2015 SLC Prepper Con!

        So I attended the 2015 Prepper Con, in Salt Lake City Utah today. The event is the 24th through 26th of April. It was a fun time, and nice to see so many people caring about emergency preparedness.

        They besides the usually booths, which had some really cool products, they also had some celebrity speakers and guests, like Mykel Hawke, a former U.S. Special forces officer who starred on the survival show Man Woman Wild. The convention also hosted classes, which included a class to license you for your concealed carrying permit! Oh America, the beautiful!

          I gathered a bunch of cards and pamphlets, and spoke to a few fenders, both about their products and companies, so stay tuned for some coming product reviews!

       Even though this was the first year that Prepper Con came to Utah, judging by the turn out, I am confident that it will be coming back again. I arrived early, hoping to beat some of the crowds and had to park out in the boondocks. But I was glad that I got that parking, because when I was leaving, the parking lot was so crowded with cars looking for a place to park that it took a few minutes to get out. Perhaps next time they may have it at the Energy Solutions Center, where the Salt Lake Comic Con is hosted. 

       Stay prepared, stay safe!

We have Chickens!

        Before I get started, I would like to first apologize for not posting for so long. I began a new job as a Behavioral Counselor, which I love, and my schedule has been a bit crazy. Additionally I am starting my next set of college classes soon, so my posts will not be as regular as I would like for a little while.

       

        I now have chickens! I know that I have mentioned a few times in some of my blogs about a desire to eventually get some, well now I have. The process was not as difficult as I thought it may be, and neither is caring for them. 

          I built my own coop (above), which my wife and I designed ourselves. It was our first big home made project, a great learning experience, though there are some angles and cuts that may have been a little off. All and all, building the coop ourselves cost between $200-$250. We are also going to build the chickens an outer run, that will be about 5'/5', so they have some more room to relax during the day. 

       

       This entire project took us about a month, since we primarily worked on the weekends. It really proved to be much easier than I thought, the most difficult part being the angles for the roof.

        For ventilation, we installed a wire mesh screen on either side of the top, however I have decided to reinforce it with the same hardware cloth that surrounds the bottom area.

        Although the above picture shows straw flooring, we have since replaced it with pine shavings, which we picked up at a local pet store. It does have to be pine shavings, as cedar is dangerous to chickens.

        You can also  see that we coated the interior with a lime whitewash, a tip we learned that the Amish do to deter bugs, and eliminate any smells that may arise, and once the coating is dry, it is completely safe to have around the chickens. I can personally attest to the effectiveness of the lime coating, as our chickens show no interest the walls, and we have not noticed any odors at all, in the month that  we have had them.

          Above is the egg laying box, with a divider, as chickens prefer a smaller area for laying eggs, and even if you provide them with several boxes, the most dominant chicken will choose their favorite, and the others will usually all use that box as well. As you can see in the picture above, we can access the egg box separately from the coops main room, allowing us to check for eggs without disrupting the chickens relaxing inside.

       

            The above picture shows the different kinds of eggs that our different types of chickens lay, and I can say that their taste is far more delicious than any store bought egg I have had. And I have to say that I feel safer eating my own eggs and chickens, especially after reading the news the past few weeks, how several major egg and chicken farms are being hit with the bird flu, so bad, in some cases, as the state declaring a state of emergency. (http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/301071801.html) 

            Now I would like to give an introduction to my three lovely ladies:

            This is Sweetie, our hen who does the best with human, and dog, interactions. She will sit content in our arms, as long as you pet her. She is also the one who takes her sweet time going back into the coop.

        This regal lady is Matron, and she is the oldest, and the most dominant of our chickens. She rules the coop with an iron wing, eating first, visiting parts of our yard first, as well as hearding the others inside the coop when it starts to get dark.

       Lastly, this is Fiona, she is the youngest, and though she has beautiful feathers, she may be the most clumsy creature I have met. She also is the most talkative to us when we are out with them.

        Please, feel free to post any questions or comments you have, and I will try to respond promptly. 

As always,

Stay prepared, stay safe!

Magazine Review: Survivalist, Doomsday, & Survivor's Edge

     
       I have noticed the growing number of survivor and prepping magazines hitting stores, and so I decided to do a review on the three I have run into the most, and they are: Survivalist, Doomsday, and Survivor's Edge.

Doomsday

        Upon reading this magazine, I must say that I really enjoyed its simplicity. Unlike the other magazines, and most magazines in general, the Doomsday has a limited amount of advertisements and filler pages. It focused on providing disaster threats, then providing advice for surviving each threat, and then to top it off, they provide a breakdown of equipment and supplies that would prove useful for surviving each of the threats. It lacked any opinionated agenda, just providing information.

        I will say that this magazine lived up to its name, as it definitely stresses the importance of preparing for the inevitable coming of a doomsday, be it natural or man made. This was stressed to the point that it was clear that pessimism is not one of the values of the Doomsday magazine staff.

        The Doomsday's current listing price is U.S. $8.99, placing it's price right in between Survivor's Edge and Survivalist.

         Overall, I would rate the Doomsday a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Survivalist

         The Survivalist magazine contains a great deal of useful information, but seems to have a more tactical view on things than the other magazines I reviewed. It stressed the importance of stocking up on food and medical supplies, and gave some great tips to help you do so. It did also had it's fair share of advertisements.

         The Survivalist did also delve into some rabble rousing against the federal government, which included ad's urging to purchase products "before it is outlawed", and an entire article stating:

"The "failure" of effective Ebola treatment, then,

has not come from our medical facilities or research

institutions; it has come from from a familiar source of failure:

Our federal government..."

         I personally have no issues with a magazine being slightly opinionated, especially if it provides the wealth of useful information as the Survivalist, I just felt it was worth noting in the review. I will say that I felt that this magazine could have done with a little less scare tactics within their articles, as it went beyond just providing useful information, and continued on to what seemed to be an attempt to scare the reader into being a survivalist/prepper.

         The Survivalist's current listing price is U.S. $7.95 / CAN $8.95, making it the cheapest of the magazines reviewed here.

          Overall, I would have to place give the Survivalist 3 out of 5 stars.

Survivor's Edge

       I found that the Survivor's Edge magazine, proved to be the most well rounded of the magazines reviewed. It also spoke to not just an individual, but the family as a unit, covering topics, both big and small, as well as topics for daily survival, such as how to spot and tips for stopping Domestic abuse. 

       The Survivor's Edge included some "true life stories" of emergency situations, that were not only interesting, but also proved educational. Additionally, the advertisements were laid out in such a way that they complimented the articles, which does, both the readers and the advertisers, a great service.

       The Survivor's Edge magazine's current listing price is $9.95, making it the higher costing magazine reviewed here, however, I feel that this is a case where the higher price equaled higher quality.

        The realistic take, wide topic range, and wealth of information provided, earned Survivor's Edge magazine 5 out of 5 stars!

Stay prepared, stay safe! 

Marvel Movies and Shows Give U.S. Citizens a Voice Against their Growing Fear of Government Tyranny.

      I have to say, both my respect and approval of the good folks at Marvel continues to grow with each passing movie, comic, and T.V. show. They have been going out of their way to not just lightly touch on the idea of a corruption in the government, but they have revolved entire story lines around it.
       A shining example of this is their movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which centers on the story line of the evil Nazi secret society, Hydra, infiltrating the trusted hero organization, Shield. In this film, a Hydra agent, Dr. Arnim Zola, is quoted saying:

"People will fight for their freedom if people try to take it from them. But if you cause enough trouble, people will willingly give up their freedom for a more secure world."
           (Quote taken from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/quotes)

        This disturbing quote was used to sum up the evil plot of Hydra, who was preparing to launch advanced helacarriers with advanced weaponry that could target and destroy millions of people at a time, which they planned to use to offer security to those who pledged their fealty to Hydra, and killing all who opposed them. This would in effect take away an individuals basic human rights and freedom.

  
          In this film, and in the T.V. series Agents of Shield, when Hydra decided to reveal themselves, they first removed any government officials and personnel they deemed a threat to their plans through various methods, such as imprisonment under false charges, and all out assassinations, Captain America and Director Fury being at the top of the list of their threats.
          In the show, Agents of Shield, they show that not all Hydra followers are the expected evil, many are simply being controlled or wrongly influenced, either through misinformation or threats to them or their families, effectively showing that there are countless pawns to Hydra, some not even aware they are helping carry out Hydras evil plans until it is too late.
           Both the Marvel movies and the T.V. series also show that Hydra is controlled by a select few elite individuals that methodically and systematically send their followers and supporters to their deaths, in order to keep the few elite in power, as the elite never risk themselves.
           
         

              If you have either not seen, or watched any of the latest Marvel movies or the show I Agents of Shield, then I strongly urge you to do so, not just to watch for all of the real world analogies, but by doing so you support Marvel, encouraging them to continue with their stories that encourage the preservation of our freedom and civil rights!
              I would like to end this post with the following image that I found online that I feel sums up my feelings perfectly, though a bit nerdy.

    Stay prepared, stay safe!

My New EDC (Every Day Carry)

        I received my new EDC (Every Day Carry) bag today. I wanted a durable and practical bag that I could have travel with me on my day to day visits to clients. And since it is holiday time, I had to choose something on more of a budget, and so I found this little tactical molle compatible bag on eBay, and purchased it for only $15.00, which included shipping and handling! It is a sturdy little bag too. I would like to point out that the contents of my EDC bag will grow in time, but having only received it today, I wanted to give at least a basic idea of how one is packed.

        Before I detail my own packing ingredients, I would like to differentiate between an EDC, and a BOB (Bag, Bugout Bag), or a GHB (Get Home Bag). An EDC bag is a bag that you use to transport items that you use regularly, and allows you to be prepared for daily situations, and mini SHTF situations. It is not meant to replace a BOB or a GHB, rather it can be used to supplement those bags, but the primary purpose is to provide a smaller, day to day use option for a prepper, which allows you to reserve your BOB and GHB for more severe scenarios.

       A BOB is a bag designed to quickly grab and go, the contents providing the necessities for instant daily survival in extreme circumstances.

       A GHB is a bag, similar to the BOB, but it is one that is usually kept in a vehicle, and is designed for someone trapped away from home, who is also in an emergency situation, and provides them the resources needed for immediate survival and usually lasts an individual for a minimum of 72 hours.

My EDC Contents

         In the front pocket of my EDC, I packed a lighter, a book of matches, hand sanitizer, a moist towelette, a pack of toilet paper from a military MRE(Meal Ready to Eat), Chap Stick, and a pack of DayQuill pills.

         In the second/middle pocket of my EDC, I packed a write in the rain pad, two pens, my pocket journal, my contact solution, and a backup pair of glasses.

     In the main pouch of my EDC, I packed a pair of gloves, a crank flashlight, a back up phone/tablet charger, my Google Nexus 7, headphones, a box of pills, and though I didn't pack it inside the main pouch I attached it on the side, my Gerber Multi-Tool.

So there you have it, my EDC bag, as it is currently packed. You can see that the items within it are suited more for day to day use and mini SHTF scenarios. I will be continuing to add to it over time, like a water bottle and water bottle molle pouch.

Stay prepared, stay safe!

Most Common Bugout Vehicles

         Although the above image is one that many people imagine as an ideal bugout vehicle, this is for a minority of individuals with the financial resources and knowledge to purchase and maintain such a beastly mode of transportation. 

         Chances are you are like me, among the countless majority of preppers and survivalists that don't have the funds and/or the space for such bugout vehicle, so you are more likely to either already have or would like one of the following vehicles. I assembled this list of vehicles from taking pulls in a couple of chat rooms, as well as reviewing many of the images and blogs created by other preppers. I would be interested to recieve a vote from my readers on which of the following vehicles they feel would be the best prepping/bugout vehicle. let me know, and I will post the winning vehicle by Thanksgiving.

Ford Bronco

       The Ford Bronco is one of the more common vehicles I found that is used by not only preppers, but also hunters. It has the power and size to tow and transport supplies and preps, and can endure some harsh environments.

Toyota Land Cruiser

       The Toyota Land Cruiser, may be the most popular bugout vehicle I came across in all of my research. They are notorious for being not just powerful, but reliable. They are commonly found among preppers around the world, not just in the U.S.A.

Chevy Blazer

        The Chevy Blazer, is a common favorite among prepper families, as they usually come with plenty of room to transport a family of five, fairly comfortably. They are also among the most common bugout type SUV I find for sale.

Jeep Cherokee

        The Jeep Cherokee is probably the easiest to find bugout vehicle, at least in Utah, as I can find them for sale all the time, but they are also selling fast! They may be among the cheapest to buy and maintain, as you can run them into the ground, then build them back up again.

Trucks

        The reason that I do not specify any particular make or model of truck, is because I was never really able to find any one that was bragged about more than another for prepping reasons. It usually came down to the ever popular brand wars between Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and Toyota, but no real argument for bugging out.  It really seems to come down to preppers who prize SUV's or Pickups. 

         Trucks are good bugout vehicles for the obvious reason that they can be loaded and transport large and awkwardly shaped loads. They are also able to have campers already packed that can just be slid into them the moment you need to bugout, leaving it free for day to day use.

So, now that you have seen the list of common bugout vehicles, send me your vote on which one you think would make the best one:

Ford Bronco

Toyota Land Cruiser

Chevy Blazer

Jeep Cherokee

Pickup Trucks

Stay prepared, stay safe!

Winterization Tips

       With the weather growing colder, I wanted to touch on some good ways to help winterize your home and property. Winterizing not only can save you a lot of money, but it will also extend the life of your home.
        Most of my tips I am passing along here, are taken from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), and their website: www.fema.gov

Insulation

         

        One of the best money saving steps that you can invest in for the winter is insulation. I just recently did this for my home for a ripping good deal, filling both sides of my attic, and noticed an immediate difference. This not only helps to keep the heat in your home throughout the cold months, lowering your heating bill, but it also helps to keep it cool during the warmer months too.
          Some good news about this process is that many gas and power companies will actually either pay for most of it, or, like in my situation, offer a mail in rebate. When all was said and done, I only ended up paying $99 for all of my attic to be re-insulated. I am now saving almost twice that a year. According to the men who came in installed the insulation you will usually only need to do it every 5-10 years. A great investment!

Caulking and Weather-Stripping

         Replacing and/or adding caulking and weather-stripping is a measure that I have also recently taken on my own home. This is a measure that you will do on doors and windows, preventing cold air to leak in and the warm to leak out. I used a putty knife, caulking and caulking gun, and a utility knife for trimming the weather-stripping, when I redid my doors and windows. You will want to be sure to remove any old caulking or weather-stripping prior to applying the new.
          There are a number of youtube videos that can give you a step by step tutorial on this.

Storm Windows and Plastic Covering

      Having an extra layer/buffer on your windows will improve the internal warmth of your home dramatically. The two most common way for doing this are storm windows and plastic. Storm windows are naturally the long term solution for your home, and can in some situations increase the value of the home. However, if you are like me, and have to be kind of choosy of which preps you do each month, then I would recommend using clear plastic. It can really be any type of large plastic sheeting, it's clarity does not seem to effect the warming effects, so I recommend getting as clear of plastic as you can, as to not limit either the sunlight, or attractiveness of your home. You can pull the plastic tight and flat enough that it is not immediately obvious.

Heating Equipment and Chimneys

        Few things are as nice in the winter as drinking a warm beverage while curled next to a crackling fire, or in a toasty room while looking out upon a frozen country side. For this reason I am greatly looking forward to putting my fireplace to good use this winter. However, prior to ever using it, or even using your heater, you should do a little bit of preventative maintenance on them. I actually just scheduled a chimney sweep to come and clean and inspect my chimney, and it only cost $119, and it is something that should be done at least once a year, if only for safety reasons.
         For your heater, a simple thing that you can do to help it run better and improve the overall quality of the air in your house is to simply change the filter. You can do this anywhere from $5-$25.
          You will also want to have all fuel burning and heating equipment vented and clear from clutter.
          I also recommend that you keep a fire extinguisher handy for emergencies.

Outdoor Winterization

        Winterizing the outside of your home can save you money by preventing damage to your home and property. One thing you should do every fall is to clean out your rain gutters, as this prevents moisture build up that can expand to damage your home and gutters when it freezes. You clean them in the fall, that way you can remove all of the fallen leaves and other debris from trees.
          You will also want to cut away any tree branches that could fall onto your house or other structures should they become overburdened by snow or ice. This is something that also is good to do for general storm protection.

Pipe Insulation

       You can also provide insulation for the pipes in your home. You can do this either by purchasing foam pipe insulation, as seen above, or FEMA recommends that you can wrap pipes in newspaper and plastic, though I think I would recommend the foam pipe covers, as I feel they are not only easier but safer.



Stay prepared, stay safe!