Survival Vest

Welcome Preppers and Survivalists,

After I got out of the Army, my folks suggested/wanted me to be a cop. They said it would be a good secure job.

I listened and told them "No way! I just spent part of my life with a target on my chest, and I wasn't going to spend the rest of my life with a 'shoot me' badge on my chest."

So, why am I telling you this?

Because wearing a military-style survival vest might put a target on your chest during a disaster.

Think about it, for a minute.

So what's a prepper to do?

Wear a vest! Just don't buy one that screams "SURVIVALIST"

My wife bought me this lined vest, from Duluth Trading Co., as a present for Christ's Mass. It has two hand warmer pockets on the outside. The pockets have little flaps that will help keep my gloves in my pockets when I'm not wearing them.

Above is a picture of the vest's inside. It has two big pockets (bottom, both sides) with zippers, two pockets (right side, top) with velcro tabs over the pockets, and three pockets (left side, top) two small ones and one large pocket.

Using the 3 to 5 Rules of Living, let's look at what might go in the vest.

Shelter - two to four large contractor garbage bags, 25 feet of 550 cord (large bottom pocket)

Water - two large freezer-style zipper bags (Ziplock bags) and a small water filter (large bottom pocket)

Food - a couple of snack bars, a few peppermints, a couple pieces of gum (top large pocket)

Protection - a folding knife (top right small pocket)

Fire - fire steel/metal match and some tinder (the other top right small pocket)

Needless to say, you will want to buy a vest that will blend in with your work environment because this vest won't work if you work in a big-city high rise office building.

Link:
Duluth rading Co. - Home
http://www.duluthtrading.com/
Note: Do a search for "Vest"

PS.
This is the type of vest I was talking about, from the Cowboy Action Shooting prospective, in Week Fifteen - Kit.

Storing Sugar Using Plastic Buckets

Welcome Preppers and Survivalists,

For some reason or another, I can not think of a good opening to this article. At first, I was going to start with: "According to the Latter-day Saints, a year supply of sugar for one person ranges from 35 to 100 pounds," but that opening didn't work very well. So I changed it to: "Sugar in the last few years has doubled in price. Plus, sugar can be stored indefinitely (forever)," but, that didn't work either, so I started writing the article and as you can tell, I still don't have a decent opening.

Materials Needed:
1 - 5-gallon Plastic Bucket with Lid
1 - Mylar Bag
1 - 25 pound bag of Sugar
1 - 10 pound bag of Sugar

Tools Needed:
Clothes Iron
Rubber Mallet
2X4 wrapped with a Bath Towel

Safety Equipment:
Your Brain

First, you will need to gather your supplies and material. In this picture, I have a 25-pound bag and a 10-pound bag of sugar, a 5-gallon plastic bucket with a lid, and a mylar bag.

Next, I take the mylar bag and fold it into a "S" shape before placing it into the bucket. The "S" shape allows the bag to expand to fit the bucket as the mylar bag fills with sugar.


Next, I pour the sugar into the mylar bag.

I pour the 10-pound bag of sugar into the mylar bag then the 25-pound bag of sugar. I do it this way because it is easier to control a 10-pound bag (Imagine juggling to hold the bag open as you pour the sugar into the bag without spilling any) Plus, this allows me to shake the bucket to shift the sugar, so it spreads the mylar bag open to make pouring the 25-pound bag of sugar a whole lot easier.

Once, all of the sugar has been poured into the bag; I shake and roll the bucket to compact the sugar. Next, I take a clean dry towel and wipe the top inside edge of the mylar bag. (Both of these steps are important)

Next, I take a short piece of wood wrapped in a towel and place it on the edge of the bucket. I fold the edge over, and with an iron set on medium-high, I iron the edge of the mylar bag.


I leave a small opening, at one of the corners, to suck some of the air out of the bag. (another important step)

Once I remove the excess air, I seal the bag and iron a 2-inch seam. Now, I make sure that I seal the mylar bag at the very top because I can reseal the bag if I have to open it for some reason.

Next, I use a permanent marker and print on the seam "Sugar." Next, I fold the bag over making sure all of the bag is inside the bucket (This is real easy, if you remembered to suck most of the air out of the bag) and put the lid on using a rubber mallet. After the lid goes on, I print the contents of the bucket and how much is in the bucket.

Next, I place a label on the bucket's side. The label has the contents, weight, the date it was packaged, and the best used by date.

Yep, this picture shows a bucket that was packed back in 2007.

Lastly, this method can be used for any long-term storage of basic food such wheat, rice, and/or beans, but you will need oxygen absorbers to insure a long shelf-life.

OK. Really lastly. I store the filled bucket in a cool dry place, on pallets.


As always, there are pictures and things I wanted to say that don't fit into the article.

To the right is a picture of the mylar bag with the edge folder over the towel with the seam ironed almost to the corner, and the excess air sucked out of the bag, just before I sealed the bag completely.

Yeah, for some reason the picture didn't upload the way I wanted it to, but you get the idea.

This is a close-up of the 2-inch seal with the corner still unsealed.

To suck the air out of the bag, I stick my finger in the bag and make a opening (like a tube) all the way to the sugar then I put my mouth on the opening and suck the air out.

Now, don't suck too hard because you'll suck-up some sugar. Plus, don't slobber because you want the sugar to stay clean/dry.

Here is a side view with the towel wrapped 2X4 laying on the top of the bucket and the just sealed mylar bag.

Lastly, this picture illustrates how tall the mylar bag is compared to the 5-gallon plastic bucket before filling with sugar. Trust me, you will need all of that excess length once you start filling the mylar bag with your long-term food.

Finally, instead of buying a 50-pound bag of sugar, I buy a 25-pound and a 10-pound bag of sugar because a 5-gallon bucket will only hold 35-pounds of sugar. Trust me, again. I tried to fit more sugar in the bucket; It didn't end well. Plus, it's easier to track how much sugar you have put in the bucket.

My suppliers are:
* mylar bags and oxygen absorbers - Walton Feed. A good company with competitive prices

* sugar - Costco, and/or a local grocery store

* plastic buckets - Sorry, it's a secret, but United States Plastic is an internet source that I have used in the past.

When You Read This

Welcome Preppers and Survivalists,

Folks, my family and I are going on vacation. By the time you read this, we will have been gone for five days. I plan to be back and writing at the beginning of the new year.

So,

Merry Christ's Mass

and Happy New Year!

P.S.
If I get a chance, I might post some articles, but don't plan on it.

What She Said!

Folks, like I said in the title and many time before; here are three wonderful blogs on food storage. All three are written by women and they know what they are doing.

Safely Gathered In - Home
http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/

Adventures in Self Reliance - Home
http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/

Food Storage Made Easy - Home
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/

Here's a post from a forth blog that I haven't read long enough to give you an opinion.

I Drive my Tractor in Pearls - Again with the food…
http://idrivemytractorinpearls.com/?p=719

Becoming a Food Producer

Lastly or firstly, you and your family (if you decide to) want to become food producers. You don't have to produce all your food, just some of it. The more food that you and your family produce; the more independent you may be during an emergency.

One way of of producing some of your own food is to plant fruit trees in your yard. My family and I are lucky; we live on an over-sized lot in the suburbs. We have five fruit trees (three pears and two cherries) in a very small orchard in the backyard. Most folks won't have room for this; however, they will have room for two or three fruit trees spread around the yard.

Instead of the two oak trees in the front yard, you can plant two apples trees, instead.

Another way is to plant a fence-row fruit like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or ... alone the fence you share with your neighbor. This will create a visual barrier between you and your neighbor's yard.

Check with your neighbor first because these fence-row fruits spread by the branches rooting if they hit soil. Your neighbor may not want this on 'their' fence.

Another way is building a small chicken coop or rabbit hutch. Four rabbits or four chickens (hens only) can easily be kept in an average suburban yard. Make sure to check local ordinances or community covenants before starting because it may be against the local code.

The one method we have all heard about is starting a traditional garden.

There are many resources, local and on the internet, to assist you. Some states have "Master Gardner" programs. These folks have a lot of useful knowledge, they are willing to share.

Plus, don't forget the local library. They have many useful books, too.

Next, you need to process your produce. In other words, can your food. Once again there are many resources on the internet and in your local library on canning.

Yeah, I know this post seem to be very short with little information, but how do I tell you to plant something if ...

* I live in Florida and you live in Alaska of vis-a-verse-a

* You live on a 1000 acre farm and I live on an over-sized lot in suburbia
or
...

You get the point. You have to learn the answers for your area of the world