water, make sure to get into some powder to lube up your tracks.

2. Hidden branches, logs, etc. You never know when you are going to smack into one of these lovely hidden items. I always go slow when I am in a area that I don’t know. Word for the wiser folk to the others. Trails in wooded areas can be just as bad as going fast on flat land. You could hit a nice mogul (bump) and ram your knee or some part of your leg into a branch hidden by snow. If that happen, you should always make sure you have a small first aid kit handy as well as a belt just in case you can’t stop any bleeding. I saw someone do it this weekend. Goot thing it was just a nasty scrape… as it could have been worse.

3. Just because you have a nice, new machine that can go 80 mph on the snow doesn’t mean you have to go that fast! I understand the adrenaline rush for going that fast, but if you aren’t experienced enough nor have the right gear on, all you are doing in endangering yourself and others. You can hurt yourself just as bad on a machine going 60 as you can in a car going that fast since snow and ice are not your friend if something happens and you go flying off. Taking sharp turns and going in front of others who are slower or do not have a supped up machine is impolite and can endanger them as well. Large crowds are also a huge problem for those who like to speed around. Always remember to keep an eye out for those who are out to enjoy the day and the ride, as these people will more than likely be the ones who help you when you are down and
hurt.

4. Always be a courteous rider. Going over hills that are known to have roads, people walking areas, and anything that is normally not machine acceptable in most cases doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk. When in a group (two or more people) one person should be the spotter and everyone should take turns to watch especially when it comes to riding across streets or run ways to go across. This also go with hills and trails around homes and cabins.

As for blizzards, well we seem to be getting quite a few snow storms as of late. Today was pretty nasty. Yesterday it was white out as soon as you got over the Knik Bridge going towards Anchorage. All you can do is slow down, put your lights on and make sure to listen to the sound of the snow and the difference in thickness of snow. You will notice as it sound kind of like someone making a low balloon squeak or when you sit on a leather seat and try to move. If you hear that get out of it. You are about to go into no mans land and ditch dive. And in a bad storm, no one will want to help get you out. Always make sure you have a B.O.B of your choice and a shovel. You may be your only hope.

I hope these little tid bits can help you. If not, just remember….. never assume!

Mushing and the Iditarod 2010.

2010-03-09T06:10:00.000-08:00

Taking dogs, a sled and mushing through the snow sound like an idea for you? It could work in the right circumstances. But Alaska in many ways has pulls away from that old idea, except of the Iditarod. Many others use dogs for traplines around Alaska as well as other States and Canada. But it is hard work.... so unless you want to wake up at 4:30 every morning to feed them, then they may not be worth your time.

We decided to go watch the teams go by on a quiet strip, for the Iditarod. I have a few photo's I will be in posting. I have a lot of respect for these people who spend all this time with their dogs and training them. I will be honest, I love animals... but caring for 50 or more can be more time then I could manage. Good Luck to those on the trail!

Could you do it? Would you want too? What if meant you had to to survive? Could this be your B.O.B.?

This is Dee Dee, a cancer survivor and has run 28 time in the Iditarod. She is one woman who I would want on my team.

Jeff King, 4 time champion. Neat guy and appreciates people coming out to wish him off.

And here is Martin Buser. If you have seen Discovery Channel or watch Dirty Job's with Mike Roe... you have seen him on there. Pretty decent guy.

Good Luck guys!

Seedlings... my early set.

2010-03-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, I have some seedlings. 2 weeks ago I started them and I thought I would share some pictures.

my heirloom pumpkin... going to be very cool.

they are next to the heater to keep them warm at night.

my little herbs a starting... aren't they cute!

So there you go. Hope you are doing well and I hope to have some iditarod pics and talking about how to stay warm on snowmachines. :)

Never, ever think you are in a safe zone!

2010-02-28T12:16:00.000-08:00

I read a blog recently that said if you lucky enough to be in a safe zone away from natural disasters and it got me thinking. What is a safe zone? I have never seen one.

Now, some people live in the interior (or if you are not in Alaska, lets say fly over country) and it can be just as damaging to live in the "middle" then it can be living on or next to a coastal region. No matter where you go, you will have fault lines, flood plains and so on. Someone a few weeks ago said that to have an earthquake in theri region, wouldn't be to bad. I argued, as I love a good arguement, that the people living in an area that has not recieved an earthquake in over a hundred years are going to be the "Katrina" of the next natural disaster phase.

Why am I saying this? Because no matter where you are, there will be a disaster. It is the law of pyshics and of course Ol'e Murphy. If you live on a flat plain (such as farmers) there will be a flood eventually. As well as tornado's. Even Alaska has had a few tornado's whether anyone wants to admit to it or not.

But, I digress. Earthquakes in the fly over of the U.S. happen rarely but there are quite a few faultlines in those areas. They are more stable due to the limestone and other natural stone that are soft but firm. But what is the issue is that water (above ground or below which is more deadly) can and has been able to disinegrate the softer stone and can leave huge marks as well as availibilty for some movement from below.

Take under ground coal mining. Most people do not realize that to get to the coal you HAVE to get through a section of what are called traps. Traps are what many in the oil and gas industry look for for pockets of oil and gas and in some cases water. But sometimes there is a fissure or a crack that the oil, gas, and water can escape.. with that the pressure of anything left, usually some type of carbon elements such as an old pond, leaf and plain grass decay etc, can make what ever is left in that area turn into a coal like substance. Lignite coal is what many do not realize is used to generate electricity around the nation. It can be either a stick brown coal or a darker sulfer smelling. Now, you have this coal mine and you are drilling, blowing up and taking our traps. The traps are part of fissures which are smaller faults... and in some cases are ajoined to large fault lines. Now what does this have to do with mines and earthquakes. Well, sometimes the fissures that are still "attached" to larger fault lines set off a wave when disturned causing a small amount of vibration... which can start the rumble of a small magnitude earthquake. After that happens, it is only a manner of time in which either the fault will "pop" or shift the trillions of tons of gravel and start an earthquake and possibly make these mine shafts collapes. This also happens when oil companies drill. It is a fact of life and many hours of research goes into this before drilling the fault and trap to get the oil.

Now, flooding of an area or excessive winds can also make this a nightmare. Since water and wind are the biggest erronding factors, even under human possibilty, they are the main reason why there are small tremors around the world. Underground river can errod an area under the crust of someones farm faster then you can say, Jack Rabbit. Causing either a "sink hole" in most cases but also, if deep enough triggering a small earthquake. Italy is notorius for this type of activity and their lava tubes around their region.

We also have those fun caldera's or underground volcano's all over the world. Some are like Yellow Stone, when you have no clue when it is going to blow it's "top". But there are other types of volcanos no one really knows about that can be just as bad. Like mud volcanos, which are level or a little sunken with the ground around it and can send either a sulfer like mix mud gyser (think yellow stone but far smellier) and this stuff can give you first degree burns, and in some areas (like south america) has been known to take out whole villages due to a fissure collapsing and making the mud sulfer mix flood an area. Alaska has a few mud volcanos, if you are curious to look for them. They are by the Wrangell Mountains, 50 or so miles due east of Tok.

When someone says that you are in a safe zone, just remember... no where is safe when it comes to natural disasters.

Seeds a starting... and cabin fever as well as Fur Rondy in full swing!

2010-02-23T23:34:00.000-08:00

Awww life, you know how it gets in the way of a good thing. Well life decided to smack me and unfortunately I had to deal with it before blogging on what I enjoy.

But on to nicer details!

Last week I had a moment and started a few seeds. Some heirloom winter squash that can be canned for pumpkin pies. Some heirloom lemon cukes, a couple different varieties of tom’s and all my herbs as well as a few other seeds that I can’t think of. This year I am going to take my herbs inside and see how they do, but I need to start them early so I can stick them in my green house. I would say sometime in the next two weeks or so, I am going to start on my heirloom and hybrid mixes of veggies. As I said earlier, I only buy the variety of hybrid that doesn’t wilt if we have a frost. I am looking forward to the TAM jalapeño seeds we bought as well as other things like squash, zukes, cali’s, cabbage, and my normal gardening entourage of flora and fauna.

But I also decided to TRY to grow corn and have 5 seeds sprouting. There is a variety that I guess grows in Alaska, a variant or a hybrid type. I will be keeping them in a more shaded area of the yard so they may be able to grow at least a little. Also, I am growing blue berry bushes from seed. I have NO clue how long this is going to take as I bought them from a “Post card” thinking why the heck not. It couldn’t hurt to at least try. I will keep everyone post on how they do, but I am not expecting miracles.

I am acquiring the buckets for the city container garden at my house and of course some for the big garden. I have purchased perilite for the soil as I am sure it is going to need some soon and I also bought some mixing potting soil.

I have to say I am looking forward to Break Up (our version of spring in Alaska) more then ever as I have cabin fever horribly this year. I would have to say this is the worst case I have had in years. But you can’t complain as this IS Alaska!

If you haven't heard or just didn't know, Fur Rondy is in full swing and soon the Iditarod will be a running (pun intended). The Iron Dog is also in full gear (hehe) and soon Arctic Man will be upon us. Yet, I have this odd feeling that we are going to have a early break up. Maybe it is just me and wishful thinking! Maybe I should go run with the reindeer this year? What do you think?

Potatoes and old tires... awesome recycling idea!

2010-02-08T15:52:00.001-08:00

If you have ever grown potatoes, you know how they like to grow up.

But did you know that growing them in old tires is the way to go for containing your potatoes as well as getting the maximum growth and potatoes for the year!

Picking your potato is the first step. I personally like the little Alaska Red which is a small to medium sized red potato which is sprung from a Red Beauty and Alaska Russets for their small firm body and golden colors. They are both good if there is a frost and do well in even chilly or cool summers.

Now, on to the tires and what to do when you acquire them. You can get these for free in most cases, such as posting on craigslist or another free website asking for bald tires. Do not pay for them if you do not have too. I would recommend at least 10 tires; there is a method to my madness.

After you receive the tires… pick one side of the tire and take off the wall of the tire. But only cut off one side! Pick a spot in your yard that gets partial sun, good drainage. Take a tire and put it on the ground, cut side down and add some of your soil that you choose to use and put a few potatoes in it. Then stack another tire (cut side down) on top of the first tire, add some soil and let it sit. The reason you do not want to use the whole tires is 1. Water can collect in the rounded part of the tire and rot your potatoes, 2. You can breed insects you never wanted, and 3. It will make life easier for you when you take them apart to harvest them.

When you start seeing the tops of the potatoes coming up, you will need to have at least 4-6 inches of growth. You will then take another cut tires, stack with the cut side down on top and add soil. You will need to keep doing this throughout the summer. Adding the tires to the new top growth of the potatoes will actually MAKE the growth sprout, and sprout MORE potatoes!

When I finally decide to pull the potatoes, it is or can be anywhere from late August to the beginning of October. Make sure to pull your potatoes BEFORE a big freeze or you are going to be working your buns off. Frost resistant types work best for Alaska… but I also say experiment.

My easy way of working potatoes. You can have as many “stacks” as you would like but I do not recommend that you go over 5 tires a stack. Be careful with child concerning these stacks as you know how they like to climb on things. And when you pull the tires off, throw the dirt in a corner with some lime, fertilizer and other goodies to use again. Do not use the same soil more then 3 times on your potato stacks and transfer what soil you have into your garden.

Container Gardens in Alaska. How you can make it inexpensive.

2010-02-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

Container gardens are something I flourish in. I enjoy them as you can move them around your yard or if they need to be in sunlight but not certain types of dirt as well as moving them closer to your house and draping them if the weather turns. Container gardens work for everyone. Apartments or Houses, they are versatile and easy for all.

How I usually start is asking any restaurant or business that uses buckets, if I can take them off their hands, rather than dumping them in the trash or buy them off the business for a small fee. Most restaurants have them in 5 gallon sizes or larger. Hey, you can’t get everything for free. I do not ever go over a dollar a bucket and since I am picking them up they really can’t say it is a bad deal to take them off their property.

When I finally have the amount of buckets I want, I wash them thoroughly with a mild soap and warm water and use a spray bottle with a little bleach to kill any mold or bacteria that may be bad for my soil and plants. In which after I wipe them down well and let stand and dry overnight. I then grab a cordless drill, and find a good drill bit in which to drill holes in the bottom and on the side of the bucket no more than an inch from the bottom of the bucket. Good drainage is always wanted with container gardens. Make sure to have at least 10 to 20 holes in the bucket, depending on size of the drill bit.

Now, with that done, I usually mix my own soil. I have a wheel barrel (or you can use a tarp) and put 3 buckets of soil, 2 cups of lime, 2 cups of fertilizer (your choice), half a bucket of peat moss, and my secret ingredient…. 4 cups of ash from a wood stove. I take my shovel or spade and mix all these ingredients in. If the soil is for tomatoes or peppers, I make sure to add some egg shells, and some “moose nuggets” as it will help with the growth and drainage. You can always call around to the gravel companies and ask how much they charge for good soil... it will depend on the time of year but May is a good time to call since they are not selling the soil as much or fast as the summer.

Fill the buckets till you have about 2 inches from the top of the bucket. You want to make sure you have 2 inches as it will give you space if you need to add extra soil later in the summer as the plants will absorb quite a bit of the nutrients. It is almost like a natural fertilizer that they have been already cultivating in.

Do this will all your buckets and however much soil you have. Leave out for two days in the weather so the lime in the soil can perforate the bucket and the plastic as well as whatever was in the buckets to begin with can transfer their properties and not kill the plant. After the two days, plant no more than two plants of your choice in each bucket. If you have a lot of seedlings…. You will need a lot of buckets!

Water normally, check the soil once a week (as it will settle) and add soil as needed or if needed and make sure to follow the directions via the seed packets.

The best types of container plants are lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi, herbs of all kinds, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and you can go on and see. I do not recommend doing this with carrots or potatoes in large bunches…. As they will rot at times.

Good Luck and have fun with it!

If you are looking for more information. There is something called Bucket Brigade which is based out of Seattle Washington. It would be good to start a preppers bucket, me thinks. Anyone else up for the challenge?

The power of Irish Spring!

2010-02-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, that smelly soap of the 80's works wonders in the garden.

If you have never heard why, well Moose hate the smell of it. HATE IT! Bears and deers, I understand, don't care for the smell either... even though we as humans don't mind it. What do you do with it? Well if you are near a large box food over stock box store, you can buy it in bulk as bar soap never goes bad. I only recommend bar soap for this.

Take said bar soap, and slice it up if possible. It may be difficult. If you choose not too I don't blame you, but try to chunk it up some how. Take a big pot of water and set to a boil. When it is at boiling point, put it on medium heat and add the soap. Let it sit there until all the soap is disolved. When all is said and done you are going to have a bluish/greenish and milky white water. let it cool down just enough so it won't scald you. Grab a bucket and dump the pot of water in it and add water to the top of the bucket. Use a large spoon or a small bowl and pour around and on your garden area(s). The smell will keep the moose, deer, bears, and other critters away. It also has an effect on slugs and I had had success with keeping them at bay with this.

Do you have fruit trees? If you can drill a hole in the middle of the bar of soap (long ways) and put a peice of twine on it and hang it on the tree. The deer and moose won't munch on your fruit trees during the winter.

If you own any old CD's. The way to make this work is simple. Put the old CD's that you will never use again in a microwave for 3 seconds. No more then 3 or you will have a house fire. What the microwave does is makes the data on the CD unable to read and look like old fashioned crack glass. Put the old and now crack looking CD's, taped to a Spoon or hung by a tree with twine. Moose and deer do not like the reflective part and will spook around your garden in most cases. If they see these they will general.ly leave your garden alone.

Two easy steps to making your garden critter free. Other ideas are welcome!

Midnight Sun Pepper planting and some of my ideas.

2010-02-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

It will soon be that time where you need to figure out what seeds you would like to grow. Right now, I am planning on starting (within the next two weeks) my pepper plants as they need a little more time to grow and stabalize in the land of the Midnight Sun. Usually I start them way early to get as much out of them as I can, but I have been slow as of this year and the Man is asking when I plan on sprouting his favorite food.

Depending on how you start, as I have stated in a previous entry, I freeze all of my seeds which include the peppers. As long as there is no moisture in the packets and they are in a plastic bag, they should be good. Always make sure that you let them sit overnight to warm back up to room tempurature after you freeze your seeds.

I use old cups, small butter or sour cream containers, with holes at the bottom, that have been washed and sanitized. I then put them on whatever they will sit on to drain. It makes life easier when I do this as I start them in my house as I do not have a stable greenhouse yet. I add an inch of sand to all my containers, than add a layer of pete moss and some good warm and fertilized soil at the top. I then place what seeds in the container and write on a plastic spoon as to what type of pepper they are. Spoons are cheaper in the long run and can be reused and sanitized in a dishwasher down the road and after growing season. What I do now, is different them other gardeners. I do not use a water can to water my peppers. I grab a little spray bottle with distilled water (I fill an old clean milk jug and let it sit for a week at room temp) at room temp and on a spray pattern rather than a direct stream and spray the containers until I see a small amount of water come out of the bottom of the container. The reason is that you don't disturb the soil as much and the plant when germinating can hold on to what soil it needs and it won't stunt the growth. The distilled water at room temp, seems to help germinate faster than plain cold tap or well water. I then take either plastic wrap or some plastic bags and put on top of the container with a rubber band wrapped at the bottom of the container to hold in the moisture.

When sprouting... I have noticed the frozen seeds germinate faster than the seeds those that have not. But sometimes, even the frozen seeds take a while. I would say 3-14 days depending on seed.

When the peppers become larger, do the same soil equation with large containers as you did with the starters. Peppers that do not drain properly will either become fungal or die and I have quite a bit of success with this method keeping them alive.

When it is warm enough, by Alaskan standards, put them in your now warm greenhouse or if you do not have a greenhouse you can do this. Visqueen is a great insulator. Grab a roll or if someone has a good section ask if you can have a 5 foot by 5 foot section. Find the sunniest location around your house. Do not plant your peppers there.. I would recommend you still keep them in their containers. Put a piece of 1 inch wide by 2 or 3 foot long wood onto your house via staples or small nails and do not go above 2 feet or so on the house. Make sure you know where the wire to your electric are as well as your water pipes. You don't want to have to call a repair man. After putting up your wood, grab your visqueen plastic and role whatever side a couple time so you can make the plastic stronger. Staple the rolled middle of your visqueen to your wood, hoping that you have at least a foot extra on both sides. Put peppers in there during the day and some of the night as they will need to cool down as well. This works well for most Alaskans and can be used for smaller variety tomatoes. Make sure to water after they are cooled off. If it becomes cold and rainy out, you will need to bring them inside.

These are some ideas for those who want to try, start and get going on the planting already. I usually start my other seeds around Iditorod, which is about 4 weeks from now.

Does anyone else grow peoppers up here? What varieties? Organic or otherwise?

When you are in a jam on a cold night... always have a can of HEAT!

2010-02-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right. HEAT, that little plastic yellow bottle that you put in to your vehicle to take the moisture out. Why? Well here is some thoughtful advice if you didn't know already.

HEAT is extremely conbustable. It is alcohol based and if anything ever happens to you, if is always good to have this one little bottle in your pack no matter where you go. So here is what you should do if you ever are in need of it and what you should have.

1. HEAT (obviously)
2. paper of some kind, but if you have a half used roll of toilet paper in your house... stick it in a tight sealed plastic bag and have it in your vehicle.
3. a lightweight shovel. Everyone should have one of these as you never know when it will be useful.
4. matches or a lighter.

Now, this is what you do. Take the bottle of HEAT and put it into the baggy with the toilet paper in it, making sure you have a tuft of toilet paper sticking out of the bag. The toilet paper will soak up the heat and the tuft is so you can light it .... LATER. Makes sure to try to get any HEAT accidentally put on your hands off as you might ignite it. Take your shovel and dig a hole. If you are doing this on top of snow I will advice to you dig until you hit the dirt and make sure you have at least a foot showing. If it is summer, make sure to dig about 6 inches or so down. If you do not do this, and say it is raining, the HEAT may spread and you WILL be burned. Put the roll of toilet paper still in baggy in the bottom of the hole while piling any small deadwood in a TeePee formaion. Light the tuft of toiletpaper with match or lighter, becarful as not to burn yourself.

VIOLA, you will have a hot, long burning fire if there is ANY reason to need one. Mushers and trappers have used this method if they need to bed down for any reason, mainly blizzards.

Does anyone else have any other ideas or suggestions? I would love to hear them!

Earthquakes... what you should do.

2010-02-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

There comes a time when you will feel an earthquake here in Alaska, no matter where you live. Whether in South Central, Interior, North Slope, South East or the Aleutians, you will feel them.

What to do and how you do them is all up to you. There are two types in pseudo-geological terms to worry about. Shakers and Rollers. The difference of both could be the reason and way to save your life.

A “Shaker” is the type of earthquake that will shake uncontrollably. It usually does not have life threatening effect unless it is higher on the Richter Scale. I can leave buildings crumbling; it can break water/sewer and main plumbing and at times has actually shifted buildings. Damage from them is usually minimal, but can be devastating. These are usually closer to the surface of the earth and are usually related to a pressure releases in the crust. Imagine someone holding a glass to tightly, and it explodes. That is what is considered a “Shaker”.

A “Roller”, on the other hand, is a slippage of to different land masses, one on top of another. Imagine someone with a truck, hitting your little car, and you have that accordion like waves in the back of your car (depending on how fast it hits you). Those waves in your car are what can happen on the surface of the earth.

Rollers are frightening. If you were here during the 2002 earthquakes, you know the devastation of what they did. We may not have had much damage in the urban areas concerning buildings and such, but the scarring of the land was seen for hundreds of miles as well as those in little villages or communities whose cabins were literally moved off their foundations.

Now, what you and your family should do is look at your surroundings. Do you live in a newer or older house? Are you near power lines? Do you have either gas lines or a fuel oil tank? Do you have water lines or a septic system? These are something to look at, as it may be good or bad for your situation.

Owning a newer or older home (rentals included) are first to look at. Do you see problems with the foundation? Is the roof going bad? Do you see problems with “utility boxes” and such on the side of the house? If you see any problems are they small or large… this may be a problem. Roofs that are going bad or sagging may collapse in the house. Foundation issues (cracks, not sealed correctly, crumbling) may take the house off the foundation. Keep an eye on your house and surroundings and try to fix what problems you can.

Utilities and fuel lines are a touchy subject. Power lines supply the electric, but if they snap off, can lead to igniting your house on fire, electrifying that gas meter or in some cases fuel tank on the side of your house which would be disastrous. You can call your power company and ask them if there are breaker lines (which can be added at a minimal cost) to your house if the lines snap. They can be also added to the poles that hold the lines, and have been in areas that have quite a few trees. I recommend cutting down branches near power lines ad they can be the reason the lines snap. Your Power Company may do this free of charge if you call them and ask about tree management vs. power lines. It makes life easy for them down the road as well.

Water lines, Wells, Sewer and Septic are a huge problem. If you have water and well lines, they can snap or in a wells case, it may move the pump. Not good. If you are in a urban area and the lines snap and start flooding your house. You may not be able to do anything unless you know where the shut off valve is near the street, in your house etc. Wells that have their pumps moved may not be able to get water. Always know where the shut off is for your water. It may save you and your house. Urban sewer lines are the same. There is a shut off valve; you will have to call your Water and Waste company for where the valve is. As for septic and if your main pipe busts, you are going to be in a world of hurt. You may have to go dig it up and repair it yourself. Most septic systems are plastic now, but if you do not know the size of your piping, you may not be able to fix it. Also in the winter, trying to fix a broken plastic pipe may not be a good idea depending on the temperature. The pipe glue may not stick if it is a low temperature.

Now that I have told you what to look for, here is what you may need just in case you can not stay at your house.

I would recommend a large-ish type back pack. An older Army ruck sack works and generally are inexpensive. Packing it with such items as:

1. a small first aid kit.
2. some type of food that you and your family may like.
3. small water purifying system with water bottle.
4. all medications you will need for at least 2 weeks.
5. warm clothes, socks and a pair of slippers. You will need to air out your shoes/boots when hunkering down for a night so not to have problems with your feet later.
6. a tent (light weight) or tarp in which to get out of the elements. (I recommend throwing in a couple of those thermal cellophane blankets, as you don’t have to just use them for a blanket but as a small tarp on the ground)
7. a light weight sleeping bag or blanket, depending on time of year.
8. waterproof matches AND a lighter all in plastic bags. You can have soggy water proof matches, so sticking them in a plastic bag will assure that you will HAVE a fire.
9. a small magazine or paper in a plastic bag. This will help with lighting a fire if the elements are a soggy or undesirable.
10. a bottle or two of HEAT. Heat for your car is an excellent way to get a fire going quick as it is mainly alcohol. Make sure to make a fire pit and only used it sparingly as it is EXTREMELY combustible.
11. Toilet paper in a plastic bag.
12. a light weight shovel.
13. A small radio. There are the hand cranked types but do not do so well in the cold. Please be aware.
14. a small-ish aluminum pot in which to boil water for food or just to drink in case you do not have a purifier.
15. a eye dropper size bottle of bleach.
16. a small bottle of body wash and a wash cloth. Do not use wipes as it dries out your skin.
17. small bottle of lotion, just in case you do need it
18. toothbrush and toothpaste
19. chapstick or something similar
20. Sunglasses and any eye wear (an old pair of glasses in a case).

21. A firearm with at least one box of ammo or shells. (.22, and 12 gauge) NO MATTER WHAT!

These items are quick to grab and go in any situation. You will be the one who needs to figure out what other items will be needed. If you have children make sure to put a light weight stuffed animal and a coloring books with a small pack of crayons in their or your pack. It will help later with their emotions as it is their way to get their emotions out.

Winter brings more problems. You can use exactly what I recommended in heavier duty clothing, tent and sleeping bags. You can also use a child’s sled to help with the items you bring, just make sure you have a sturdy rope so you can drag the bundles as well as the sled have higher sides. If you are in Tsunami areas, grab your bag and get to the highest elevation you can. The higher you can get, the more it will save your life!

These are recommendations. Always layer clothing! Make sure that you have a plan. Whether going to a friends cabin, or yours, or hunkering it out. Be safe… for you and your family. Only you can protect you and your family!

Choosing your Seeds for the Midnight Sun Garden.

2010-01-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

Seeds. I think them fun and interesting as there are so many varieties of them. You can have heirloom to a hybrid types.

I know many people (especially preppers) are concerned about the differences in heirloom compared to hybrid varieties. I would say, use what works for you and your family. Reason being is that you are your own best critic. I have never really noticed a difference in the heir vs. hybrid, except when it comes to frost. The hybrids that are "manufactured" for no-kill frosting issues are ones I gravitate too. Why, well we all know in Alaska, a frost can set up even in the best of summers. And after all the hard work I put in, I do not want my seedlings or even mature crops to die due to a fluke in the weather. Other then that I usually stick with the variety of plants that I know will grow up here in the land of the Midnight Sun.

Okay, now on to seeds. If you are a newbie of Alaska and have never gardened this is a great way to start. First thing is do I buy packets or go for prepper like larger bags? If you have never gardened before, I would say go for the packets of the plants you and your family enjoy eating. If you buy packets from say a box store, look on the back of the them. If you can grow that variety of plant in Michigan, Wisconson, Montana or Minnesota you should be good for the most part. Other then relative humidity, they thrive pretty well. Also keep an eye on the soil variance, the sunlight vs. darkness, watering, and spacing. These will be key when you are looking to start your garden. You may go hog wild buying packets of seeds, which is fine. But remember, you will not be using all of them and storage is vital as to keep them dry and no mold grows.

What I recommend for starting Midnight Sun gardeners:

Carrots (smaller blunt ones for first timers), broccoli, cabbage (all varieties), califlower, beans (all varieties), peas (all varieties), kalhrobi (like a radish without the heat), radishes, squashes (most varieties), pumpkins, climbing cantalopes melons, minature watermelon, strawberries (seeds or full plants). These are the easiest to grow from personal experience. You can grow all these in mounds, raised or in bucket gardens. That will be on another blog though.

Tomatoes and peppers, now that is a touchy subject. Some people do mighty well with tomatoes and peppers. Some people have struggled. I think it depends on the variety, year and the climate. Last year, I had an over abundance of little green yellow pears, beef steak and cherry tomatoes. But even sticking them in a brown paper bag and spraying vinegar in the bag to try to make them turn red didn't work. Many of my gardening friends had the same problem. We all came to the conclusion that it was due to the weather, as it had cooled down quite a bit. Live and learn. But on the upside I had jalapeno's out the ying yang as well as hot and spicy peppers. What I will recommend, if you want to grow tomatoes or peppers, is to build a green house OR build a hot house. That will be discusses on another blog as well.

So, when you find the seeds you want to grow, make sure to always keep the packets. Reason being, is that you may need the guidance later if you haven't grown them or that variety for a few years. It is always good to keep the back of the packets! Also, buy (if you already don't have enough) a box of sandwich bags as well as a plastic tub. Here is why. Put the seeds in the bags, as it will keep the moisture out. You do NOT want moldy seeds as seeds can be expensive. Also stick the whole packet or if you prefer to cut out the information on the packet, in with the seeds. You will always know what you have and do not have to worry about mold or moisture. You can keep them organized in a small (or medium) tub. But the tub is for something else. ...

Now, as a newbie to gardening, you may think that you can just stick a seed into the ground and it will grow. You may be lucky, but sometimes those seeds take forever! In this tub, all your seeds are good in their plastic bags and can last forever. But one huge step in being successful is to FREEZE your seeds. Yes, freeze them. If you have a freezer, or if you have a friend who has a deep freeze, put your seeds in them for at least a week. Why? Well seeds need to be cooled down and in a dormant state to grow to their fullest potential. If you are a new gardener, experiment. Freeze a couple of seeds and keep a couple out. Make sure to make which ones were frozen and which ones were not frozen and keep notes. You will see a difference in why you should freeze your seeds before planting.

So, lets review real quick:

1. pick seeds your family will enjoy and eat.
2. make sure that they will grow in your regional area.
3. put seeds in containers that are water resistant and can be stored.
4. make sure to freeze them a week long, before planting.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. :) We will also talk about saving your seeds from prior crops in another blog.

Time to grab those Moose Nuggets!!! We're making Tea!

2010-01-27T09:51:00.000-08:00

Time to grab a bag! We are going to go look for Moose Nuggets!

Yes, you read that correctly. Moose Nuggets! Why? Well I am going to give you my AWESOME recipe for a natural fertilizer. OMG, Moose Nuggets though? Just wait till you see what else I have in it.

For gardens in Alaska, it is vital to have good nutrients for your crops especially potatoes. We have volcanic ash, we have good soil and swampy musk keg, but sometimes that can actually give to much or too little nutrients to our little seedlings.

Now, I want you all to go around your area(s) and if you see a pile of moose nuggets (moose nuggets for the cheechakos is moose dung), have a plastic bag from a grocery store and start picking them up! No, the moose nuggets won’t kill you, and in most cases it is more sanitary then dog or cat feces… in an oval and hard form. But make sure to get a full bag of them as you are going to need every spare nugget.

Now, after you get a full bag, you will need these items.

1. A homedepot/large painters bucket, clean(ed) with lid.
2. a handful of lime, your choice.
3. a handful of peat soil, your choice.
4. a handful of sand, where ever you can find some.
5. and a bottle of someone spit from chew (1 liter if possible)*

I would only do this in or around May, because it will be gross going. Be aware to wear a mask or something under your nose so you do not gag.

Take cleaned bucket and put moose nuggets on bottom. Take the lime, peat soil and sand and dump on top. Take the bottle of chew and add to the top of the lime, soil, sand mix. And last but not least… add water (from wherever) to the bucket, and just barely goes to the surface of the pile. The moose nuggets MAY FLOAT, be aware. Take a garden shovel and stir. Take the bucket lid, put some holes in the top to breathe and place on the bucket. Leave for one week.

This is an easy and fast way to have a starter compost tea, especially if you are a prepper and want to make life a little easier on yourself. After a week of “fermenting” (make sure to have your mask it may stink) add more water, I would say at least an inch from the top. When your seedlings are about two inches tall, take a bowl or whatever you would like to use to scope out the “Tea” and put it on your seedlings. Also, make sure to water them AFTER you put the “Tea” on them… as the tea is very potent and I have accidentally killed them. You will see them grow faster in a week.

Try this as an experiment this summer. If you like how it works, you have a new recipe. If not, you at least got out and enjoyed the Alaska Winter.

Next Blog… what seeds to choose? Have a great day!

*Chewing Tobacco is an excellent source of nitrogen. It is gross as heck, but it is absolutely needed to make this tea. Please wear gloves when handling!

Preparing for the Midnite Sun Garden: Phase 1.

2010-01-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

Evening good Alaskans! I thought about this for a while before writing it down to see if anyone else was in the mood to garden like I am and it seems that many people, even thought this has been a very mild winter so far, are already looking forward to spring.

I guess it depends on what you are growing. 1. I don't go for world record pumpkins, so I guess this is starting early. 2. gardening takes my mind off of everything and de-stresses me. I hope it does the same for you. So, my garden this year will consist of multi variants of squash, radishes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, a wide variety of tomatoes and other hearty veggies that I know will grow here in Alaska.

Why not corn? Well corn, come to find out, is only able to grow in the dark due to the photosynthesis via the sun. You will see at the State Fair(s), that there are very little corn cobs there and they are far smaller than around the lower 48. There are many varieties of corn but unless you have a specialized green house where you may be able to shut out as much light as possible, corn is just hard to grow.

Even though it is only January, it is time to think about the different types of plants to grow. Also, it is time to think of the soil you have around. If you have compost or are you going to use fertilizer from the store? What about Horse Manure, cricket manure or even moose nuggets? These are the types of items to think about in the coming month or so.... because being prepared is the idea for the Last Forntier.

If you have any questions, comments, or other.. please do not hesitate to use the commenting area!

Last weeks wind storm.

2010-01-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

There is no way to be totally prepared for every situation that arises but at least planning for the minimal response does pay off.

Winters in the Mat-Su valley in Alaska are relatively mild as far as snow fall and temps go. It seems like about every ten years we get a heavy wind storm the first part of the year. Well it looks like this year was one of those years.

It started for us last Sunday, Jan 10^th when I left work at 3 pm. to go home. The wind had been increasing all day and now in the evening it was gusting at around 50 mph. Daughter and grandson left around 7 pm. to go back to Ft. Richardson in Anchorage and the wind was almost a steady 50 mph. My wife and I watched a little TV. About 11pm the power went out. The wind was shaking the house by now. We went to bed. My wife woke me at 5am Monday morning when the power came back on but our gas furnace didn't come on. Mmmm not good. The motor had seized. Got out the kerosene heater and a small propane heater and fired them up.. Have three floors to heat to keep water pipes from freezing. Called the heating company at 0808 and found we were # 50 on the list... not good. Heating man shows up at 2 pm. Confirms the motor on the furnace has seized. Remove it, call in the part number... old furnace... part availability, we will see. By now the wind is up to 80 to 85 mph gusts. Repair man leaves. He calls back in an hour, still looking for parts. Decide to go and dig truck out and go to store and get some electric heaters. Make that run. Many people in the store talking about the power being out and them having to use gas stove ovens for heat. Get back to house and find the repair man has located motor and will be over tomorrow around 10 am to install. Oh well, get electric heaters set up.. one upstairs and the other down stairs. Around 10 or 11 pm the power goes out again... so much for electric heaters. Start the process of moving kerosene heater floor to floor all night. Tuesday morning, power comes on at 6 am. Looking out the window, the Jeep is buried on all 4 sides up to the windows, snow has drifted up to second story front window, snow has blown in around kitchen window piling up on sill.. TG.. not warm enough to melt yet... At 10 am the repair man shows up with new motor...ooops... motor shaft too short... repair man goes back to warehouse. He is back at 2pm with the right motor, up and running by 3pm. At 5 pm the hot water tank pressure valve opens and 44 gal of water on the floor.... does it 2 more times in the next 8 hrs... TG for shop vac! Takes most of Wednesday to vacuum the carped floor in the garage where the furnace and hot water heater are.

Needles to say it took until Thursday evening to get the Jeep unburied.. had to use pick ax to break the drifted snow up.

Just having a source of heat, kerosene heater, propane heater and warm clothes we were comfortable. The back up electric heaters were nice as long as we had electricity. For those who ask why no wood stove, unless you own the land to get your wood off from, it is very expensive to purchase. There is a land shortage here believe it or not. What the feds don't own the state does. Our retirement home will have wood backup heat.

2010-01-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

Looking for other preppers in the Valley.

Army Survival Manual FM 21 - 76

2010-01-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

Page 6 of 233

<--Prev Page

R -Remember Where You Are

Spot your location on your map and relate it to the surrounding terrain. This is a basic principle that you must always follow. If there are other persons with you, make sure they also know their location. Always know who in your group, vehicle, or aircraft has a map and compass. If that person is killed, you will have to get the map and compass from him. Pay close attention to where you are and to where you are going. Do not rely on others in the group to keep track of the route. Constantly orient yourself. Always try to determine, as a minimum, how your location relates to--

The location of enemy units and controlled areas.
The location of friendly units and controlled areas.
The location of local water sources (especially important in the desert).
Areas that will provide good cover and concealment.

This information will allow you to make intelligent decisions when you are in a survival and evasion situation.

V -Vanquish Fear and Panic

The greatest enemies in a combat survival and evasion situation are fear and panic. If uncontrolled, they can destroy your ability to make an intelligent decision. They may cause you to react to your feelings and imagination rather than to your situation. They can drain your energy and thereby cause other negative emotions. Previous survival and evasion training and self-confidence will enable you to vanquish fear and panic.

I -Improvise

In the United States, we have items available for all our needs. Many of these items are cheap to replace when damaged. Our easy come, easy go, easy-to-replace culture makes it unnecessary or us to improvise. This inexperience in improvisation can be an enemy in a survival situation. Learn to improvise. Take a tool designed for a specific purpose and see how many other uses you can make of it. Learn to use natural objects around you for different needs. An example is using a rock for a hammer. No matter how complete a survival kit you have with you, it will run out or wear out after a while. Your imagination must take over when your kit wears out.

V -Value Living

All of us were born kicking and fighting to live, but we have become used to the soft life. We have become creatures of comfort. We dislike inconveniences and discomforts. What happens when we are faced with a survival situation with its stresses, inconveniences, and discomforts? This is when the will to live- placing a high value on living-is vital. The experience and knowledge you have gained through life and your Army training will have a bearing on your will to live. Stubbornness, a refusal to give in to problems and obstacles that face you, will give you the mental and physical strength to endure.

A -Act Like the Natives

The natives and animals of a region have adapted to their environment. To get a feel of the area, watch how the people go about their daily routine. When and what do they eat? When, where, and how do they get their food? When and where do they go for water? What time do they usually go to bed and get up? These actions are important to you when you are trying to avoid capture. Animal life in the area can also give you clues on how to survive. Animals also require food, water, and shelter. By watching them, you can find sources of water and food.

Next Page--->

Page 6 of 233

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Visit the Alaska Forum at www.AlaskaPreppersNetwork.net

2009-11-08T02:46:00.000-08:00

Well it's been awhile. Life has changes. My house has been sold and we are living with some friends. I hope they are blessed!, because I am sure we are a handful!

Are you prepared to move somewhere if you lost your house? What are your possible living arrangements? Do you have enough money in savings to get you through the move or rebuild?

With out friends we would have been far worse off. I hope you have done some "prepping" in this regard. I am sure people who lived miles in from the coast never thought they could be damaged by a storm ... Katrina changed that!

Casey in Alaska

Health Care Reform, Death Panels, Obama, Sarah Palin and you.

2009-09-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

I would like to ask you a question?

Given the current level of interest in Health Care / Health Insurance Reform, what are you doing to prepare yourself for any medical needs?

There are plenty of things we can do from getting in shape to learning about medicine to getting involved with the political process. Don't forget that it is always good to have medical practitioners in your circle of friends. Have a savings account, work at an employer with a good medical program.

I have heard it said, "as long as you have your health, you have everything."

Take positive steps to make sure you have a plan in case you need care.

If you have any suggestions please post them for all to see.

Casey in Alaska

S.773

2009-09-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

An Act that contains the authority for the POTUS to disconnect private citizens from the internet under a "cyber emergency", which of course is undefined. Ladies and gentlemen the work done here by our fellow bloggers seems clairvoyant. It is very important to get involved with the radio communication talked about here in the Preppers Network. Don't wait until YOU don't have access to mass communications. Casey in Alaska

Back to work.

2009-08-26T03:02:00.000-07:00

A few things have kept me out of the loop, but I am back and hope to be able to contribute a few things to the conversation. If you know anyone in Alaska send them a note to get in touch with me and maybe they can help the web site.

Thanks.

Casey in Alaska

April 15th

2009-04-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Everyone's favorite day. I will be in Wasilla at the Tea Party from 2 - 4 pm. Check out the web for Alaska Tea party to find your nearest one. Thanks.

2009-03-02T23:03:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Thank you for the support. I am still working on getting the writings concerning the goats and gardening. Everyone seems to be busy but they will fit it in to their schedules when they can.

Anyone who has been watching the news these days has noticed the current administration's attacks on various aspects of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and capitalism. I hope you have already found alternative ways to continue discussing ideas important to you (Fairness Doctrine). You should already have any firearms and ammunition you need, or be buying them soon(HR 45). Maybe you are lucky enough to live in a state that has already introduced legislation rejecting such Federal Bills as HR. 45, like Alaska is working on. If you have not seen those stories you can find one story in the March 1 Newsminer.com.

You should also be concerned for your friends in the medical community. If, as Obama promised, the Freedom of Choice Act gets signed, medical personnel will LOOSE the FREEDOM of CHOICE not to participate in abortions. How's that for freedom? That is their freedom for us, do it their way or loose your job. I thought the "Left" was the ideology of "inclusion", of "fairness", of "live and let live". I guess that's only if you stick to their version of things!

Stay active and "Be prepared".

Raising your own food.

2009-02-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

Hello from Alaska. The first thing I'd like to talk about is food supplies you can raise yourself. I think we would all agree that you can't live long without food. It is also common knowledge (although, maybe not widely know) that the grocery food system of the U.S. generally only carries around 3 days supply of food at any one location. If that is the case, it is prudent to have a supply of food YOU control. There are two kinds of foods each of us can control. Stored food, MRE's etc. and live food, animals, gardens. Not being a true expert in these areas I am in the process of enlisting articles from various sources.

I hope to be able to put something up every week. The first article will hopefully be available next week. The type of food source I want to cover first is the live foods. To that end I am working with several sources one will cover raising animals and the other gardening.

The Dangers of Earthquakes

2009-02-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

Alaska has suffered tremendously in the past from a major earthquake and it is important to stay informed and be aware of the possible dangers you could face. The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964 is but one example of the devastation that an earthquake causes.

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center is a great source for information, alerts and updates for earthquake information.

Another great source for earthquake information can be found here:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/index.php?regionID=3

Being aware of the possible hazards in your area and where to get vital information should be a priority for everyone.

Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker

Alaska Preppers Network Authors

2009-01-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

Join our team and become a co-author for the Alaska Preppers Network!

Our current List of Alaska Preppers Network Authors:

CaseyinAlaska (moderator)

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2009-01-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

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