Bug Out Vehicles and Survival

Going to talk about bug out vehicles today for a bit. People seem to think that you need an armored tank or something. While this might be nice in some instances, it's not really needed or required. To my way of thinking it is much better to have a vehicle that can get you out of a situation and into a better one quickly. Some of the bigger vehicles may be nice and offer some protection but if they are really slow and too big and clumsy to get away then what is the point? Anyone could set up a road block and wait you out. It's as simple as that.

What I want is something small and quick that I can get out of in a hurry if I need to. I prefer either an ATV or an Argo Amphibious Vehicle. These vehicles are very versatile, can go just about anywhere you want to go, are not big and clumsy, and give me the option to leave the vehicle quickly if I need to.

Now some are going to say, what about the elements? You have no shelter. Well, my answer to that is that there are plenty of places out there to take shelter without staying in your vehicle. Ever heard of a tent? Or how about building a shelter? You don't need to have a shelter attached to your vehicle that will just tie you down and make it harder for you to travel quickly and quietly.

It's hard to sneak around when you are driving a diesel or a school bus. You won't make it unnoticed and you will be a nice moving target that is easily followed. An ATV is small and can go places the bigger  vehicles can't, making a whole lot more difficult for people to follow you.     

Mayan Calendar

Well, the end of the Mayan calendar is tomorrow. Some of you may think the world will end. I don't, however I am not going hold it against those that do. Even today's calendar's end and then start over in the New Year. The Mayan long calendar is just coming to an end it is the beginning of the new calendar period. Just like our calendars of today.  

However, it never hurts to have things in order and have supplies set aside for an emergency situation. At some point in your life or in the lives of your children, they might be needed. You never know when a tornado might hit or an earthquake. Life is unpredictable and you must be prepared for all events that could happen. That is what this blog is about. Being prepared for emergency situations. Taking care of yourself and your family. Taking responsibility for your lives and the lives of your loved ones. You can't count on other people to do it for you. The government can only do so much and can only respond so fast to an emergency situation. You have to be prepared to help yourself.

Gun Safety and Children

I'd like to take a moment and talk about children and gun safety. Even if you are a survivalist, even if you have trained your children how to handle firearms, they still need to know how to act around an unknown firearm or any firearm when they are not properly supervised. One of the best programs for this is the NRA Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program. It's very simple and teaches kids one very simple rule. "If you see a gun, STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult!"

I don't care who you are or what your training is or who your child is or how much training your child has. In an unsupervised situation when your child is not directly under your supervision then the above rule should always apply! In fact I'll take it a step further. If your child does have training with guns then they should be the first ones to obey the above rule and make sure other children they may be with know how to react if they come in contact with a gun.

The above rule also pertains to someone carrying a gun. If your child sees any gun, on the ground, just laying around, hidden, or carried by someone, doesn't matter where the gun is the above rule still applies. Whether the person who has the gun is a child or an adult. If your child sees a gun teach them the above rule on how to deal with it! "If you see a gun, STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult!"

My suggestion, look into the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program! It can be found on the internet at the NRA Site. For more information go here   http://eddieeagle.nra.org/

Honey & Cinnamon Dehydrated Apples!

These are great! Honey & Cinnamon Dehydrated Apples!

Ingredients:

4-6 apples

4 tbsp honey

2 tsp lemon juice (to keep the apples from browning)

cinnamon powder

Directions:

1. Slice apples thinly (peel them if you would like)

2.   Mix honey and lemon juice

3. Place apples in Ziploc baggy and pour in honey mixture

4. Close bag and shake until the apple slices are completely coated

5.  Lay apple slices in single layers in food dehydrator

6. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder

7. Dehydrate for 4 to 6 hours

 

Do you own a live trap?

 
My suggestion for you today is to purchase a live trap. I prefer a medium sized one and a small one. The small one can be used to catch quail, pigeons, and other birds, rabbits, skunks, and other small animals. The medium sized one is great for catching raccoons, skunks, cats, chickens, possum, and other medium sized animals. 

Why do you need this? There are three main reasons. The first reason is, if you have a predator that is killing off your live stock or digging up your garden, then it is nice to be able to trap these predators and vermin before they destroy your food supply. A live trap is great for this because you can catch the animal responsible for the problem and kill it. However, if you accidentally catch your house cat then the trap doesn't hurt it and you can just release it. 

The second reason is that you can catch food animals. Quail, pigeons, rabbits, squirrels, and other animals that you can catch in a live trap are also resources that you can use to supplement your food supply. It never hurts to have another source of food. 

The third reason is that although some of the animals that you catch are not good food animals, they do have very good skins. Learn how to properly use the trap, learn how to properly kill the animal, and then learn how to properly skin the animal. Then you can learn how to tan the hide and use the leather or the fur for your benefit. The furs and leather will also make good trade items. 

The other great thing about live traps is that they are so easy to set and use that kids can do it. I taught my five year old niece how to set mine one evening and that night she caught a raccoon. In fact, my brother and I used to set them all the time when I was a kid just for the fun of seeing what we had caught. When we caught a dangerous wild animal then we would get our parents to help us either let it go or shoot it. If we just caught a cat or a bird then we would let it go ourselves.

So, my suggestion for you is to purchase at least two live traps.

Doomsday Preppers The Time of Reckoning

If you watched this episode you can see exactly what happens when people don't know how to handle firearms correctly. However, the fact that these two guys obviously didn't know what they were doing caused Tom to get seriously hurt and  could even have caused him to lose his hearing. And while he was yelling at Steve about firing inside the blind I didn't see Tom trying to stop him from doing it. He was standing right beside him and didn't stop him and they were both aiming out the window of the blind. So, I can't say it was just Steve's fault. Seems to me that they were both at fault. So, I'm thinking neither one of these guys is going to make it very far.

Chocolate Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups Recipe for the Dehydrator

Got a great new dehydrator recipe for you today! Strawberry Chocolate Fruit Roll-Ups! I know, they sound great don't they! They are really tasty too! Here's what you need!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (I like the fresh ones better)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I prefer them melted and then pureed with the rest)

1/3 cup white grape juice

1/2 cup any flavor applesauce (I prefer the berry flavored)

Instructions:

Puree all ingredients in the blender to a smooth consistency. Cover your dehydrator sheet with plastic wrap and then spread on the puree evenly about 1/4 inch thick. Your dehydrator should be set for 135 degrees for 8 to 10 hours until firm and not sticky. When done remove the plastic wrap and place on parchment paper or wax paper. Then cut into strips and roll up! To store place in plastic wrap or mason jars. They should stay fresh for up to 3 to 4 weeks if stored properly.

Enjoy the recipe!