RSS

June 27, 2012

17 Comments

Survival Myth: You Can Get Poison Ivy from Scratching

Poison Ivy

Have you had poison ivy? Most of us have at some point. If so this picture probably makes you itch somewhere. Exposure to Poison Ivy Poison ivy and other Rhus plants, like poison oak and poison sumac, contain an oily allergen called urushiol, which causes a reaction in up to 80% of the people who come into […]

Continue reading...

June 25, 2012

4 Comments

Handy Knots: The Figure of Eight Knot

Tying a figure of eight knot

Sometimes you need a good stopper knot. A stopper knot is used to prevent slippage along a rope. Often it’s used when threading a rope through a grommet in a tarp or another similar hole, but it can also be used in other scenarios as well. Creating a rope ladder or a set of hand […]

Continue reading...

June 23, 2012

14 Comments

Quote of the Week: Peale on Praise

Peale on Praise

The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.  ~Norman Vincent Peale

Continue reading...

June 21, 2012

47 Comments

Rules for Preppers – Staying Under the Radar

Rule #1 Don't talk about Prepping

I recently found myself in a predicament. Last week I was contacted by the casting director from the National Geographic show, Doomsday Preppers. They want to do an entire show about preppers that are going to use a yacht as part of their escape plans.

Continue reading...

June 19, 2012

4 Comments

Five Signs Your Chickens Are Eating Their Own Eggs

An egg eating chicken is hard to reform

Several of our chickens have developed a really bad habit: they’ve begun eating their own eggs. It’s a nasty habit that’s hard to break. In fact, we’ve seldom rehabilitated an egg-eating chicken, so I don’t hold out much hope that this time will be any different. But we’ll see. Egg-Eating Chickens How can you tell […]

Continue reading...

June 19, 2012

6 Comments

Saving Money by Challenging the Status Quo

saving money at the store

I like to think of myself as a fairly cost conscience kind of guy, one that doesn’t fall for the practices of sly marketeers. No, I’m a thinking man who considers my choices in the marketplace. I do my research and make my selection based on a combination of reputation, reviews, and price. Yet for […]

Continue reading...

June 18, 2012

12 Comments

As Gun Ownership Increases, Violent Crimes Decreases

Americans are arming themselves more than ever

Imagine that you awoke in the middle of the night to the sounds of someone trying to jimmy the lock on your door. The sounds gets louder and louder as the intruder gets frustrated and cares less about being heard than about getting inside your home. Since grade school we’ve been taught to call for […]

Continue reading...

June 16, 2012

2 Comments

Quote of the Week: Beecher on Suffering

Suffering makes use stronger

God uses suffering as a whetstone, to make men sharp with.  ~Henry Ward Beecher

Continue reading...

June 15, 2012

15 Comments

Learning Wild Edibles

Eating too much fast food

Why Be Normal? What I’m about to tell you of my upcoming weekend plans will qualify me as a prepper nerd; I know that. But at this point I’m well beyond what is considered “normal” in society. In fact, I really don’t want to conform to America’s current sense of normal. “Why?”, you ask. Let’s […]

Continue reading...

June 14, 2012

31 Comments

Survival Myth: Fast-moving Water is Safe to Drink

Is fast moving water really safe to drink?

We were walking through the deep woods, navigating our way as best we could using a map and compass yet still not 100% sure of exactly where we were. Around 2:00pm we came upon a small, fast-moving stream. It looked clear and fresh, and we were thirsty from two days of backpacking. We were thankful […]

Continue reading...