My number 1 home defence gun

So you are worried you may not always be safe at home. You have seen the news. Crime is increasing. Armed people are breaking into homes and robbing and killing the owners. 

You begin to think about getting a gun to protect your home, your family and your self.

I encourage you to do some research before you buy a gun to protect your home. The man at the gun store will want to sell you what will make him the most profit. Your friends will tell you what they think is best. The Internet is full of advice and stats for every gun ever made. It can be overwhelming trying to determine the best gun for your home defence. 

There is an important things to consider as you do your research. What is your home made of? Most homes have sturdy walls on the out side and thin walls on the inside. Some pipes in the kitchen and bathroom and air conditioning or heating ducts made out of thin metal. I know that may sound simple but when you come down to it most homes are made of plywood and sheet rock. 

When you buy a gun for home protection you may want to consider how many walls the bullet will go through if you pull the trigger. You do not want to kill an intruder in one room and a member of your family in the next room. 

The first home protection weapon I bought was a Smith and Wesson 44mag. I had followed the advise of a family member as to the best weapon to protect my family with. I was impressed with the idea that if it could stop a truck it would surly stop an intruder. So after I had purchased the 44mag I went to the gun range to squeeze off a few rounds. The targets at the outdoor range were hung on 2x4 studs with the targets tacked to the 2 inch side. I took aim and fired. Th 44 kicked like a mule and almost hit me in the head with the recoil. As I got my balance back I looked down range at the target. It hung at an odd angle. I went to see what the problem with the target was. I discovered that I had hit the 2X4 and it was cut in half, sheared off by the 44 mag. Some may think that is wonderful evidence of the killing power of the weapon. I was stunned. I thought of the particle broad and sheet rock my home was made from. I wondered if this weapon was a lot more than I needed. If an intruder came into my home and I shot  them would I also kill a member of my family.

I began looking for something else to use for my home defence. After a long search, discussions with police officers, gun enthusiasts and reading the ballistic reports of many weapons. I picked the 12ga shot gun.

The 12ga shot gun loaded with small game or bird shot is a very effective weapon. It is easy to aim down a hallway or at a door. It is almost certain that at close range it will hit the intruder and be very effective in putting them down. Most people can point the gun in the general direction of the intruder and pull the trigger. 

Another crime deterrent is the well known sound made when a pump shotgun chambers a shell. It is so well known that many intruders may run just at the sound. They know that a lot of projectiles are about to come their direction with deadly results. 

Last of all if you use smaller shot it has significantly less power to penetrate a wall and injure or kill someone you love. Do not use buck shot. It will pass through a wall with a lot of extra energy to harm someone.

I could go on about brands and all the kinds of shot guns out there. But I will not at this time. If you want to you can research what you think is the best for home defence. I would love to hear your reasons. I chose the 12ga pump shotgun for my primary home defence weapon. 

Be sure if you purchase a weapon you also get training to use the weapon from a certified instructor before you use it. You are responsible to know the laws concerning weapon ownership and use for the city, state and country you live in.  

Pick your weapon.

I think its time to discuss picking a prepper gun.

In the United States it is a constitutional right to own a gun. There are restrictions on some kinds of guns and some states have more gun restrictions than others. You are expected to know the laws where you live. If you are going to own a fire arm you are responsible for the safe use of that weapon.

Not all preppers want to have a weapon. If you are living providently and there is general peace and prosperity you in all likely hood will be OK depending of law enforcement to keep crime in check.

If you think at some point things are going to get tough and you may have to fight to keep your family alive you will need some weapons for your protection. If you personally do not want to use a fire arm you may want to include people with weapons and who have the skills in the use of weapons in your prepper group.

As I have said before the best prepper gun is the one you already have. Now if you are looking to get what many preppers and survivalists would pick if they could have just one weapon you may want to pick up a 22cal rifle.

Why the 22cal? It light weight, generally not too expensive and the ammo is easy to find and a large amount can be carried by most people. It is very easy to carry 500 or more rounds. The small size of the weapon and the small size of the ammo make it easy to store, easy to use, and it is light weight enough for almost anyone to uses. Because the ammo is cheep you can spend a lot of time practicing with the weapon. The more you practice the better you will get.

Do not suppose that the practice  should be on a human shaped target. One of the best uses of the 22 cal rifle is to hunt small game. In the event of social strife the amount of fresh meat will very rapidly decline. Being able to hunt some meat may be the difference between life and death. Small game targets are very good for hunting practice.

Do not think you should not practice with other targets too. In all likelihood if things go bad for us and society breaks down you will want to be able to protect your family and friends.

 A 22cal will also kill people who are out to harm you. You need to consider if you are willing to use the weapon in self defence. Plan how to defend your home. Be sure there is ammo to use for the long term. The 22cal can meet most of the needs you have for protection.

What kind of 22 rifle should you choose? It will depend what you can afford and what you plan to do with it.

Many preppers prefer tactical weapons. The 22 rifle is manufactured in a tactical format. The up side is the tactical weapons are generally very similar to military weapons and can be used to train for military style protection. In a battle with a lot of targets you will want to be able to quickly fire your weapon. In open battle conditions you will be well served by a tactical weapon. In a 22cal it is a lot less expensive to operate. The down side is a semi auto rifle will use ammo faster than other rifles when used in non-combat operations like hunting. It takes a lot of self control to only pull the trigger one time when the rabbit is on the run.

There are repeating rifles that use a bolt action, lever action or pump action. With practice you can learn to operate them almost as fast as a semi-auto rifle. With traditional rifles you tend to spend more time taking aim. The better the aim, the better the shot, the more times you will fill the hunting bag with meat. In an open battle with a lot of targets you may be at a disadvantage. If you are under cover and have time to select your targets you will be able to more precisely hit your target and will use less ammo.

If you do not have a gun yet or are looking for a good multi use inexpensive weapon I would pick a 22cal rifle. Be sure you have training in the use of a weapon from a certified instructor before you ever buy or use one.

Active Shooter

Most of the time I do not post videos. I think this one could help save your life.

Our country grieves the tragedy which occurred on Friday at an elementary school in Connecticut.  Please take 6 minutes of your time to review this video on surviving an active shooter, because we never know……

http://www.federalnewsradio.com/473/2966001/DHS-funded-video-gives-tips-to-survive-a-shooter

Bugging Out...I mean bugging back in.

I have been watching the news. It seems like every day there is a tragedy some place. Shootings in schools and malls, fires, earthquakes and any number of other problems. The thing I have come to realise that most of the time if something bad happens we will not be at home with our supplies. So I have been keeping a bug back in kit with me.

This kit if for the sole purpose of making it back home from work. I work 11 miles from my home. It will be a long walk .  I know many people drive to work and think they will be able to drive home. This may not be true for you in the event of an emergency. I take the bus. If there is no bus or train I'm on my own to get home.

So you need to think of how you will get back home if you have to walk.

I have a small back pack that I use to carry my lunch and a few other things in. It is a normal appearing day pack that is well constructed. In side I have a few things to be sure I can make it home.  You can use a brief case of large purse the same way.

In my pack I keep:

20oz bottle of water.  In the summer I add a second bottle of water. Be sure it is a sturdy one, the thin ones will leak in a few weeks.)
bag of hard candy, I like jolly ranchers.
bandanna
pocket knife
small first aid kit, band-aids and antibacterial ointment.
Small flash light
Eye drops
2 day supply of meds. for me that is aspirin and Tums.
Dust mask
hand tool IE. little hammer or small axe. Break the window on the bus if I need to get out.

I also have my lunch and what ever I may have needed to take with me to work that day. On my way home I have all the same stuff just no lunch. My pack of supplies has a weight of less than 5 pounds. This kit is not a bug out kit. It is a bug back in kit. It is what I think I may need to get back home from work if I have to walk. It is a short term get me home kit not intended for long term survival.

I also keep a few things at work. You never know if you are going to be stuck in the building for hours or days in the event of trouble.

I keep:
1 gallon of water,
8 cans of ready to eat pop top soup,
Some dry drink mix
Bag of hard candy.
$10.00 in change for the candy and soda machine.

If you do not have good walking shoes you will need to keep some at your job or in your car. My job involves a lot of walking so my shoes will already be on.

Always were weather appropriate clothing to work. So if you end up outside you will be ready for the weather. I know several people who never were a coat becuse they have inside parking. Not a good plan good if you have to walk.

Now that you have your pack planed and put together look for the best route home. My route avoids down town and industrial zones. I will be in neighborhoods for most of my trip. I have planned a path with no bridges that is a flat as possible. Yes I like an easy walk home.

So for the times you are not home be sure you have your bug back in kit ready.

Saving the Squash Seeds

A lot of people love squash. I am one who loves to grow, harvest and eat squash! Saving the seeds for squash can be a bit tricky. Squash are pollinated by insects. This means that the pollen from a male flower needs to travel to a female flow of the same species in order to form a fruit.

Pumpkins and squash are in the same families.

The trouble starts if you plant 2 or more closely related squash. The squash will cross pollinate with each other and produce hybrid seed that may produce very strange fruit that may not taste at all good. For example: Acorn squash will cross with zucchini. They look very different but, they are from the same family.

There are 4 kinds of squash/pumpkins that are generally grown in family gardens and farms. They are Cucurbita pepo, Cucurubita moschata, Cucurbita angyrosperma and Curcurbita maxima. There are other species of squash also. Most often when you buy seeds they will be one of the 4 kinds I have mentioned. You will notice that the first part of the scientific name is the same for each group of squash. It is the last part you will want to pay the most attention to. Pepo, Moschata, Angyrosperma, and Maxima. If you buy seeds from different families you can grow 4 kinds of squash in the same garden and not cross pollinate. So look at the scientific name of the squash and pick your favorite from each family. It is hard to pick because so many great varieties are in the same family.

We can think all is good and we have our true seeds. Just harvest the fruit and pop out the seeds. Trouble is your friends and neighbors may plant squash from the same family you did but a different variety. Insect can ravel over a mile when pollinating. How do you keep your seeds pure.

First.  Plant your seeds and care for the plants till blossom time. Keep an eye out for female blossoms forming. They will be the blossoms with a small squash looking bulb just under the blossoms. The female blossoms are most often on short stems. The male blossom's are frequently on a longer stem. 

Second look at your blossom's in the evening. If they are larger and just a bit yellow around the edges they will open in the morning.

Third. Get up before the sun. You need to be in the garden as the blossoms open. Most squash are only fertile for a few hours just after sunrise. Find your female and male blossoms as soon as they are a little open. The female blossom has a center that looks somewhat like a loosely clenched human fist and is frequently moist to the touch. The male blossoms have a center the is long and round looking like a yellow finger. Pick the male blossoms, pull the petals off so you have the yellow pollen covered stamen exposed. Then rub the stamen on the female blossoms pestle(the center part of the blossom) Use several male blossoms for each female blossom. Be sure all the male blossoms are from the same kind of squash as your female blossoms. After you have hand pollinated the female blossom take a small paper bag and cover the blossom so no insects can add undesired pollen to your seed pool. Do this to as many female blossoms as you can.

Last tie a string very loosely around the stem of the female blossom. This way you can track the hand pollinated blossoms from the others that may have been cross pollinated by insects.

Let the fruit you pollinated get very ripe. Then take the seeds from the ones you pollinated. You do this for each of the varieties of squash you have planted. Set the seeds in a single layer so they can dry. After they are completely dry put them in a container and store them in a cool dark place. If they are not dry they can mold and destroy your crop. I also keep mine in a freezer to keep any mold from growing.

Next year do it again.

Saving seeds the Mighty Bean

Saving seeds is much more important than most people currently understand. It is very simple to save most seeds. It can be very hard to save other seeds. If you save your seeds from year to year you can save a good amount of money. Seeds are increasingly expensive. Seeds are also increasingly rare. Over the last 20 years more than half of the seed varieties for home use have become extinct. Because only a few seed companies control all most all the commercial production, what they have not propagated has often been lost from the gene pool. So the seed you save from your garden may be the only place on earth that seed is grown. So as you go about your life keep an eye out for people who are still growing food from seeds they have kept. Make them your friend and see if they will share some seeds with you.

To save seeds you need to know if the seeds are heirloom or hybrid. Only heirloom seeds will bread true. If on the seeds you buy it says heirloom or open pollinated you have seeds that you can save. The seeds from the fruit of the plant can be planted and you can get the same kind of fruit next season. The secret is to be sure no stray pollen from some other similar plant pollinates your blossoms.

To start saving seeds start with something easy. I think the easiest seed to save is beans. Beans are self pollinated, That means the bean flower pollinates its self before it opens. The chance of cross pollination is very low. Different beans can be grown just a few feet from each other and not cross pollinate. You can have several beans in your collection. There are hundreds of different kinds of beans.  Some are best eaten green, some as snap beans, some as dry beans. Beans generally fall into two groups by how they grow. There are the bush beans that are short, most often vines are less than 24 inches tall. There are poll beans that may have vines several yards long. You may want to choose your beans by how they grow.  I have some bush and some poll beans. If you have less space for beans try poll beans. they will grow straight up a 10 foot poll. From just 24 poll bean plants I have been able to harvest 1 gallon of dry beans. My poll bean is Cherokee trail of tears. It is a black bean that is good as a green bean when it is young and also a good black bean for baking.

To save bean seeds, let some of the bean pods hang on the vine till they are dry. Then just break the hard dry beans out of the pods. Put them in an air tight  container. I use zip lock bags and plastic jars. Then close them up tight and put them in the freezer or a cool dark place. I have been able to germinate seeds from my freezer 8 years after they were frozen. I always save the largest pods for next years seeds.

So as you sit home this winter and read the seed catalogs think of picking up a few heirloom seeds. If you want a very good source of heirloom seeds go to seedsavers.com. This group is dedicated to saving from extinction as many heirloom seeds as possible. You may even consider joining them. I have.

Water storage.

There is nothing you can store that is more important than water. Without water you will be dead in 3 to 5 days. For emergency use plan on using a gallon of water per person per day. For servival needs you need about 2 quarts a day. So plan how much you will need.

There are a lot of ways you can store water. Some water is most likely already stored in your home.  Where you may ask. It is in the toilet tank. Just lift the lid off the back of the toilet and you have a small supply of water,  Most toilet tanks hold 3 to 8 gallons of clean water. Be sure to not flush the toilet if you are in an emergency situation because once the water is in the toilet bowel it is contaminated and can not be used for cooking or drinking.

A second place you have water is in the hot water tank. You may have up to 80 gallons of water there. Look on your tank to see what the capacity is.  If there is any possibility that the water source or purification plant has been contaminated be sure to turn off your water where it comes into your home. Most hot water tanks have a drain near the bottom. To use this water open the valve slowly. Do not be surprised if there is a bit of mud in the bottom of your hot water tank that will drain out first. The harder your water is the more sludge will be in the tank. It is not harmful. Just let it settle to the bottom of what ever you catch the water in then use the clear water from on top of the sediments. As the tank drains out the water will become more clear. Fill all the water jugs you can from the hot water tank. This way you will know how much water you have available for use.

Now how to store water:

One way is save all the plastic drink bottles you have. Use the ones that had soda and juice in them. They are food grade plastic. Do not use the plastic milk jugs they are not good for water storage. Wash your bottles out with soap and hot water. Be sure to rinse with clean water then fill with clean water. Most tap water in the U.S.A. has been treated to kill harmful bacteria. You can store the water straight from the tap. Any other water should be boiled for 15 min before storing. The advantage to this method is the bottles are recycled and are free. They are in a usable size. The disadvantage is they do not stack well.

Many people purchase large tanks or barrels for water storage. The barrels come in several sizes. If you are going to use barrels pick some that will fit into your storage space. Barrels hold a lot of water as do large tanks. They can be difficult to move. You will also need a way to drain the water out so be sure there is a tap to drain the tank. If you have barrels be sure you have a siphon or pump to get the water out of the barrels.

If you use metal tanks be sure they will not corrode. I had a neighbor who had 2 large metal storage tanks built into his home. After about 20 years they had rusted through and leaked. They caused a lot of damage to his home and it was expensive to have them removed. Be careful how you plan and think for the long term.

Water that is stored may over time develop a bad taste. If you are filling your own bottles, tanks or barrels from the tap you may want to drain them every 6 month to a year and refill them with fresh water. Bottles water from the store generally will not have a bad taste even after several years.

Winter Rotation, keeping it fresh

Winter is a good time to review your plan and how it has been working. You should never think you are completely ready.  In the winter you can consider how your last year went. How much food have you been able to produce on your own? How is your water supply? What is your plan for fuel if the power is out. What can you do during the winter to make it better for your next growing season.

Winter is a good time to rotate your food supply. Take all the food you have bottled or bought this year and place it on the back of the shelf, then put all the older food in front. Then be sure you are using your oldest food.

If you are in the habit of purchasing fresh fruit and veggies all year consider using your older food instead. Yes this will reduce the amount of food storage you have. It will also increase your buying power. Fruit and vegetables are much more expensive in the winter. If you canned your own food last summer it cost a lot less. If you grew it your self it was free. So stop buying fresh fruit and vegetables. Start using what you already have. You can then use the money you are not spending on food on other needs. If you have all you need for now you can save the money and use it when a good deal comes along.

I like to have a 2 year supply of the food I canned at home. So I try to eat any food that is more than 3 years old during the winter months. By tasting and using your food you become familiar with what you like and dislike. You can store more of what you enjoy and less of that you do not. You will not grow a bunch of things you will not want to use.

As you use your supplies keep a record of how much you use and what you liked. Then as you look forward for the next growing season you can plant what you enjoyed last winter and have it again next winter.

Honey for Food and Medicine

Honey. Top Pick for storage. Every prepper should have some. I would have several gallons.

 Honey has been used as a food and a medicine for thousands of years.

First  as a food. It is a natural sweetener. It is significantly sweeter than sugar. Cooking with honey takes a little practice. Its strong flavor will change how things taste and may take a little getting use to.  It can be used in bread making, baking,  drinks and sauces. I like it on bread with peanut butter.

Honey is a natural antibiotic in the care of a wound.  If the wound is gaping open, will not stop bleeding, or is serious in any way go immediately to an Emergency Room. This post is not meant to take the place of emergency medicine. This post is for use only when there is no longer a medical system in place to use. 

For a small cut wash the cut, then you can apply a small amount of honey to a band-aid and place it over the wound Use about the same amount of honey as you would an antibiotic cream.

For larger wounds.
First wash your hands with soap and water.
Clean the wound with soap and pure water to clear as much bacteria out of it as you can.
Then pour honey into the wound till it is covered.
Next cover it with a clean and sterile dressing.
Be sure the dressing is secured in a way that helps the wound to stay closed.
Do not put the dressing on so tight that it cuts off circulation.
The honey will help protect the wound from bacteria.
You should change the dressing 1 or 2 times a day and if it becomes soiled. Each time rinsing out the old honey and replacing with new until the would is healed.
Never use diluted honey it should be full strength. Some research suggests that unpasteurised honey or honey made from certain plants will work better. It may. However, use what you have and even pasteurised honey from a big box store will work to kill the germs. You can also use sugar in the same way. It will work just about as well.

The down side of honey is the smell will attract bees, flies, hornets and other insects. If you use honey on a wound stay where the bugs can not come looking for a snack.

Starting a prepper group

You may be wondering how to get together a group of preppers. You want to start with family then friends, then people you know who have something in common with you.

If you are concerned about a national or world wide catastrophe you need to choose your group carefully. Your group needs to be made up of people you can trust.

Start you prepper group by listing the people in your family who are the contributors. The ones who are there for you and will stand with you in times of need. You should also list all the children under 14 years of age.

Now look at their skill base in the event of a loss of electrical and gas power for the long term. Who has skills that will support survival.

Having some kind of weapons training is one of the most needed skills. In a small group everyone should be able to defend themselves.

Do they have skills in first aid, herbal medicine, growing food, keeping animals, making weapons? primitive cooking?  The more skills they have the better they will contribute to your group.

Having modern skills is good but, if the modern parts of the skill are not available there is no skill. For example, Many groups want an ER doctor or nurse. They are valuable. However without modern medicines, X-rays, IV fluids, blood tests and scans they may have no value at all. They would also need to be able to do their job in a primitive setting. If they have also trained in traditional, herbal medicine or first aid they may have more value.

This is where you can have some very difficult decisions. Every family has members some where in the in laws, outlaws, cousins, children, siblings even spouses who do not contribute. They are for some reason unwilling to do their share and expect to be feed, clothed and pampered by the rest of the family. Can you lock them out? If things are bad will you be willing to continue to carry them?  If you are going to let them in you will need additional supplies for them to use and you will need to make it part of the over all plan. If you lock them out can you live with yourself and the rest of the group. Best to make your plan early so they will not expect to be let in if you have decided to not include them. Be sure your group agrees with the plan and can support the very difficult decisions.

Now look to your friends. Who is on board with being a prepper? Who has skills and is willing to use them for the good of the group? Also consider who has children your children could marry if there is a long term break down of society.

A group of people you may be able to trust are people from your church. Do any of them have concerns for the future, are any of them already doing things to be ready in the event of an emergency. Invite them to be part of your group if they will be a good fit for your group.

Look for people with as many similarities as possible. family, religion, race, education levels. This is not a time to try to include everyone and have diversity. You need a group who have shared goals, beliefs and ideas. The person you do not want to be in the group is the one who is different. Different is not good if there is trouble. You do not want to be the first one asked to leave if things get tight, or worse the first one eaten if your group turns zombie.

Zombie Apocalypse

So many people make fun of the idea of the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!!!

I think it is time I shed a little light on the subject for the general population who do not understand the zombie apocalypse. 

Being ready for the zombie apocalypse means you are ready for anything. Some preppers are getting ready for one devastating event or another. You could prep for the Yellowstone caldera to go up in a volcanic inferno devastating the USA. Prep for an asteroid impact, financial collapse, nuclear war, or any other possible catastrophe that will destroy civilization as we know it. If you are getting ready for the zombie apocalypse you are working to be ready whatever may happen. Anything from losing your job to a planet wide catastrophe.

So why the zombie reference? If there is a massive catastrophe there will be zombies. Yes, strange as it may seem zombies will rise up and come after you or you may be a zombie. Where are all the zombies going to come from? I'm going to tell you. 

There will be several groups of people who are at various stages of preparedness when a disaster strikes.

Group 1. People who have food, shelter, supplies, skills and a way to protect it all for the long term, more than 2 years.

Group 2. People who have some food, some means of protection and skills for the moderate term, 1 to 2 years.

Group 3. People who have limited food, skills and means of protecting for several weeks to months.

Group 4. People who just do not have anything ready.

Group 5. People who have weapons and are willing to use them to take food and supplies from other people.

The Zombie apocalypse begins with a devastating event that effects a large geographical area. This may be several states, nations or the world. 

The people in group 4 who have nothing ready run to the store to buy goods. The shelves are emptied in a few minutes to hours. They are joined by the people in group 5 who bring their guns to be sure they get their share. A riot breaks out and people begin to kill each other for food and supplies. 

The people in groups 1, 2, and 3 get ready for the impending zombie attack. The people who are left in groups 4 and 5 begin to form a zombie mob. Some of the people from group 4 find shelter with friends and family who are in groups 1,2, and 3. The rest try to hide or shelter as best they can. 

A zombie is anyone who has sunk into a depraved social structure with the base ideology of "I will do what ever is needed to survive."  Zombies can not grow their own food or make their own goods. They are the people from groups 4 and 5.

As the zombies consume their food and supplies they begin to look for new opportunities to fill their stomach. Some as individuals, some in small groups and some in mass start to look for a way to get  what they need. 

The people of group 4 who have so far escaped with some supplies are easy targets. Lacking adequate weapons and shelter they are the first victims of the zombies. Most are killed for their supplies.

Because zombies do not have a supply of food they must be out searching for new food sources. All animals will be consumed. Cats, dogs, rats, mice and insects will be caught and eaten. Some will also begin to cannibalize the dead. Zombies will readily kill each other.

After 3-4 days without food zombies will eat the dead.

The next targets for the zombies will be people they know who may have a supply in their home.  They will try to overpower the home, kill the people and take whatever they can use. The elderly will be considered easy targets as well as the disabled and chronically ill. People who are dependent on medications to live such as diabetics will be on the zombie target list. They will take on the weak first. Then they will go for individual single family homes. With their numbers and weapons they will over power the homes.

Within 90 days all the chronically ill, elderly and medically dependent people who are not in groups 1, 2, and 3 will be dead. They may have passed away from their disease or been killed by zombies. Many single home peppers will also have been over run.

Group 3 will begin to fail before the end of the first year. As their short term supplies run out they will need to locate new supplies and food sources. The sick, weak and elderly may be expelled from the group in an attempt to conserve the supplies for the younger and stronger group members. The expelled members become zombies or die. Some group 3 people will seek to join with group 2 and group 1 people. If they can show they have the skills and supplies that are needed by them they have a chance to join the new group. Anyone trying to join a group at this point will be viewed with extreme caution and most likely not admitted to a new group. Some smaller groups may join together for mutual protection. The zombies will continue to attack where ever they can find a group they think they can overpower and each other.

After 1 year, groups 5, 4 and most of 3 will be zombies or dead. Zombies will be much fewer in number, ammo will have become scarce, vast numbers of people will be dead. Without new food production, starvation and cannibalism are epidemic among the zombies.

As the population decreases, people in groups 1 and 2 may determine to plant new crops if they are not under pressure from zombies. Almost all animals have been eaten by the zombies.  Animals in the care of preppers have their next generation. 

After the 2nd year almost all of the zombies are dead. Some few as individuals and small groups still exist and may try to join stable groups. Other zombies will continue to raid and plunder to exist. People from groups 1 and 2 who have survived begin to rebuild what they can of a civil society. The society will be considered primitive, most likely similar to life in the 1700 to 1800s. Natural resources will have been depleted and destroyed by the roving zombie hoards. We will have to regrow from our stores all the food, forests, animals and fuels.

The unready will not survive.

  

More than just guns.

I often talk to people about being a prepper. I am amazed how often the first thing they tell me is they have guns and ammo. Not just a gun and a few shells, but lots of guns and thousands of shells.

I ask them what else do you have? I am shocked at how frequently the answer is. I have guns, I can get anything I need. Some plan to hunt and live off the land some plan to take from other people what they need or want.

If you are honestly into being a prepper you know you need more than guns. You need to be ready to live for an extended period of time on your supplies. I think a two year supply is a good amount. This is a supply of food, medical supplies, clothing, shoes, water, trade goods, gold, silver , copper coins, and yes guns and ammo, The list can be endless.

When the hard times come there will be only 2 kinds of people. The ones who have a supply and can protect it, and the ones who plan to raid the people with supplies.

I am in the having supplies and the means to keep it safe camp.

If you are planing to be in my camp or set up one like it you may want to start talking to people about what skill they have. I have heard that emergency room doctors and people with military experience are at the top of the list. Every one needs to start with some idea of the group they will have.

A short list of skill I would look for are:
master herbalist
basic first aid skills.
skill in the use of fire arms
skills in hand to hand fighting
making cloth
making clothing
bee keeping
cooking
millers
black smith
making primitive tools
farming
organic gardening
potters
basket making

There are a lot more skill to consider and no skill should be dismissed.

After the first several months of a crisis a large amount of the population would be dead. lack of medications, armed conflict and starvation will decimate the population. The serving peoples need to have some skills to start the rebuilding of society. So basic skills for primitive living will be needed.

Now is the time to think about what you could do after the conflicts are over, your supplies are gone and you need to grow your own foods, make your own clothing, shoes, weapons and tools. If your only skill was that you can shoot a gun and have a lot of bullets. You will have no value if there are no guns and no bullets. Everyone should be able to protect themselves and be a productive person with valued skills that benefit the group.

Keep a candle ready.

As the weather has changed you should be checking some of the things you need to have on hand in the case of emergency.

Candles are a wonderful thing this time of year. They can bring some cheer to the coming long nights. They are also a good source of heat and light if the power goes out. As strange as it may seem a candle can take the chill out of a room. Just one will not heat the room to a toasty warm, but it can keep the pipes from freezing. Be sure there is some ventilation. A candle can use all the oxygen in a sealed room  and could cause carbon monoxide poisoning or death. Most homes have plenty of air leaks (drafts) to prevent this. A sealed safe room is more of a concern.

If the power is out go to the room below where your pipes come into your home or the crawl space. Put a candle in that place.  Be sure it is away from anything that could catch on fire. You may want to put it on a cookie sheet so you have a surface that is not going to burn if the candle is tipped over. Never leave a candle burning unattended. You do not need to put it next to the pipes, just in the room on the side the pipes come in on is fine. This can help to prevent the pipes from getting too cold. Then turn the water in one of the taps on to a slow dribble. Running water is unlikely to freeze. It is extremely unlikely your pipes will freeze if there is a little heat and the water is running.

When the market is stable buy silver and gold,
When silver and gold prices  are on the rise, buy wheat corn and rice,
When wheat, corn and rice are increasing in price buy bullets.

Update your bug out kit.

As the weather cools down its time to check your bug out kit. I change the contents of my kit every 6 months. So go get your kit and check the expiration dates of all your food. If they expire in the next six months take them out and use them for dinner this week. Check your clothing to be sure it will be useful for the next 6 months. Change out your summer clothes for winter clothes. Be sure the clothes fit and are in good condition. With shorter daylight you may want to have more batteries for your lights. Be sure there is a heat source so if you need to evacuate you will have some way to keep warm.

If your water is in home filled plastic bottles, dump them out and refill with fresh clean water.

Last be sure you can lift your kit. If it is too heavy you can make a few smaller kits. One with essentials, one with things good to have and one with the things that make bugging out pleasant.

Be sure your kit is where you can get to it easily.

Making Corn Relish!

I love the fall for all the bounty of the garden! Some times you end up with more than you can eat fresh. I plan to have the extra to make some of my favorite things. 

This time of year the corn comes ripe and is a wonderful part of dinner. 

Now that you have stuffed yourself with all the corn you can hold. What do you do with all the rest of the corn? Or if the corn gets a bit over ripe and looses that sweet taste. 

The answer is to make corn relish.

To start pick some corn,

 sweet peppers (I like the red ones for this project). 

Get a couple of onions. Yellow or white work well for this.

Some green tomatoes. I use cherry tomatoes. any green tomato will work

Gather your spices: Turmeric,

Cellery seed,

Mustard seed,

Sugar,

Pickling salt and Vinegar.

Gather up your lids, 

rings 

and canning tools.

Bring in your corn!

Pull the husks off!

Use a sharp knife to cut the corn from the cob. Start cutting at the bottom of the cob at the base of the kernels. Keep cutting till you have six pounds of cut corn.

If you do not have fresh corn, or you just want to do it the easy way you can pick up frozen corn in a bag. You need still need six pounds of corn.

Then dump it into a large stock pan, 12 quarts size is good.

Now get your peppers. You will need 8 to 10 large peppers. Should make 4 cups of chopped peppers. Pull the cores and seeds out.

Then chop them up. I like to have a lot of texture for my relish. So I cut them into tiny, small, medium and chunky pieces. 

Then toss them into the pot too.

Now grab your onions.

Cut off the top and bottom.

Then cut it in half.

Pull off the outer most peal, the ones that have a paper look and feel.

Then slice them, first into ribbons,

Then into small chunks.

Put 2 cups of chopped onions into the pot.

Then get your green tomatoes.

Cut your tomatoes into a size you want to eat.   About 3 times the size of a kernel of corn. I cut about 1/2 of my cherry tomatoes in half and use the rest whole. Be sure there are no tomato stems or greens in your mix. Any green part of tomatoes are poisonous until they are cooked.

Put 4 cups of chopped green tomatoes into the pot.

Your pot should be about full. Pour in your 5 cups of vinegar.

Add  2 cups of sugar

and 1/4 cup prickling salt. 

Sprinkle in 1 table spoon of turmeric.

1 tablespoon of celery seeds,

And 1 table spoon of mustard seeds.

Turn on the heat and bring to a boil. Be sure to stir every few minutes to keep it from burning on the bottom. Then turn down the heat so the relish simmers. Let it simmer for 30 minuets.

Remove from the heat.

Wash your jars in hot soapy water and rinse with clean water.

Put your funnel onto your bottles and fill the bottles with the relish.

Be sure to leave 1/2 inch of head space from rim the rim of the jar.

Clean the rim of the jar with a paper towel or clean cloth.

Put a new lid onto the jar.

Put a ring on the jar and gently secure. If the lid is too tight your jar may explode in the canner.

Place them in your canner and follow the directions for your canner.

Remove them from your canner and place them on the counter. Leave about an inch between bottles so they can cool. After cooling for several hours or over night. 

Check the lids to be sure they are sealed. There should be no rebound when you press on the center of the lids. If you have any unsealed jars check the rim of the jar for chops, cracks, and replace the lid then reprocess.

Pickling Peppers

Several years ago I was offered 1/2 of a deli sandwich by a friend of mine. I did not know he had pickled peppers put on it. This was a culinary delight. I switched from the dull pale cucumber pickles to the spunky bright pepper pickles.

When I grow the peppers for pickling I like to plant the "Fooled you" pepper. It is a looks like a hot pepper without any heat. Yes just a sweet look alike to a hot pepper. I have also pickled Hungarian wax pepper and sweet banana peppers. You can pickle any pepper you like.

When my pepper plants have a lot of nice red papers on them

and about the same number of green peppers on them. 

I pick them for pickling.

Then I gather my supplies.

Pickling salt and white vinegar.

Dill weed,

Mustard seed,

Alum,

jar lifter, spoon, and funnel,

rings,

lids,

and jars. I use pint jars. 

First wash all the jars in hot soapy water and rinse them in clean water.

Then wash the peppers in cold water to clean anything that may have come in from the garden with them off.

After they are clean I cut the cap off of the pepper.

It is easiest to slice them with a serrated edge knife starting at the top of the pepper and working to the bottom tip. Expect seeds to fall out of the pepper.

Slice up all the peppers.

You will end up with a lot of sliced peppers, a pile of caps, a pile of tips and a bunch of seeds.

Toss the caps into the compost.

Put the tips into a bag and use them for cooking up some yummy dish or freeze them.

Dry the seeds so you can plant them for next years crop of peppers.

Now we can get to pickling the peppers.

Fill the jars with the pepper slices.

Use a little pressure to push more peppers into the jar.

Fill the jar to the bottom of the jar neck. About 1/2 inch from the lip.

Add 1/8 teaspoon of mustard seed to each jar.

Add 1/8 teaspoon dill seeds mixed with dill weed to each jar.

Add 1/8 teaspoon of Alum to each jar.

You can also add a garlic clove or pearl onions if you like. I did not this time.

Now make your brine.

Pour 6 cups of water into a non-metal pan. I use distilled water. My water is very hard and sometimes the color of the product is changed by the hard water.

Then add 3 cups of white vinegar. Be sure it is labeled 5%.

Now add 1/2 cup pickling salt. Salt with Iodine will change the color of the pickle.

Heat the brine till the salt is completely dissolved.


Then spoon the brine into the jars. Fill the jar so the peppers are covered with fluid and there is still about 1/2 inch head space before the lip of the jar.

Wipe the rim of the jar with a paper towel or clean cloth. Be sure there is nothing on the lip of the jar that would prevent a seal. Inspect  the jar for cracks or chips. Never use a damaged jar for canning.

Place a lid on the top of the jar.

Place a ring on the jar and gently tighten. If you tighten the ring too much the jar may explode when it is in the canner.

Place the jars in the canner. I use a steam canner, you can also use a water canner. Be sure you follow the directions that came with your canner.

When a jet of steam come out of the vent in the steam canner, set your timer for 20 minutes. ( I know you can not see the steam. Funny thing steam is camera shy.)

Then using the jar lifter remove the jars from the canner.

As the jars cool they will seal. You will hear a musical popping sound and the lids seal. Check each lid to be sure it has sealed. If the lid center will flex it is not sealed. You can run them through the canner again after checking the rim of the jar and the lid to make sure they are not damaged. Never use a damaged jar or lid.

Set the jars on a counter to cool. Keep about an inch between jars for air movement. Let them sit for about 12 hours. Label all the sealed jars with the date and product inside.

Pickles take time to cure. The flavor of the spices increases as they sit. I like to wait a year before using a jar of pickles. They are often suitable for eating after just 2 weeks. Try yours from time to time and see when you think your pickles are at their prime.

If the seal is ever broken or the food looks or smells spoiled do not eat it. Never take a chance tasting food that may have become contaminated with a bacteria.