1st Gear First Responder gear review –CATI Body Armor EMS Package AR600 with the multi-curve CQB lvl 3+ plates

1^st Gear — First Responder gear review

CATI Body Armor EMS Package AR600 with the multi-curve CQB lvl 3+ plates

 

Body armor really is one of those things that truly falls into the category of equipment and skill sets it is far better to have and never need than need and not have. Because the one and only day that you really do need it and don’t have it, could be your last. It’s really a pretty simple insurance plan. But that’s really how the 1^st responder community really approaches most things. It’s the reason we take the time to completely refuel, check oil and fluids, oxygen levels and completely clean and restock the ambulance when get done with what is usually several back to back bad calls at 03:30 in the morning. Because 1^st responders know that one of the fates named Murphy, is just watching and waiting with a Cheshire cat grin for you to not to just once to teach you in, no indefinite terms, that you really should have. It’s best just not to tempt the fates when one already works so closely to death.

 

So, I work in a VERY rural district in the Rocky Mountains. There are times that runs can take up to 6 hours’ round trip. There are times that even running code 3 (with lights and sirens) it will take us an hour to get to our patient. When you live in such a remote community you must rely on yourself and your team, simply put, because there is no one else to call for timely back up. Often, we are called out to remote back country locations that are way out in the middle of nowhere and we may be the only 1^st responder team going (as in no law enforcement) even if we request law enforcement there are times they just cannot get out to you in time. It is times like these that being self-reliant is the best prescription. There are also a ridiculous number of (jregistered) firearms per household. Don’t get me wrong here, I am a huge support of our rights to arms for self-protection (pretty much every fellow first responder I know are) but there are times that you may be dealing with a mentally unstable individual with a large amount of high caliber firearms back in the middle of nowhere that needs medical help but you could be walking into a potentially an unsafe situation. It is times like these that I have my own EMS body armor on hand.

 

My personal choice in this equipment is CATI armor’s EMS package using the AR600 with the multi-curve CQB. According to their website: AR600 Armor Plate is an Ultra High Harness (UHH) steel used in the most demanding of armor applications.  While it is not a true NIJ rating, it achieves the level of Level 3+.  What this means is that in addition to performing at NIJ Level 3 standards, it also is Special Threat tested to the 5.56 round of M193 up to 3100 feet per second.  Level 3 steels to not protect against that velocity.  Defeats all lower threats and special threat tested for M193.

 

 

You can ask yourself well how do I know if these plates will really hold up under fire? Well some crazy vets from the NITC Training Center(think 12^th Mountain Division and Army Ranger types…not desk jockeys and cooks) out of Idaho have put these though paces, they put over 250 rounds onto a single plate consecutively from 9mm FMJ all the way through 3 rounds with a 50 cal. It was only the last three rounds from the 50 cal. That were able to penetrate! But judge for your-self how they held up here’s the video.

 

 

I also have the trauma pads inserted as well. This is actually a very light set up for the amount of protection and with curved plates that contour your body lines it makes them noticeably thinner than traditional plates. This comes in handy when you have to kneel down or fit through confined spaces while giving care to your patient. It stays more out of the way. I have my carrier in navy blue with highly reflective white EMS, the Star of Life patches on both the front and back. I have not ever been shot at in the line of duty working with the ambulance. (It has only happened once while I was working as a fire-line EMT on the wildland fires last year.) I hope I will never have need of this equipment in the future, but I can’t count on that.

 

You can get into the exact same setup I personally use from CATI Armor for about $385 with everything; plates, trauma pads, carrier, ems patches. Shipping will be extra. But I can guarantee that it will be immensely less expensive than the ambulance ride, ER, surgery and recovery that if you are lucky enough to survive you will have to pay for! You can make a very, very bad day a little better with the addition of this gear.

 

 

There’s also one other big reason that I can think of to support CATI Armor, they have so far unpublicized program where they are donating full sets of armor to rural local law enforcement agencies that are in need of and cannot afford to outfit their LEO’s with this life saving equipment. I personally know officers from two different states that now have their back covered thanks to the generous donations from CATI Armor!

 

Check out CATI armor at www.catiarmor.com tell them Spyder sent you.

 

If you are a manufacturer of equipment or supplies for the 1^st responder community and would like to have your gear reviewed please email me at spydersthompson@gmail.com to set it up.

 

I’ll have another review for you next week.

 

Spyder Thompson

 

The post 1st Gear First Responder gear review –CATI Body Armor EMS Package AR600 with the multi-curve CQB lvl 3+ plates appeared first on Oath Keepers.

The Code 3, Beginning My Journey as a 1st Responder

by Spyder Thompson

There is an unsung warrior class right here amongst us. They answer the call of duty at the worst possible times, traveling to the worst possible places, quite often during the worst weather that mother nature can muster. They are the ones that run towards the columns of smoke and disaster, are ushered through road blocks to go do battle with the dragons of accidents, attacks, and natural disasters. All “so that others may live,” and while these warriors do wear uniforms, they are not multi-cam. There are no holidays dinners, birthday parties of loved ones, or Christmas mornings that are off duty. Many of them are not paid for their service, yet they put their lives on the line every time they are called out.

They are the men and women of the EMS (Emergency Medical Services,) SAR (Search and Rescue,) Firefighters (both structural and wild-land,) and Police. They are America’s first responder communities.

I, at one time, came from the mindset that all government employees were to be looked at with suspicion and mistrust. That was before I joined the ranks of the 1^st responders. But now, I have knowledge from direct experience, and it has dramatically changed my view of the men and women who serve these agencies. That’s not to say that there are not bad people who are members of these communities, it just means that we must look at the greater picture and recognize them as the bad apples that they are. That, and we must be diligent in calling out the bad apples and hold them to account for their actions.

My journey started a couple of years back when I was working as a writer for a political website. In my work, I had come across Stewart Rhodes of the Oath Keepers, after he had just launched his CPT (Community Preparedness Teams) initiative. This, I thought, was a great idea. I joined my local CPT and began training regularly with them.   The Oath Keepers national call to action and official guidance on CPT urges them to join their local first responder community and integrate with it.  This, I think, is crucial and there are CPT teams across the country that do this very well and those where it really needs to be focused on.

The original purpose and intent of the CPT program is to prepare the community, not just the teams. This is the driving concept that each CPT team across the country needs to keep in the forefront of their training and activities. If they (the CPT team) do not keep this as part of the mission it can cause problems at the local level. If there has been not enough, or no contact with the existing first responder teams before an event happens it can, for all intense purposes, cause the 1st responder community to look at CPT with suspicion and possibly worse – believe the erroneous message of the main stream media that CPT and the Oath Keepers are “anti-government.” If this were the case, then when a large-scale incident were to happen, there would not be the trust and rapport needed to call on them for assistance. How could we fix this problem? By taking our existing skill sets and eagerness to learn and join the existing first responder communities.

Living in the mountains of the west, I thought that joining my local Search and Rescue team might be a good start. It would further the skills I already had in land navigation, communications, wilderness survival, and medical care, all while helping me to get into better shape, which at the time I was in desperate need of. The process was pretty straight forward, I found their website and submitted an online application. Within a month, I was contacted by the team’s president and an interview was set up for after the next monthly meeting of the membership. During the interview, they asked about my past experience and what my motivation was for wanting to join the team. Really, for me, my main motivation was to give back to my local community in a tangible way. I remember thinking that if one of my three daughters was cold, hurt, alone, and lost in the wilderness, what kind of person would I want to be out there searching for her and in the end the answer to that question was someone like me.

It was in the next month, I was made a probationary member of the team. I needed to get my CPR license updated and also needed to take and pass the SAR Tech 1 certification through NASAR (The National Association for Search and Rescue.) NASAR was founded in 1972 for the training of search and rescue, disaster relief, emergency medicine, and awareness education. NASAR is interested in search and rescue as a humanitarian mission. They also provide a national standard for training and skills. Once I accomplished these, I was able to be called out for missions.

I really cannot believe that more people are not interested in being a part of their local SAR team. During the first year of training, I was able to train with and become competent in several areas that are incredibly exciting. Rappelling, 4×4 riding, snowmobiles/snow cats, and boats are just a few of the types of experiences you will get to have. All this while building team dynamics and really getting a sense that you are really helping people on some of the worst days of their lives.

After being a member of the SAR team for about a year, I went on to join the local ambulance service. This, I really kind of fell into. I had heard from a fellow member of the CPT team that the ambulance service was having their 24-hour refresher course once a week and that it was free and open to the public. I began attending their trainings, hoping just to get some emergency medical training that would be of use in my SAR callouts. I found that I had a keen interest in Emergency Medicine and within in 2 months of training I began driving for the ambulance service. A month later I was working on attaining my own EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) license. That summer I was brought on to the service as a full member. That would be a very busy summer for me as I also applied for, and was accepted to be a wildland fire fighter (as a fire-line qualified EMT). A week after passing my NREMT (National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians,) I was living out of a tent on an isolated mountain side going through the USFS (United States Forest Service) Guard School. This is the training one must go through to become a type 2 wildland fire fighter. That summer would prove to be one of the most intense fire seasons in history and I would travel to 6 different fires.

I now have an immense feeling of pride in serving and giving back what I can to my community. I have an ever-evolving skill set that is continuously being added to and I am in the best shape of my life!


In this new series of articles “Code 3”, I will be discussing different aspects of the first responder communities and what it is like to live the life of a first responder. Additionally, I will also be putting out gear reviews, going over new tools and tech that can help in the fight “so that others may live.”

 

If you believe in the mission of Oath Keepers, to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, please make a donation to support our work.  
You can donate HERE.

 

 

 

The post The Code 3, Beginning My Journey as a 1st Responder appeared first on Oath Keepers.

Call to Action: Church Security in Sutherland Springs, Texas

Pastor Frank Pomeroy and his wife, Sherri, took the podium Monday morning to respond to the mass shooting at their church in southeast Texas during the service on Sunday, Nov. 6. They lost their 14-year-old daughter that day.

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, Associate Pastor Kevin Cornelius from First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, TX and Pastor Mark Collins (who used to be pastor at the church) reached out to Oath Keepers and asked us to provide security for the church grounds, for the church service on Sunday, 11/12/2017, and to also provide security for some of the funerals for those killed in Sunday’s mass shooting.  In response, Oath Keepers has been on the ground at the church since Thursday, November 9 and we are already bringing in some of our most experienced police and military veterans.

Help us provide security for the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, TX and their community while they heal and recover from the horrendous mass shooting that took the lives of 26 people on Sunday, Nov. 5, and help us train church security teams in the area so they are better prepared to prevent and/or stop such acts of evil in the future.

Skilled Volunteers Needed:

We need skilled, trained, and experienced police and military veteran volunteers to assist us in providing security for the church and for the community as they grieve and recover.

You can volunteer by emailing us at:  tx@oathkeepers.org.

You can also call:

Scott Dunn at 850-209-6348

or

Ivan Chiplinsky at 702-810-4066

If you cannot make it yourself, please donate to support those who can.   We need to pay for the travel expenses of bringing in our best men.   Please help support this mission:

DONATE HERE

Team leaders on the ground are:

1. Brian Krogmann (Army Ranger veteran and retired Washington D.C. Metro police officer who helped take down the Washington Navy Yard shooter in 2013).

2. Scott Dunn (Ranger School grad, police veteran, and retired trauma nurse).

3. Army Ranger veteran Ivan Chiplinsky (who was deployed to Haiti for six months while in service).

They need help.  We want only “quiet professionals” who are well trained and experienced current serving or prior police and military with appropriate backgrounds to help preserve the dignity and privacy of the church, the survivors, and the families of those killed as they grieve, recover, heal, and rebuild.   We are now responsible for the security of the church grounds (both inside and outside the fence), and we will be assisting with the security of future church services and as security escorts for survivors and the family of the deceased as they attend services.  We will also be available to provide security for funerals upon request of the families.

We have pledged to help the church with future security planning as they rebuild, and while on this mission, we will also be doing free security assessments for other churches in the area and throughout South Texas, and we will begin the process of training up church security teams.  We are doing all of this for free, as volunteers, under our oath obligations and as part of our Community Preparedness Team (CPT) program.

Volunteers should expect to be heavily vetted and be prepared to undergo a background check. We prefer Oath Keepers members, but highly qualified non-members may also volunteer.   This will be an armed detail, but it will be low profile and concealed carry.  We do have long guns (since the best response to a terrorist rifle threat is a rifle in the hands of the good guys, as Steven Willeford showed last Sunday), but they too will remain concealed.   Clothing will be solid colors only.  Oath Keepers shirts and hats are encouraged to help assist with identification of our volunteers.

Please note that Oath Keepers DID NOT reach out to the church or the pastors. They contacted us. Pastor Mark Collins (who used to pastor at the church) is assisting Pastors Pomeroy and Cornelius in dealing with this tragedy.  Pastor Collins has known me (Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes) for years and has worked with us in the past.  Both of us were in the documentary “Revelation: Dawn of Global Government” and we have spoken at the same patriotic gatherings around the nation for years.   Pastor Collins knows us, knows our past work, and trusts us to do this right, and that is why we were contacted to help. We are honored to help in any way we can.

Pastor Collins, who is best known nationwide for playing George Washington, is a great American patriot pastor and friend of Oath Keepers.   The other pastors are also fantastic men who deserve our support and assistance.

Pastor Collins on the news regarding the mass shooting:

While providing security for the church and the families, we are working alongside the Texas Highway Patrol, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, Baptist Child and Family Services (BCFS) (who are in overall command of the scene), BioTech and the Red Cross. This is a very important mission.   Yes, we do wish that the church had had an effective armed security team in place, with an effective security plan (as we have been calling for in all churches across America), but we must now help them heal and rebuild.   And we hope we can also be part of helping prevent this from happening again to this church or to others in South Texas (and nationwide).   Our mobile training team will begin in this area and will spread out from there.

Please donate to support the costs of travel and support for this critical mission.  DONATE HERE.

Please say a prayer for the Sutherland Springs community as they grieve, heal, and rebuild.  And please say a prayer for our volunteers as they do all they can to help in that process.

For the Republic,

Stewart Rhodes

Founder of Oath Keepers

Photo: Two of Our Oath Keepers Team Leaders on Ground in Sutherland Springs, TX – Scott Dunn and Ivan Chiplinsky.

 

PS – Here is an interview with good Samaritan hero, Stephen Willeford, on how he stopped the killing:

We only wish he, or someone like him, had been in the church parking lot when the killer first arrived, rather than having to run there after the attack had already started.   And that is why we strongly advocate that churches have an exterior security team, armed with rifles (concealed in their vehicle as they stand next to it), as well as concealed handguns on their person, so they can decisively stop such an attack at the outset.    We will train them to do just that (along with having a team on the inside, as well as attendees carrying concealed).  See our recommendations for church security here and here.

Pastor Collins as George Washington:

The post Call to Action: Church Security in Sutherland Springs, Texas appeared first on Oath Keepers.

Call to Action: Church Security in Sutherland Springs, TX

Help us provide security for the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, TX and their community while they heal and recover from the horrendous mass shooting that took the lives of 26 people on Sunday, Nov. 5, and help us train church security teams in the area so they are better prepared to prevent and/or stop such acts of evil in the future.

On Wed. Nov. 8, Associate Pastor Kevin Cornelius from First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, TX and Pastor Mark Collins (who used to be pastor at the church) reached out to Oath Keepers and asked us to provide security for the church grounds, for the church service on Sunday, 11/12/2017, and to also provide security for some of the funerals for those killed in Sunday’s mass shooting.  In response, Oath Keepers has been on the ground at the church since Thursday, November 9 and we are already bringing in some of our most experienced police and military veterans.

Skilled Volunteers Needed:

We need skilled, trained, and experienced police and military veteran volunteers to assist us in providing security for the church and for the community as they grieve and recover.

You can volunteer by emailing us at:  tx@oathkeepers.org.

You can also call:

Scott Dunn at 850-209-6348

or

Ivan Chiplinsky at 702-810-4066

If you cannot make it yourself, please donate to support those who can.   We need to pay for the travel expenses of bringing in our best men.   Please help support this mission:

DONATE HERE

Team leaders on the ground are:

1. Brian Krogmann (Army Ranger veteran and retired Washington D.C. Metro police officer who helped take down the Washington Navy Yard shooter in 2013).

2. Scott Dunn (Ranger School grad, police veteran, and retired trauma nurse).

3. Army Ranger veteran Ivan Chiplinsky (who was deployed to Haiti for six months while in service).

They need help.  We want only “quiet professionals” who are well trained and experienced current serving or prior police and military with appropriate backgrounds to help preserve the dignity and privacy of the church, the survivors, and the families of those killed as they grieve, recover, heal, and rebuild.   We are now responsible for the security of the church grounds (both inside and outside the fence), and we will be assisting with the security of future church services and as security escorts for survivors and the family of the deceased as they attend services.  We will also be available to provide security for funerals upon request of the families.

We have pledged to help the church with future security planning as they rebuild, and while on this mission, we will also be doing free security assessments for other churches in the area and throughout South Texas, and we will begin the process of training up church security teams.  We are doing all of this for free, as volunteers, under our oath obligations and as part of our Community Preparedness Team (CPT) program.

Volunteers should expect to be heavily vetted and be prepared to undergo a background check. We prefer Oath Keepers members, but highly qualified non-members may also volunteer.   This will be an armed detail, but it will be low profile and concealed carry.  We do have long guns (since the best response to a terrorist rifle threat is a rifle in the hands of the good guys, as Steven Willeford showed last Sunday), but they too will remain concealed.   Clothing will be solid colors only.  Oath Keepers shirts and hats are encouraged to help assist with identification of our volunteers.

Please note that Oath Keepers DID NOT reach out to the church or the pastors. They contacted us. Pastor Mark Collins (who used to pastor at the church) is assisting Pastors Pomeroy and Cornelius in dealing with this tragedy.  Pastor Collins has known me (Oath Keepers Founder Stewart Rhodes) for years and has worked with us in the past.  Both of us were in the documentary “Revelation: Dawn of Global Government” and we have spoken at the same patriotic gatherings around the nation for years.   Pastor Collins knows us, knows our past work, and trusts us to do this right, and that is why we were contacted to help. We are honored to help in any way we can.

Pastor Collins, who is best known nationwide for playing George Washington, is a great American patriot pastor and friend of Oath Keepers.   The other pastors are also fantastic men who deserve our support and assistance.

Pastor Collins as George Washington:

 

 

Pastor Collins on the news regarding the mass shooting:

While providing security for the church and the families, we are working alongside the Texas Highway Patrol, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, Baptist Child and Family Services (BCFS) (who are in overall command of the scene), BioTech and the Red Cross. This is a very important mission.   Yes, we do wish that the church had had an effective armed security team in place, with an effective security plan (as we have been calling for in all churches across America), but we must now help them heal and rebuild.   And we hope we can also be part of helping prevent this from happening again to this church or to others in South Texas (and nationwide).   Our mobile training team will begin in this area and will spread out from there.

Please donate to support the costs of travel and support for this critical mission.  DONATE HERE.

Please say a prayer for the Sutherland Springs community as they grieve, heal, and rebuild.  And please say a prayer for our volunteers as they do all they can to help in that process.

For the Republic,

Stewart Rhodes

Founder of Oath Keepers

 

PS – Here is an interview with good Samaritan hero, Stephen Willeford, on how he stopped the killing:

We only wish he, or someone like him, had been in the church parking lot when the killer first arrived, rather than having to run there after the attack had already started.   And that is why we strongly advocate that churches have an exterior security team, armed with rifles (concealed in their vehicle as they stand next to it), as well as concealed handguns on their person, so they can decisively stop such an attack at the outset.    We will train them to do just that (along with having a team on the inside, as well as attendees carrying concealed).  See our recommendations for church security here and here.

The post Call to Action: Church Security in Sutherland Springs, TX appeared first on Oath Keepers.

Update: “Oath Keepers Hurricane Irma Relief” Donations – Thank you!

It’s your donations that enable us to purchase the things we need to keep our operation going in South Florida. The hardest hit areas around Big Pine Key and remote areas of South-Central and South-West FL especially need our continued presence there and you are making that happen.

We have two teams converging on the Greater Naples (traveling North from The Keys and South from Frostproof) to deliver aid there. We’re writing this from one of the trucks (this is Ivan from Josh’s truck). Together with Stewart, Scott and some heavy hitting Oath Keepers, we’ll be delivering (among other supplies) an entire pallet of rice and and entire pallet of beans to Greater Naples, Bayshore (US41) and The Manor area of East Naples. We’ll continue to roll directly into follow-on operations as well, servicing more areas.

YOUR contributions enable us to continue to project out into these different hard-hit communities. At this point, it’s being funded by YOU, as we’ve all but expended much of our own money on fuel already.

By the way, Stewart BOUGHT the rice and beans using $2k donated by two Oath Keepers. The $5 donated by Mark means just as much, as it’s probably all he can do as well. Thank you Mark… Thank you all for contributing and God bless you ALL!!!

Sincerely,

Florida Oath Keepers

Gofundme.com/oathkeepersirma

Cajun Navy and Oath Keepers – Rescues by Boat in Texas and Louisiana

Rescues by boat in flooded communities continue in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

We have current information from Alex Oakes, Oath Keepers South East Regional Assistant Coordinator and Oath Keepers Mississippi Point of Contact.

We will update the information here with changes and additions as they occur.

Alex was on the ground dispatching the Cajun Navy and Oath Keepers rescue boats. The Cajun Navy is NOT pulling out of Texas. They did come under fire during attempted robberies.

There are currently over 300 boats in the water. They are also working Lafayette, LA.

Alex is currently monitoring Cajun Navy Dispatch and will be heading back.

The Texas border is closed on I-10 unless there is a boat is in tow or you’re in a high-water vehicle.

The Cajun Navy is taking every call they possible can and working the list. 911 is overwhelmed.

Houston to Lafayette is under evacuation. Lake Charles is now under voluntary evacuation.

There is a FALSE REPORT that the Cajun Navy is leaving Texas. Actually, they are sending out rescue boats through the night.

The photos are from Lake Charles, LA. That was as close as they could get in their vehicles.

We will post more information as it comes in.

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Hurricane Harvey prepper update: Sh#t just hit the fan in South Texas…

…non-preppers hurting badly as food, water, power and emergency services FAIL.

Sunday, August 27, 2017 by: Mike Adams

(Natural News) News from inside Hurricane Harvey:

Local towns are experiencing so much flooding that some are cutting off municipal water supplies.

This is on top of the power grid outages, cell phone outages, store closures and widespread road closures that have taken place here in the last 12 hours.

For the time being, everyone is on their own, with little available outside help. I’ve seen tweets of people pleading to be rescued as their homes flood, and those are the lucky ones who still have bandwidth access. Many people are completely cut off with no services at all: No electricity, no municipal water, no 911 response services, etc. As much as I want to help these people, I can’t even get to them (and neither can anyone else).

Hurricane Harvey is a strong reminder that prepping is the best insurance you can buy. While surrounding areas had no power, I cranked up my John Deere tractor with a PTO generator, providing power to my entire property for the cost of about two gallons of diesel per hour. This tractor-generator setup is virtually EMP-proof as long as you’re using an older tractor, like the one shown below. I call it the “ultimate backup generator” arrangement, and it’s mobile by design (photo courtesy of Steambrite.com)

Quick list of services that have been cut off or FAILED

This is in no way a criticism of emergency response services in Texas, by the way. Governor Abbott is doing a fantastic job, and local responders are also on the ball, saving lives by the hour. Texas has a powerful spirit of survival and preparedness, and that’s why the body count has been so low, given the “end of the world” prognostications we’ve been hearing from the media.

Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, however, this storm is flat-out brutal in terms of the volume of rain it’s dropping on a concentrated area. The flooding is truly reaching apocalyptic levels, and no government, no matter how motivated, can stop a 25-foot wall of water rushing over the banks of a creek or river. (Be sure to follow more news on disaster preparedness at Disaster.news.)

With that in mind, here are some of the services that have been cut off. Let this be a reminder to everyone that in a dire emergency, you may not be able to rely on anyone but yourself. You may be cut off from help just like we’re seeing across much of Texas right now:

• Municipal water is being turned OFF due to rising waters and possible contamination from septic systems (cholera, anyone?)


• Electrical services are failing as winds snap off heavy branches that take down power lines. Local power companies then have to fight the wind and rain to repair lines in extremely low-visibility conditions.


• 911 services are totally overloaded in some areas. Calls are simply going unanswered.


• Emergency responders such as police and sheriff deputies can’t reach you anyway.


• Many ROADS are completely flooded over, bringing transportation to a standstill and causing massive traffic jams.


• Hospitals and emergency rooms are functioning on emergency power, but that only helps if you can reach them.


• Medical transport helicopters are GROUNDED due to extremely high winds and very low visibility. Only Coast Guard pilots are trained to operate military-class helicopters in such conditions. For anybody else, taking to the skies in a helicopter is “power line suicide.”


• Food deliveries to local grocery stories are disrupted, and many shelves have been emptied out. Food supplies may be disrupted for an entire WEEK.


• The entire city of Houston has declared it will shut down for a full week. No government services. No passport processing. No DMV. If you need something from the city of Houston, you’re out of luck.


• Fuel deliveries are also being disrupted, and some gas stations are near empty. Once the roads are usable again, we will quickly see lack of fuel becoming a serious problem.


• Cell phone services are on and off in some areas, mostly due to the density of the rain. This means if you need to call 911, you really can’t. It’s one more reason to be prepared to solve your own problems.

Read more at Natural News

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Oath Keepers Call to Action: Stand and Defend Free Speech at Berkeley Patriots Rally, April 15, 2017

Calling on all Oath Keepers (and all Three Percenters, military veterans, patriot police officers, bikers, and all other brave American patriots):

Seeking capable volunteers for an overt security detail for the “Patriots Day Free Speech Rally” to be held on April 15, 2017, at 12PM PDT, in the Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 2151 M.L.K. Jr Way, Berkeley, CA 94704.  

Team Leader for the Oath Keepers on the ground April 15 will be John Karriman (Missouri police academy defensive tactics instructor and team leader on both of our Ferguson operations in 2014-2015).

Contact email for security volunteers:   berkeley@oathkeepers.org

It’s time, once again, to step up and stand in the breach to defend the rights of the American people to free speech and assembly, in the face of radical leftists who use violence and the threat of violence to shut down and silence free speech they don’t like (just like we did with roving security teams at the Inauguration in Washington DC, on January 20, 2017).

Confirmed Oath Keepers members will be given priority for this April 15 detail, but if you are from another group, or a qualified individual with the right training or experience, please contact us as well (but please understand there will be a vetting process).   If you are leadership from another patriot organization that would like to help with security by sending your own security detail to this event, please contact us and we will put you in touch with the event organizers and also establish the necessary lines of communication with our security team leadership.

Our local Alameda County Oath Keepers chapter has committed fully to this operation.  In addition, one of our local members, a young Marine Afghanistan veteran, is part of the event organizing team for the event sponsor, Liberty Revival Alliance.    This means we have the necessary competent local leadership that we need in place to conduct such an operation.  And with John Karriman agreeing to fly out to California to be the team leader on the ground for our security element, we also will have an extremely experienced and respected field team leader our members from around the nation know and trust.

John Karriman on Roof-top Duty as a Team Leader During 2014 Ferguson Riots.

I (Stewart Rhodes) will also be there in person, because I never ask you to do anything I am not willing to do myself.  But John Karriman will be the man in charge of the security detail.

We will post up more details on Monday, but I wanted our members and supporters to know about this call to action ASAP, so those who can help will have as much notice as possible (two weeks out, at the moment) so they can participate.

DESIRED SKILL-SETS AND CAPABILITIES:

If you are able-bodied and have applicable training and experience (such as police and military veterans with riot control training, personal security detail/body-guard experience, police or infantry veteran, or other applicable training), and can keep a cool head, and be the “quiet professional” who is there to be a defender, not to engage in shouting matches, then you are the kind of man we want on this detail (much like during our Ferguson operations when we put a premium on well-trained, capable, serious professionals who could keep cool under pressure).

In particular, we call on our police veterans and retired police officers to participate in this security operation, since your training, experience, and capabilities are especially valuable in such circumstances.    We will place you in leadership positions and also ask you to serve as liaisons to the local and state LEOs who will be on scene.

I also want to put a special shout out to my brother infantry veterans, whether Army or Marine Corps.  Your service amply demonstrates that you were willing to risk all to fight foreign enemies, but now you are needed to defend liberty here at home with the same commitment and resolve.   And likewise for fire-fighters, EMTs, or other first responders.  Your skillsets will be much needed and appreciated.   But even if you are not prior service, if you have other training or experience that you think is applicable, please volunteer.

Those of you who want to simply attend and celebrate free speech are of course welcome to just show up (keeping in mind the potential violence, you should come prepared to defend yourselves even if not on the security detail).     But if you want to be on our formal security detail, please email us at berkeley@oathkeepers.org

If you cannot make it to the event, but want to help support this operation, and especially help with gas money, food, lodging, supplies and logistics for our Oath Keepers volunteers, please make a donation here:

We appreciate your support!

EVENT DETAILS:

This event is being organized by Rich Black, of Liberty Revival Alliance, who was the organizer for the March 4 Trump rally in the same location which was attacked by violent leftists on March 4, 2017.

At that March 4 event, communist flag flying, American flag burning, radical leftists from groups such as Anti-fa (I prefer to call them “LEFTY-FA” because they act just like Brownshirts), and BAMN (By Any Means Necessary), attacKed the Trump supporters just for being there, and for being Trump supporters.   That was their stated intent – to shut it down, just as they shut down the Milo Yiannopoulos event sponsored by the Berkeley College Republicans on February 1, 2017.   And they are openly stating that they will do all they can to shut down this rally on April 15.

Unfortunately, at both the February 2 Milo event, and at the March 4 rally, the Berkeley PD utterly failed to take effective measures to protect people from violent assault, including being hit in the head with flag poles, being sprayed with pepper spray, and being assaulted by multiple assailants, resulting in severe beatings.    In sharp contrast to other departments, such as Salem, OR, where the local PD put themselves between the Trump supporters and the masked “Black Block” leftists and were very effective in keeping them apart, the Berkeley PD did not even attempt to do so on March 4.

Watch these two videos to see the contrast:

In the above video, the Oregon cops did it right.  Hats off to them!   In the below video, it is clear the Berkeley PD didn’t even try:

It is because of that failure, twice now, of the Berkeley PD to defend people from felonious assault, or even try to keep the two sides apart, that we feel honor bound to step in.  We certainly do hope that this time around the Berkeley PD will step up their game and actually try to keep people safe, but since hope is not an operational plan, we will be there to do it if they won’t.

Why are we going?    Because duty, honor, and our oaths demand it.    Because free thought, free speech, and the right to peaceably assemble are non-negotiable core human rights, fundamentally essential to a republican form of government (to self-government by the people), and expressly protected by the Bill of Rights in the Constitution we all swore to defend.   Because without free speech, there is no free America, and there is no free world.    There can be no such thing as a “no free speech zone” in the Founders Republic.  There can be no such thing as “no-go zones” where patriotic Americans cannot go, under threat of violence from America hating Marxist thugs (as always, we stand in defense of the free speech rights of all Americans, but it is the far left at the moment that has declared war on free speech and assembly).

Berkeley then – the Epicenter of the College “Free Speech Movement”

Berkeley Now: the Epicenter of the College “No Free Speech” (or “F – Free Speech!”) Movement. 

All of us who swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and were willing to risk our lives in the defense of our nation and our communities while in service, need to step up now to defend the peaceful rally participants who will be there on April 15 to take a stand for free speech.   And then we need to do the same at all future rallies where there are threats of violence intended to shut down free speech.  As always, we will stand up for the right to free speech and assembly for all Americans, regardless of their politics or views.

Remember, we Oath Keepers call ourselves “Guardians of the Republic” and our motto is “not on our watch!”   This is a matter of duty.   We have an obligation to be defenders of the lives, liberty, and property of the American people, as we have already done on many, many occasions, such as when we protected recruiting centers across the nation against terrorists after the Chattanooga, TN attack, when we protected shop owners and residents of Ferguson Missouri against violent arsonists who threatened to murder them (there were apartments above the shops with families living in them), when we stepped up and directly backed local police and their families as part of our Operation Backstop (aka Operation Back Our Blue), offering our help after the deadly terrorist attacks on police across the nation, and when we protected attendees at Trump’s Inauguration in DC on Jan 20 (and also protected some of the attendees of the “Deploraball” the night before), and when we provided both overt and covert security details at March 4 Trump rallies across the nation on March 4, and again at MAGA rallies across the nation on March 25.

May we live up to the expectations of the men and women who went before us, and who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to this nation, and to whom we owe our own fullest measure of devotion in ensuring that their sacrifice as not in vain.   It is now our watch, and as we all know, freedom isn’t free.  It must be defended, even if it costs us all we have to give.  And clearly, now in America, free speech won’t defend itself, as it is under direct assault by people who hate their own nation, hate the Constitution, and hate free speech.   Let us be the “First Defenders” as we are foremost in the ranks in defense of the First Amendment.

For the Republic,

Stewart Rhodes

North Carolina Oath Keepers Summit – April 7, 8, & 9, 2017

Stewart Rhodes, Army Airborne Veteran, Yale Law School Graduate, OK Founder and President

Sheriff Richard Mack, Former Sheriff of Graham County, Arizona

John D. Shirley, Retired Duty Peace Officer - Houston, TX. National Lead Liaison to Peace Officers.

Jay Stang, Veteran US Marine Corps - Texas Chapter President

Jim Ayala, EMT Veteran, Oath Keepers Treasurer, Merchandise

Sgt. Maj. Joseph Santoro, Retired Army, infantry, EOD. OK National Operations NOC

Michele Imburgia, Texas State VP

Sheriff Denny Peyman, Retired Jackson County, KY Sheriff, OK National Peace Officer Liaison

John Kerriman, Current Missouri police academy instructor, police veteran, OK National Peace Officer/LEO Liaison

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Tomatoes Hate Cucumbers: Secrets of Companion Planting + Popular Planting Combinations

Did you know that tomatoes hate cucumbers?

While they might taste great together in a salad, tomato plants actually dislike growing in close proximity to any member of the curcurbit family, which includes cucumbers.

Tomatos love carrots and basil, however – so planting these together will actually make them each grow more vigorously!

Sounds hokey? The idea that some plants and plant families are “friends” with others and grow better together is called companion planting, and it’s been around since the dawn of food cultivation.

Mimicking nature’s biodiversity might make your garden look messy, but it’s been proven to help each individual plant to grow better. Plants in a polyculture are more resilient and tend to have fewer losses from insects or disease.

Things like carrots, dill, parsley, and parsnip will attract praying mantises, ladybugs, and spiders. These predator species of insects feast on the bugs who like to ruin your tomatoes, so it’s a win-win for the tomatoes (and you)!

This is also why it’s a great idea to interplant flowers with your vegetable plants–particularly marigolds and nasturtiums. These flowers will attract and feed beneficial pollinator insects, which will increase the fruit-set of many squashes, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other veggies. Nasturtiums are edible flowers and look lovely in salads, and their nutritious root, called mashua, used to be a staple crop in South American regions.

Finally, some plants simply don’t get along, and won’t do well when they’re forced to share root space. Peppers and beans don’t like being next to each other, nor do potatoes and tomatoes (both members of the nightshade family). Peas prefer being far away from onions, and lettuces do not like to be near broccoli plants.

Read more at thehomestead.guru

How to Dehydrate, Store and Cook Food

Stewart Rhodes, Army Airborne Veteran, Yale Law School Graduate, OK Founder and President

Sheriff Richard Mack, Former Sheriff of Graham County, Arizona

John D. Shirley, Retired Duty Peace Officer - Houston, TX. National Lead Liaison to Peace Officers.

Jay Stang, Veteran US Marine Corps - Texas Chapter President

Jim Ayala, EMT Veteran, Oath Keepers Treasurer, Merchandise

Sgt. Maj. Joseph Santoro, Retired Army, infantry, EOD. OK National Operations NOC

Michele Imburgia, Texas State VP

Sheriff Denny Peyman, Retired Jackson County, KY Sheriff, OK National Peace Officer Liaison

John Kerriman, Current Missouri police academy instructor, police veteran, OK National Peace Officer/LEO Liaison

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NEW! SHTF Roles – are you a victim or a player?

Stewart Rhodes, Army Airborne Veteran, Yale Law School Graduate, OK Founder and President

Sheriff Richard Mack, Former Sheriff of Graham County, Arizona

John D. Shirley, Retired Duty Peace Officer - Houston, TX. National Lead Liaison to Peace Officers.

Jay Stang, Veteran US Marine Corps - Texas Chapter President

Jim Ayala, EMT Veteran, Oath Keepers Treasurer, Merchandise

Sgt. Maj. Joseph Santoro, Retired Army, infantry, EOD. OK National Operations NOC

Michele Imburgia, Texas State VP

Sheriff Denny Peyman, Retired Jackson County, KY Sheriff, OK National Peace Officer Liaison

John Kerriman, Current Missouri police academy instructor, police veteran, OK National Peace Officer/LEO Liaison

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What the Poor Need to Consider When Prepping For CHAOS

Something to ponder.

The folks who are poor, or just scraping by, who don’t have the financial wherewithal to buy lots of guns, ammo, food and gear, still have options, but they need to get their heads straight about what they can do. Pastor Joe Fox, of Viking Preparedness, has a good video for everyone to look at, for it takes a hard look at what very well might happen if the rule of law breaks down and groups begin forming into tribal clusters. Where do you fit in? Pause to consider how you will survive in a long-term breakdown situation. Will you form your own tribe? Will you join one? Or do you already have one (CPT?).

Those who have developed a CPT group will need to consider who they will allow to join them after things break down. What are the needs of the group? What sort of people will fit in?

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In the above video, Pastor Joe Fox talks of the following video: Tribes

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Critical Security Advice for March 4 Trump Event Organizers and Participants

We are posting the below security advice now because of the many “March 4 Trump” events across the country tomorrow.  Please pass this on to anyone who will be attending those events.   However, this advice will also prove useful for future events.  Oath Keepers will have members and teams from local chapters at many of these March 4 Trump rallies and marches tomorrow to help keep people safe (our members and chapters have full discretion to help anywhere they can, and also have full discretion to do so covertly, overtly, or in a mix of overt/covert, as we did in Washington DC on January 19-20 for the Inauguration and surrounding events).   Organizers and participants in the March 4 Trump events need to understand that we can’t be at all of them, and we can’t guarantee their safety even at the ones we will be attending.   Your safety is ultimately up to you, as the below advice makes clear.

American patriots have got to come to terms with the reality that the far left is becoming increasingly unhinged and prone to violent terrorism, and you will need to expect the worst and prepare for it.    And that means you need to be your own “bodyguard” and guardian over your family and friends, as the Founders expected us to be, as members of a true citizens militia.   Do NOT rely on the police to protect you, or anyone else.   They cannot be everywhere, even when they are allowed to do their job to their best ability (which is sadly not always the case, as is explained below).

The following threat assessment and advice was written up by Navy Jack and John Karriman.

NAVY JACK:

Most organizations that are involved in protests against the policies of the current administration are non-violent. The organizations that have used violence in recent protests include the following:

1. Antifa (short for Antifascist Action)


2. Anarchist Black Cross


3. Refuse Fascism (closely related to the Revolutionary Communist Party USA)


4. La Raza and affiliates


5. BAMN (By Any Means Necessary)

The Antifa, Anarchist Black Cross and BAMN organizations normally rely on the presence of protesters from other organizations to mask their activity in a larger group. The percentage of actual violent protesters, when one of the groups listed above intercedes, can be as lower than 10%. This presents a significant issue for law enforcement personnel attempting to stop or contain violent activity. There are numerous ways to identify the violent protesters, including:

1. They cover their faces with balaclavas or bandannas to mask their identity.


2. La Raza and affiliates carry the flag of Mexico and/or Aztlan.


3. Antifa carry battle flags with their group affiliation.


4. Anarchist Black Cross carries square black flags.


5. Refuse Fascism carries “NO” signs, flags and posters.


6. BAMN carries red signs with their logo.


7. Antifa and Anarchist Black Cross like to dress in all black.

The Antifa and the Anarchist Black Cross see themselves as the vanguard of the protest movement against the current administration. They actively train in self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. They carry weapons, although usually not firearms unless in an open-carry State. They wear backpacks and normally bring the following items to a protest:

1. Firecrackers, including M80s and bottle rockets.


2. Hammers (to break glass)


3. Long metal pipes with end-cap fittings (to assault people)


4. Heavy wooden poles (used to display flags and assault people)


5. Lighter fluid containers (to start fires, burn hats/flags, create micro-molotov cocktails)


6. Lighters


7. Spears (made from PVC and used as weapons)


8. Gas masks


9. Eye protection

La Raza and Refuse Fascism have not been noted to bring incendiaries or other weapons to their protests at this time. It should be noted that the Revolutionary Communist “Red Guard” are frequently integrated with the Refuse Fascism protests and can be a source of violence.  Red Guard members, like the Antifa wear distinctive face coverings and clothing.

All of the violent groups communicate via twitter using localized accounts and spur-of-the-moment “hashtags”.  Large events are normally posted on Facebook or emails are sent to the members of these organizations via list services (Google, Spokes, WordPress).  They have learned to not post their activities more than 24 hours in advance to avoid law enforcement detection.

Refuse Fascism, La Raza and BAMN tend to have large numbers of protesters that are reluctant to initiate violence. If they are stopped from achieving their goals (blocking a road, blocking access to a venue, shutting down a government office or place of business, etc.) they escalate until they achieve their goal or are suppressed.

The Antifa and the Anarchist Black Cross are by far the most violent of these organizations. They tend to infiltrate protests already in motion and immediately escalate to violence once integrated. Previously non-violent protesters get caught up in the melees and join in.

While there are many other protest organizations, including Black Lives Matter, the Huey P. Newton Gun Club and the New Black Panthers; their involvement to date in the violent anti-administration protests has been minimal.

JOHN KARRIMAN (Missouri State Police Academy Instructor)

Should you plan to attend an event that might be the target of one of the above listed groups; we offer the following suggestions:

1) Take your physical health and mobility into account. If you are in poor health or cannot break into a sprint for thirty paces, consider avoiding the event. More and more, less is being done to ensure the safety of attendees. From stand-down orders from globalist-minded administrators to Law Enforcement personnel to poor planning on the part of event coordinators, more and serious injuries are being seen. Weigh the exercise of your 1st Amendment against your safety and well-being.

2) Travel to and from the event is when the greatest danger exists. If you have identifying markings or stickers on your vehicle, you may be targeted before ever arriving at your destination. Bad guys are headed to the same event. You are in traffic with them. Once in the area; are you wearing identifying hats or shirts that are observable from a distance? Nothing wrong with identifying with a particular sentiment/ideology unless you are travelling through a sea of hate to get to your appointed destination. Drawing attention to yourself without superior numbers is suicidal. Don’t think you will become the exception to the rule. Rioters who have assaulted people have been released without charges, given letters of APOLOGY and been PAID for their trouble. Welcome to Opposite Day.

3) Do not expect help from law enforcement, even if you can make it to their position. The very group tasked with protecting and serving has been routinely dropping the ball when it comes to the safety of the public. Recently in Berkeley, a young woman who had been maced and beaten by the crowd was not allowed in to the very venue she had come to attend! Police would not respond to her beating on the door despite her obvious distress. She had left her husband for dead in the street when they were surrounded. She saw him go down from having been struck in the head with a metal pole. She and her husband wore NO identifying clothing, but were singled out because they were seen in the area of an event the crowd disagreed with. Both wore kevlar under their clothes. Although he survived his attack; he suffered a concussion and several broken ribs… through the kevlar vest.

Lack of crowd control is a decision made on high and has happened repeatedly in cities sympathetic to unAmerican causes or where dissenting opinions are not tolerated (funny coming from the same group preaching tolerance).Take the demographics of your particular area into consideration when planning to attend an event.

4) Do not get involved in debate outside (or inside, for that matter) with dissenters. It is a common tactic to distract while another ambushes from the side or rear. Liquids and objects are often thrown. Consider bringing an umbrella to keep paint, urine, blood, feces, acid… from making contact with your eyes or skin.

5) Avoid hot spots. Where you have people masked-up and being whipped into a frenzy by someone with a bullhorn; you have a volatile situation. Attempting to walk through their midst without looking like and acting like the crowd is a recipe for disaster.

6) Strength in numbers. Coordinate your coming and going with a larger group. Pairs are as vulnerable as singles. Link up with other smaller groups and move together. Put your smaller people inside of your pod or away from the crowd. This NO place for children. We have seen children and the elderly attacked by these animals.

52 Survival Skills Your Kids Should Be Learning

The best thing a parent can give to their child, besides love, is the ability to survive on their own. Skills need to be taught and learned, The parents teach and the children learn. As parents, we have an obligation to pass on to our offspring the skills necessary for survival.

This article comes from thewellpreparedmama.com

by Becca

Growing up, the preparedness lifestyle was pretty much common place. It was just something we did and pretty much everyone I knew, lived the same way. Between common power outages in our neighborhood, playing in the woods, camping with our families, hunting, fishing and growing up with Depression Era grandparents, preparedness was an essential part of our lives.

Today, we have gotten so complacent about the world around us that we often forget that history has a tendency to repeat itself. Many of us have forgotten the importance of teaching our children survival skills. With grocery store shelves stocked with canned goods, our heat coming from electric base boards and the push that children shouldn’t be taught how to use a firearm, let alone how to hunt, we’ve set ourselves and our children up for failure.

Any new skill that anyone learns takes time to develop. It’s up to us to teach our children what they need to know to survive. We never know if God For Bid we will get separated from our children, but knowing we’ve equipped them as much as possible can offer a bit of peace if something so horrific should happen. It’s also good to note that the more your child is able to learn, the more of an asset they will be to your family unit if SHTF.

I do realize that every child learns at their own pace and many skills take time to develop.

52 Survival Skills Your Kids Should Be Learning

1. Make sure your child knows your family’s plan – Are you hunkering down? Are you bugging out? If you are leaving, where are you going?
   Plant their own food – Planting a garden as a family, from seed to plant is an excellent way to teach this skill.


2. How to identify local edible plants – There may not always be meat to eat or canned goods on the shelves. This book is a pretty good resource.


3. How to make a fire and fire safety


4.         How to cook – And more than just on an electric or gas stove. Cooking on an open fire is an essential part of survival.

Read more here.

Top 50 Items To Be Bartered After SHTF

The following is a list of items that will be high on the list of items to be traded or bartered in a collapse situation, as presented by Reality Survival. He does not list them in any particular order, as your situation may be different than someone else’s.

On his list you will see some skills included. Skills will be very important, and can be traded for something needed. Can you repair shoes? A skill like that will be needed. Can you create energy? If you can charge batteries for people, or make alcohol or any other fuel, you will find ready trading partners.

It is not only goods that will be traded. Skills and services will be of high value.

What skills do you, or those in your survival group have? Learn something new. Whatever your new skill set is, it will have value.

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The Benefits of a Root Cellar

Before the days of refrigeration, folks had root cellars to preserve the vegetables they grew in their gardens through the winter. My Dad remembered his parents had one on their small farm. If the electric grid goes down, a root cellar is a perfect answer for long term food storage. A root cellar is worth considering. – Shorty Dawkins

This article comes from PreppingToSurvive.com

We have been reading and planning and saving for a root cellar for years now.  This has been an important part of our long-range plan for food security.  About a week ago, we finally broke ground on it and we are really looking forward to its completion.  (The kids are most excited about the huge mounds of dirt and the presence of a Porta-Potty on our property!).  In case you’ve never considered a root cellar, I thought I’d list some of the benefits.

Why we are building a root cellar

Being that this is a preparedness blog, you probably expect this has something to do with our penchant for storing up for uncertain times.  And you would be right-  that is part of it.  We firmly believe that everyone should do what they can to set aside food during this time of comparatively cheap and plentiful food.   Food prices may be steadily rising, but exorbitant prices could be lurking around the corner as the cost of oil goes up and weather anomalies wipe out crops.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have a year round mini-supermarket in your backyard and the ability to store the food throughout the winter?

In addition, with the exception of a few places, right now people are mostly allowed to produce much of their own food.  Anything that is surplus can be put aside for the winter.  Root cellars are stars at providing the right temperatures and humidity to preserve the life and nutrients of your fresh food. I’m glad I have pressure canning as a choice in “putting up” food for later, but my food will be most nutritious if not exposed to high heat and pressure.  Raw food provides health benefits that cooked just can’t sometimes.

Another reason why we are really looking forward to this root cellar is that we like to know what goes in the food we eat year-round.  In order to do that, we either need to grow the food ourselves or do careful research to find out the growing methods used by the farmers.

There are some things we have not yet been able to produce in bulk for ourselves yet.  For example, we have planted an orchard several times now.  Each time, our goats have gotten to the trees and stunted or killed them (bye-bye, goats!).  Fortunately, we are members of a bulk food co-operative that often places fruit orders from low- or no-spray farms.  Not many families can use a bushel of apples before they would go bad in the kitchen (nor do they have room in the fridge).  A root cellar is the perfect place to store them and enjoy them over several months.

Not just for “root vegetables.”

We have been working on our stockpiles of food, medicine, tools, etc for quite a few years now.  While that gives us a sense of comfort, it is also quite literally crowding us.  Under every bed and in every drawer and cabinet in this old house with little built-in storage, we have our “preps.”  Some bookshelves have a row of things behind all the books.  The “china cabinet” is stuffed with homemade soup, jam, and applesauce and is clearly visible to anyone who looked in the windows (not good OPSEC!).  And with all those spaces filled, we are beginning to literally have stacks of things with nowhere to put them.

Edible and Medicinal Plants

In any severe economic depression/collapse, or during any period of societal upheaval, store-bought medicines will quickly disappear. There are alternatives, however, for many of the store-bought medicines. Nature provides us with an abundance of medicinal plants and herbs. If you know them and know their uses, your family will be healthier, and you can provide a service to your friends and neighbors.

Store-bought medicines are derived, in most instances, from natural sources. Why not go straight to the source?

There are many books available concerning both edible and medicinal herbs. I will list a few for you. These books both identify the plant and give its uses.

I live in the mountains of Montana, so I have a copy of:

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies by Linda Kershaw.

I find it to be an excellent resource for plants I can find in my area.

Another good book for those in the West is:

Foraging the Rocky Mountains: Finding, Identifying, And Preparing Edible Wild Foods In The Rockies by Liz Brown Morgan

If you live in Eastern or Central North America, there is:

Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America, for medicinal plants and herbs.

For edible plants in the East and Central US, there is:

A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and Central North America

All of these books are available at Amazon, through Barnes and Noble, or could be ordered through your local bookstore.

Getting A Real Education– Why Becoming Self-Sufficient Is Better Than Going To College

This article comes from SurvivalBlog.com

By Hugh James Latimer

Everywhere you turn experts are predicting that the world is heading into some very troubling times. At every level, they say we are heading into a period of history that will see major upheavals in economics, politics, education, food production, housing, jobs, and basically everything. These major changes will effect everyone on earth. That is why so many people are trying to prepare for these changes before they happen in full force, and most experts agree the best way to prepare to meet the challenges of living in this kind of future is to have a skills-based education rather than following the traditional model of theory-based education.

That is why it is better to learn to become self-sufficient rather than spend your precious time and money going to college, at least for now. In fact, if you follow this alternate path of education, in order to be best prepared for the new reality, in four years time you will be well on the way to financial independence; you’ll also be healthier, have a nest-egg to invest, and have well-developed multiple skills. You will be at least a decade ahead of your high school pals who went directly to college.

Recent college graduates are looking at spending the next 10 to 15 years of their lives working just to pay off the Federal student loans they took out to pay for their expensive college educations. Graduating into an economy that has 25% unemployment for college grads, most are not finding jobs in their chosen field of study and instead are consigned to work that pays $10 an hour or less. Is there any wonder why so many are forced to move back into the homes of their parents? It is currently estimated that fully 1/3 of college grads are living at home with Mom and Dad. How can they afford to live on their own and have an apartment, as well as pay for rent, utilities, food, transportation, and still have a life, when student loans must begin being repaid immediately after graduation?

According to CNN, in 2012 the average student loan debt is $29,400 and is expected to take 10 to 15 years to repay. By the time the loans are paid off, current college graduates will be entering middle age. How will many of them ever be able to save enough to pay for a home of their own, marry, or have children, let alone afford a new car and have any extra disposable income to pay for vacations, dining out, movies, or pursuing hobbies?

Here’s what you should be doing during the next four years, to be better prepared to meet the emerging “New Realty”:

Learn to find or create a job to earn money,
Negotiate a place to live until you can move into your own home,
Plan how to invest the money you are saving,
Learn to grow food,
Learn to buy real estate, and
Develop multiple means of income. (I will explain this later on.)

The goal of accomplishing the list above is to:

Work and save as much as you can,
Find a property you can purchase with some of your savings to own it free and clear,
Learn to garden or provide other legitimate means to drastically reduce your grocery costs,
Develop your property to its highest and best purpose, which will enable you to be financially free,
Having accomplished all this, you will have learned multiple skills and the means to provide yourself and others with food and shelter. This will give you more choices, and allow you to become financially free, while you are still able to enjoy it.

The best way to accomplish all of this is to think of it as your “real education” and to commit to working your plan for four years as if you were attending college, only this is your practical education. Without a real commitment to accomplishing each step of the plan, you won’t reap the benefits it will deliver. So resolve right now to commit to the process.

Read more here.

12 Rare Skills That Will Come In Handy When SHTF

Not all of these skills are “rare”, though some are. The important thing is that you will need at least one, (and hopefully more than one), skill that you can use not only to survive, but as a means of trade. No one can do everything. Learn skills, and develop your community. – Shorty Dawkins

This article comes from UrbanSurvivalist.com

If you’re at all familiar with the world of prepping for natural disasters or other life-changing, cataclysmic events, you may have made some simple provisions of your own. You’ve decided that having a bug out bag is a good idea; you’ve stocked up on nonperishable items in your pantry; you have a plan for where to go and what to do when the SHTF. But at some point in a survival scenario, a difference appears between those who can simply survive and those who can thrive.

Skills that are more complicated than foraging for food or building a simple shelter will be highly sought after. If you can develop a proficiency in any one of these 12 rare skills, you’ll not only be able to help yourself survive comfortably, you’ll also be able to trade your skills for other people’s resources.

1. Butchering

If you are one of the few people that can quickly and efficiently butcher an animal, consider yourself a shoo-in for every hunter’s favorite trading partner. Skillfully dividing an animal into edible proportions is harder than it looks, and it may be so valuable that you’ll never have to do any of your own hunting and instead take a percentage of your customer’s kills. Bonus points if you can utilize the firs and skins of the animals as well.

2. Animal Husbandry

Animals are more valuable when they produce more meat, more milk, or can be harnessed to help you get more work done. Those who are skilled at animal husbandry will have the knowledge to make these resources more productive. This means people can do more with less and can breed strength into their animals and weakness out. It is also a skill worth paying for.

3. Plumbing

Plumbing may not sound glamorous, but it is one of the most essential needs of a healthy society. Sanitation is vital to community health, and a plumber specializes in making sure the unhealthy stays separated from the clean. A fair amount of physics knowledge, mechanical ingenuity, and problem solving is necessary for anyone to be proficient at plumbing. With this in mind, many plumbers can repair just about anything, from fixing pipes to fine-tuning complicated pressure systems.

4. Home Brewing

In a survival scenario, home brewing will no longer be an illegal moonshiner’s game. While dabbling in making your own alcohol is a good way to make yourself sick, skillfully brewing a vat of delicious spirits just might save your life. Aside from the sanitation benefits of making your own alcohol, you can trade it for resources and ingratiate reluctant group members with it.

5. Blacksmithing

Blacksmithing is one of the most useful skills anyone could have for long-term survival. The ability to shape metal is what separates successful civilizations from stone-age ones. Not just anyone can smith well, however; there is quite a bit of science to learn and much trial and error for anyone to master the craft. If you’re experienced, you can expect the majority of your community to be needing your skills.

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