Paranoia?

Lately I've been wondering how much "the man" pays attention to our type of blog. Usually I'm the "on edge, paranoid one" one in the family, but just the other night my wife said something made even me sit back.  To be honest, she doesn't know about my little blog(that I'm aware of-if so-I love you baby), but does know that I read the prepper blogs a lot and post often. With that in mind she said,"maybe you should be careful about what you post on the blogs." "Why"' I asked. She really couldn't give me one, just more of a feeling. So...damn. When the wife, who shares my belief about the future but takes it less ominously, says be careful...well...I start to think. Not sure what, but it makes me sit back and take inventory. I'm going to think more on it, but I'll say one thing. I know what I believe in. I believe in my God, my family, my flag and all it stands for. Anything other than that is just chaff. If someone doesn't like that, well, they can jam it sideways. I hate to get up on my soapbox, but there it is. So, we'll talk more on this on down the road. Y'all have a good 'un.

Hmmmm...

This is a video of our dear leader telling fibs. According to the Snopes entry, he could have meant his grandfather. You be the judge.





Whatever...Y'all have a good 'un.

To you and yours...

I just wanted to take this time to wish all of you the very Merriest of Christmases. I have a wonderful wife and children for whom I am deeply thankful. They are my heart. I am also thankful for the wonderful friends out there in the ether. I feel lucky to have made friends with a like-minded community that believe in God and country. So...from a simple hillbilly to you, God Bless you all, and to all a good night.

Ammo review...

Well, as advertised, I'm lucky enough to do an ammo review for the folks at bulkammo.com. Their rep, Steve, contacted me and asked that I review some of their .223. My disappointing hunting trip was made a little better as I walked in the door and saw a box from the nice folks including two boxes of 55 grain Fiocchi. The ammo seems to be of high quality and is packed in plastic sleeves as opposed to the usual bulk ammo jammed in a box. Maybe the folks at Fiocchi actually care about their ammo making it to the shooter in good shape. We'll definitely give it a try. Up until this point I've only used Fiocchi's shotgun shells, but I'm looking forward to trying their other offerings. So far it's been a good experience. With Christmas upon us it may be a week or two until I can get to the range, with no rain, and try this stuff out. Y'all hang with me and I'll get it to you as soon as possible. It's good to be back. Y'all have a good Christmas eve eve.

PS-those reindeer better not leave any suprises in my yard-I may test the ammo on them...

Coming soon...

Just a quick note today. I'm back from the woods, with minimal success, and have the pleasure of letting you know that  there is a cool review coming soon. I was contacted by some folks to try out a product and give my thoughts on it. So....as soon as we can get Santa here and the children all happy we'll get it done. I'll pass on some more info tonight or tommorrow. Take care and be good; the fat man is watching.

Blasting mode...

Headed to the woods. Y'all keep it together and wish me luck in busting a big 'un. See you soon.

New weekly cool doodad...

This week's cool item is not neccesarily in the realm of "sexy" to your hardcore prepper, but definitely fits a "being prepared at home" niche. It is the Eco-i-lite.

These lights are a six bulb, rechargeable emergency light. They come in a two pack and charge by induction(no contact points) in their respective holders. These chargers plug into the wall and act as a night light as well(they can be set for on/off/auto). The grounded plugs on the charger/nightlight also rotate in case the plugs in your house happen to be upside down; a cool and handy feature for sure. The lights simply set in the bases and will automatically turn on upon power loss. This is also a handy little feature, because as we all know, when the lights go out is when we need to find the flashlight...in the dark. Kinda ironic, huh? They also have a two setting switch; on and strobe/flash. As an emergency worker I can tell you that this is an extremely useful feature. All my family members that own a set have been instructed to turn a light to the flash mode and grenade it into the yard in the event we have dialed 911. I can tell you from personal experience that this act could be a life saver during a serious medical emergency. Many people have no idea how hard it is to read, or even see, their house numbers at night. Some neighborhoods have no rhyme nor reason to their numbering system at all. A super bright LED flashing in the front yard would be just the ticket to help the rescuers find you or your loved ones. No matter what setting they are on, once returned to the base they reset and are ready to go again. As soon as they are lifted from the base they turn on, ready to light they way.

I've had my set for over a year now with no problems. They have been very handy during several power outages this year and I recommend them highly. The kids like the nightlight feature and they are just bright enough to light the floor without being too much. As far as batteries, they are sealed lithium and so far have lasted up to a few hours at a time(rated at nine hours). I am unsure as to the batteries' rated  lifespan. Mine came from Costco, but can be found on Amazon , etc. My in-laws and parents both have a set and to be honest it makes me feel a little better knowing they will have some emergency lighting when the need arises. So to be clear-I haven't been paid, nor am connected, to the company. I just happened to find some cool lights that I think are very useful. Let me know if you have any questions. Y'all have a good 'un.

I am John Galt...

I just watched the movie, Atlas Shrugged: Part I. I was very impressed and think that this movie really hits home with our current US and global situations. Be advised, this is not an action flick, but a thinking one. It also is an independent production, but a very well produced one. As the Director states, I don't think any big studios wanted to make it due to the political comparisons. As I watched I couldn't help but compare  the characters to our current pack of politicians and greedy self-interested folk, myself. Watch the trailer and give it a rent. It will make you ready to see Part II. Y'all have a good 'un. Oh...by the way, I am John Galt.

Sorry to new folk...

Hey folks! If you have joined in the past week or so, and I haven't welcomed you, then Howdy! I am showing more followers on my dashboard than on my page, but for whatever reason I can't see them. I've tried reloading the gadget and everything. I also posted the problem the the blogger masters; waiting for an answer. So, if anyone has any suggestions- I'm open. Y'all have a blessed Sunday.

Good job, NAVY!

Why do we vote for the stance of the candidate?

As I woke up this morning, listening to the youngins carrying on about something or another, I had a thought. Why is it that we vote for the candidate because of their "stance" on various topics, or how they lean-left or right? I don't understand. Why don't we check the box for the person that will do as we tell them to. Think about it. My Senator is supposed to be a voting extension of his district. He should vote exactly as the majority of his constituents tell him. Every time. Period. I shouldn't have to call my Congressman's office and hope that the idiot, jackwagon of a latte sippin' staffer tells him about how I feel about an issue and pray to God above that he votes the way we want him to. I would think it would be automatic. "How do y'all want me to vote on House Bill #xxxx?" We email, text, and call with our desired outcome and VOILA', the majority wins.

But no. I have to vote for some idiot that may or may not have slept with his cousin's wife's sheep and paid for his penthouse with lobbyist money while texting pictures of his new butt tattoo to Larry Sandusky. But...he is the best of the bunch. I have to vote for him because he supposedly leans the direction I would prefer him to vote; BUT, not on all my favorite issues. I guess I'll have to be happy with two out of three or four out of five-if I'm lucky; we may not starve, but will be standing in line for soup while handing over our guns and first born. The only thing I may be getting is the fact that he is not that other crazy sumbxxtch who wants to go ahead and sign us over to the Chinese and UN. Maybe I'm a simpleton, but does this make sense? Have I had some sort of small seizure/stroke in my sleep, or was it just one too many High Lifes down the old hatch? I'm not totally sure to be honest. I can say one thing. The first crazy politician that tells me, while swearing on a stack of Bibles, that he will vote exactly as the majority of his District desires, no matter his own personal feelings, will get the big tamale. I will donate every spare bit of money from my measley check and savings to get this guy elected. I HATE politics and people knocking on my door on Saturday while campaigning, but I sure as hell will be the first one to start ringing doorbells at the crack of dawn for that guy. Yep. He'd be the man. But, sad to say, that will never happen. So here we go; election time is a-comin' again. This should be a real hoot. Think on it some. Am I really just losing it? You tell me. Y'all have a good 'un.

Deadwood Stove update...

Just as an update to the cool doodad of the week, Modernsurvivalonline.com has Deadwood Stove as a new sponsor. Go to his site and get the 10% off code if you're interested in getting one. I wish they'd send me one to try. I reckon they're afraid us country folk may try to cook possum on it. Hmm. Y'all have a good 'un.

Mr. Stoner's reliability problem?

I found this article a while back and thought I'd pass it on for all the anti-AR15/M4 folk. I know from reading that an AK can shoot with a handful of gravel in the action, but this story goes a long way to vindicate Mr. Stoner's little ol' gun. I hopefully will have some of this Slip 2000 soon and will let you know how it works out. As an update to the article(copied from the Slip 2000 website), this weapon has supposedly passed the 40,000 round mark. Y'all enjoy the article and have a good 'un.

click image to enlarge click image to enlarge click image to enlarge click image to enlarge click image to enlarge click image to enlarge click image to enlarge click image to enlarge click image to enlarge S.W.A.T. MAGAZINE FILTHY 14 Bravo Company Carbine Goes 31,165 Rounds By Patrick A. Rogers page 55 - October 2010 THE M16 WAS FIRST PROMOTED AS A GUN THAT NEEDED NO MAINTENANCE. While that statement proved false, a number of factors, including propellant powder and a lack of cleaning supplies and training, led to failures on the battlefield that are still being ballyhooed by muckrakers and the unknowing. They ignore the fact that the M16 is the most accurate and efficient rifle ever used by the military. However, it is no more a perfect weapon system than the Glock, 1911, M1 rifle or any other rifle, airframe, ship or person. Much of the noise related to this comes from unrealistic expectations such as the “one shot, one kill” nonsense that used to permeate military training, as well as poor discipline and tactics. Expending six magazines at the cyclic rate when the enemy is 400 meters away and then complaining that your carbine overheated may make headlines, but is also a sign of poor training and leadership. Additionally, not all ARs are the same. Military weapons are held to a standard and factory Quality Control and outside Quality Assurance mean that problems are minimized. Aftermarket makers may hold themselves to that same standard or even exceed it…or they can ignore it and substitute below-standard parts. The latter means that some parts may not meet the mil specification for a number of reasons. This may mean Magnetic Particle Inspection and pressure testing of the bolt and barrel have not been performed or the type of steel used for the barrel and bolt carrier group (BCG) is not up to spec. For the average shooter, this may not be an issue. In fact, it may be smart marketing for some makers, as the average AR owner shoots their guns little, if at all. From my perspective, I don’t aspire to mediocrity. I shoot a lot and stand behind students who are also shooting all day. I prefer to have weapons built to or exceeding the standard, but also understand that not all users have the same needs or requirements. But neither do I—not for one New York minute—believe that all ARs are the same. At my company, E.A.G. Tactical, we are fortunate in that manufacturers regularly provide us with guns in order to see how they perform after a reasonable period of evaluation by students at our classes. While we have written about some for S.W.A.T. Magazine (LMT, S&W, M&P, LWRCI and Colt 6940), others have never seen the pages of this magazine. Caveat. As we are not carrying these guns for real, we spend little time doing any preventive maintenance. We know that a properly maintained AR will function well. Our purpose here is to see how well the guns will function when left dirty but well lubed. I don’t suggest that you try this at home, especially if you are carrying these guns professionally. While we used to see a wide variety of guns at class, the quality control of some makes is lacking. Apparently students have been reading the after-action reports on Lightfighter.net and Alumni.net, as we have started to see a swing toward those guns built to (or exceeding) the spec. The net result has been fewer busted guns and more time to better conduct training. BRAVO COMPANY Bravo Company USA is a relative newcomer, having entered the market in 2003. Bravo Company MFG was born in 2005 and started producing complete uppers at that time. Bravo Company USA produced a very small number of lowers in 2007, and Bravo Company MFG has been producing lowers since 2008. At this time Bravo Company does not sell complete guns, but several of their dealers do. Paul Buffoni, the owner of Bravo Company, has built an extremely successful business based on providing quality products with excellent customer service. We have run a number of Bravo Company guns over the past five years. While most were unremarkable in their boring reliability, one has stood out, both for the longevity of the evaluation period as well as the number of rounds put downrange. FILTHY 14 As of this writing, EAG students have 31,165 rounds downrange through Filthy 14. During this evaluation period, it was cleaned once (as in one time), at 26,245 rounds. The end result is that Rack #14 was—and remains—filthy. It is filthy because it has been shot at class. Only at class. Every round that has gone down that barrel has been fired at class, with an average of approximately 1,300 rounds every three days. It has been lubed generously with Slip 2000 Enhanced Weapons Lube (EWL). The combination of carbon and lube create (wait for it)…filth. It is so dirty that, while sitting in the rifle rack, it is almost a biohazard. The filth oozes out and contaminates other carbines adjacent to it. But it is still shooting—and shooting well. Rack #14 is a 16-inch Bravo Company Mid Length Carbine—mid length meaning that the gas system is two inches longer than the standard carbine gas system. This permits the use of a nine-inch rail with the standard front sight base. Use of a clamp on the front sight will permit a longer rail to be used. The longer rail is necessary to accommodate some shooting styles, as well as to provide additional rail estate for the various white lights and IR lasers required to kill bad guys at night. Subjectively, the mid length system has a softer recoil impulse. The lower receiver is a Bravo Company USA M4A1, one of very few in circulation. It has a TangoDown BG-16 Pistol Grip. An LMT Sloping Cheekweld Stock (aka the Crane Stock) rides on the milspec receiver extension, as does a TangoDown PR-4 Sling Mount. The upper is a BCM item, with a milspec 16.1”, 1:7 twist barrel. The barrel steel is chrome moly vanadium (CMV) and certified under milspec Mil-B-11595E. The BCM bolt is machined from milspec Carpenter 158® gun quality steel, heat-treated per milspec, and then shot peened per Mil-S-13165. Once completed, each bolt is fired with a high-pressure test (HPT) cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected (MPI) in accordance with ASTM E1444. The handguard is a LaRue 15-9, the nine-inch model to allow full use of the available rail estate. We have a TangoDown BGV-MK46K Stubby Vertical Foregrip. We use TangoDown BP-4 Rail Panels. The primary sight is an Aimpoint T1 in a LaRue 660 Mount. The T1 is still on the same set of batteries, and it has never been shut off. The back-up sight is the Magpul MBUS and the sling is the Viking Tactics VTAC. This is a normal configuration for our guns, although stocks (Magpul CTR, Vltor I-Mod), BUIS (Troy), and day optic (Aimpoint M4s) may be substituted. IN SERVICE We received the carbine in late 2008 and put #14 into service shortly thereafter. At Brady, Texas, in March 2009, it suffered a malfunction, which was reduced with Immediate Action. The bolt was wiped down at 6,450 rounds. At Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, in May 2009, it had several failures to extract, and the extractor spring was replaced at 13,010 rounds. This is far beyond the normal extractor spring life under these conditions. At Wamego, Kansas, in June 2009, two bolt lugs broke at 16,400 rounds. We replaced the BCG. Considering the firing schedule, this is within normal parameters. At Columbus, Ohio, in November 2009, we had several failures to extract at 24,450 rounds. The shooter gave it a field cleaning and replaced the extractor and extractor spring. At 28,905 rounds, we finally cleaned Filthy 14. As part of our year-end maintenance schedule, we inspect and replace parts as necessary. Filthy 14 looked like the inside of the crankcase of Uncle Ed’s ’49 Packard. It was disgusting to look at and contaminated everything near it, somewhat like the toner cartridges for old printers. I plopped it into a parts washer filled with Slip 725 parts cleaner, and 20 minutes later it was clean. Mostly clean, anyway. We have never used a bore brush in the barrel of this gun. We did run a patch down the barrel twice, but that was all. At 50 yards it still shoots two-inch groups, and we understand that it might not at 100 yards and beyond, but we are happy with the fact that, even at 50 yards, the gun is capable of tighter groups than most of the people running it. We have never used a chamber brush in this gun either. We were often told that this was an absolute must. Sure… At the last class in Casa Grande, Arizona, at approximately 30,000 rounds, we had several failures to extract. We replaced the extractor spring and wiped down the BCG. By the time you read this, we’ll likely have another 3,000 to 4,000 rounds through Filthy 14. At that point we’ll probably retire it. We’ll reuse the LaRue rail, the sights and, after rebuilding the lower, replace that old and well-worn mid length upper with something else. Fourteen will continue, but just not as Filthy 14. WHY WE DID IT What was the point of this 15-month exercise? We know than an AR built to the spec will run more reliably for a longer period of time than a hobby gun. We have run a number of guns to over 15,000 rounds without cleaning—or malfunctions—as long as they were kept well lubricated. And because we have over 20 Bravo Company guns in the armory, we also understand that the quality of one is not an accident. My background of belonging to a tribe where weapons cleaning approached Jesuit-like fanaticism caused me to once believe that the AR must be spotlessly, white-glove clean in order for it to run. We know that is patently false, and in fact the overzealous cleaning regimen—clean for three days in a row, use of scrapers on the BCG, attaching chamber and bore brushes to drills, etc.—is harmful to the guns. We know that not all ARs are the same, and only a fool believes that “parts are parts.” If you want something that is visually similar to what the military uses, buy just about anything and you’ll be satisfied. But if you are going to use it for real, buy something that is made to the spec. Have realistic expectations. No gun—or car, plane, hibachi or person—lasts forever. Recently a customer sent an upper back to Bravo Company complaining that the gas tube was bent. It sure was. It was bent because the owner apparently fired 600 rounds downrange in full auto, causing the gas tube to melt into the barrel. If you want to be stupid, buy a lesser quality gun and save yourself some money. Again, let me repeat the caveat. If you are carrying a gun for real, you need to be looking at it every 5,000 rounds or so. But if your cleaning takes more than 10 to 15 minutes, you are wasting your time on nonsense. At a carbine class in Colorado last year, one-third of the carbines used (eight of 24) were Bravo Company guns. The fact that the Pueblo West classes are populated in large part by professionals means that this may be a clue. CONCLUSIONS The fact that Filthy 14 ran so long and well can be attributed to the following: First is the design of the gun. Cpl. Eugene Stoner knew what he was doing. Second is the quality of this particular gun from Bravo Company. Paul Buffoni knows what he is doing. Third is the fact that we used Slip 2000 EWL which, based on past evaluations, keeps guns running long after other lubes have rolled craps. It kept the gun lubricated and made it easier for those rare times when we did clean it. Greg Conner knows what he is doing. Finally we had a great group of volunteers who took the time to aid us in this evaluation. Bravo Zulu, guys! (Pat Rogers is a retired Chief Warrant Officer of Marines and a retired NYPD Sergeant. Pat is the owner of E.A.G. Inc., which provides services to various governmental organizations. He can be reached at eag@10-8consulting.com) return

Cool doodad for the week...

This is the second in the new series of cool items in the "getting ready" community. Today's item is the Deadwood stove. It is similar to a rocket stove, but without the insulation and extra weight. The company explains their reasoning for the design on the website. Checkout the video. I am saving my pennies. Y'all enjoy and have a good 'un.

There goes the neighborhood...

Here's a copied AP article about those damn Euro-trash folk and their cursed money, which apparently is about to go under; just as we were getting some slight hold on our screwed economy:

http://news.yahoo.com/europe-scrambles-save-euro-171444257.html

Y'all have a good 'un

To all my blogging family out there: God Bless and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.  I am blessed to know you all.

Weekly quote and favorite knife...

To start the week off I'd like to drop a few quotes on you to get you thinking. We all know the coffee can't do it alone.

 "I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. Of course, this makes me forever ineligible for public office."-H.L. Mencken

Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.

H. L. Mencken-US editor (1880 - 1956)

(that is figurative, for you law enforcement types)

We the People...always has a great gun of the day post. It made me want to do something in the same direction, without being a johnny come lately, of course. So I'm going to try to do a cool prepper, EDC, survival, or thing that goes bang post of the week. I would do it daily, if you haven't figured me out yet, but rarely have the time to do something like that. So for this week I am putting up my favorite knife. I know others have done it, but this is mine. It has served me well for approximately ten years now and hasn't shown signs of letting up. I'm talking about my Spyderco Delica. It even has the old fashioned molded clip. It has cleaned animals, cut wire, opened boxes, cut clothes and seatbelts(in the line of duty), pried things open, and even put down a wounded deer. I wouldn't sell it for anything. Maybe one day one of my girls will carry it off to college to fend off evil boys(all boys are evil in my book,except for me, and I used to be). Anyway, leave a comment if you'd like about your favorite knife and we'll see how this deal works out. If there is a cool item that you'd like to pass on, just leave me a comment and I'll get right on it. Thanks, folks. Y'all have a good 'un.

Blogger sucks...and Welcome...

Ok. Calm. Goooosfrabba....I'm good now. First of all, welcome  to We the people...and Modern Day Redneck. Thanks for hitting the little button. I'll do my best to keep you informed and entertained. I hope you stick around. We the people is another blog from the Republic of Texas, a man after my own heart. MDR is a good ol' boy that I've been following for a while now; quite a resourceful feller. Check 'em out. Secondly, I have been having Blogger issues again. I am unable to make comments sometimes for no apparent reason. So to JUGM and Flier, I promise I'm not rude, I'm just trying to decide which ammo and weapon to use to turn this magic box into a 100 meter target. I'm going to make it work whether it wants to or not. On a lighter note, we are headed to my folks for any early Thanksgiving; so...nothing profound or witty until Sunday or Monday. Sorry, but as always, y'all have a good 'un.

365 meals...

The family and I were recently at some friends' house for supper and they showed us their new vacumn sealer. I'd been meaning to get one to try to pack some of our stuff (including ammo, Stephen-good call) and this made me want one even more. I also have always wanted to make our own MREs; the real ones are just so dang expensive. I found this article on survivalblog.com and saved it for reference. This guy and his family came up with some great plans for MRE type meals for storage and to give out to those in need, today and in the near WTSHTF future. So, enjoy the article and visit his website he referenced towards the end. Good stuff for later days.

365 Meals: What to Do With All That Dehydrated Food, by Kory M.

Permalink

It all started while reading Survivalblog. In an article about providing charity during a pandemic and not getting sick, Jim talked about putting food out where others could get it and then retreating to keep a safe distance between you and other people to keep your family from getting infected. While reading this article, I had an epiphany.

Instead of handing out some rice, wheat, oats or a can of spam, I could concoct a “meal”, a Home-Made Meal (Almost) Ready to Eat (HMMARE?). My first HMMARE idea was to dump 1 cup of rice, a chicken bouillon cube, ¼ cup of chicken TVP and a ¼ cup of dehydrated peas into a Ziploc sandwich bag. It would be easy, just add three cups of water and boil, viola, a decent meal!

I joyously told my wife about my great new idea. “Yuck,” she said, “we can do better than that!” So she sent me back to the drawing board (although these days 'the drawing board' looks more like a Google search engine than an architect's table). I scoured the internet endlessly until finally I came across a web site where a woman had thoughts similar to mine, and had made what she called “365 meals”. She had taken the reserves that she already had on hand and combined them with a project that her church group had done in years past. They made “Soup in a Jar” meals to give as gifts during the holiday season. She adapted this idea and thought that if she could make 365 meals then she would KNOW that at least she had one decent meal a day for her family for an entire year.

This idea set my mind racing. My wife and I sat down and worked out a plan. We had several criteria that we wanted our meals to meet.

• They had to be in a sturdy container (We live in earthquake country, so no glass containers for us.)

• They need to be complete. You could add to them, but the recipe shouldn't require any extra ingredients.

• They needed to be simple – so that our children could make them, in case the adults were incapacitated.

• They needed to be good tasting, hearty and nutritious.

• They needed to be capable of long term storage.

• And, If possible they needed to use the supplies of food stuffs we already had on hand.

We quickly worked out what we could do to make this a better option for our family. We learned from the (now extinct) 365 meals web page that the host had used the recipe book “Gifts in a Jar: One Dish Meals”. I turned to Amazon.com and discovered there were several books in the Gifts in a Jar series, and we purchased the ones that looked most applicable (like: Gifts From a Jar: Soups, Chilis & More ). We wanted to start simply with items we already had on hand, and make a few meals in our kitchen. The first recipe we made was chicken soup. The recipe called for making a soup “stock” and adding fresh carrots, celery and chicken pieces. We adapted it with dehydrated carrots, celery and chicken TVP and more water than the recipe called for to rehydrate the vegetables. (TVP is Textured Vegetable Protein; it is a cheap and long term solution for dehydrated protein in meals. Real dehydrated chicken is also available on the market, but at 5 times the cost. Although Textured Vegetable Protein sounds unappetizing at first glance, chances are, you've had it without even knowing it. Bacon Bits are TVP!) [JWR Adds: I don't recommend stocking storage foods that are heavy in TVP, because of the potential health consequences. Too much soy can be a bad thing.]

Now that we'd settled on a test-recipe, we had to figure out how, exactly, we were going to store them. We had a “Food Saver” vacuum sealer and that seemed like a good solution. Take out all the air and the meal should last a good long time right? So we gathered all the ingredients, had our children help with the assembly and made our first batch. The recipe said that the meal would feed 4 to 6 people and we had a family of six-two adults and four growing children, so we decided to double the recipe. Each meal was about the size of a 3lb. chub of hamburger (10” long x 8” in circumference). We made the meals until we ran out of ingredients, which yielded about 15 meals. After they were vacu-sealed we then set about to find another meal to make-we were on a roll!

Our next meal (Untested by our professional taste testing children) was Ham Hock Stew. My wife and I thought it sounded wonderful, but our children disagreed. As before, we altered the recipe to fit our storage needs and made a few. When we were sealing the soups we noticed that the dehydrated carrots that were called for in the recipe were poking through the Food Saver Bags! We were crestfallen-how had our brilliant plan been foiled by a dehydrated vegetable? Just then we remembered that we had recently been gifted with an impulse sealer and 250 Mylar bags (A member of our church said he bought it, never used it and no one in his family wanted it, so he thought I would put it to good use-boy was he right!). It didn’t draw a vacuum, but we could overcome that by using oxygen absorbers; and the Mylar bags were much thicker than the Food Saver Bags (7 mils instead of 4). I knew that food stored in opaque storage containers kept food longer due to the deteriorating effects of sunlight, and these Mylar bags were sure to keep the sun out.

We decided that the bags were too large (11” x 13”) so we cut them in half length wise and that was a perfect fit. We then transferred most of the Food Saver pouches to the new Mylar bags. After making 30 or so meals we decided to try one out. Our kids wanted the Chicken Soup but we wanted to know if they would like the ham hock stew...they didn’t like it…..THEY LOVED IT!

Since we had doubled the recipe we expected to have a little left over…boy were we wrong. There was enough to feed Sherman’s Army! We all had our fill, and there was enough left over for me to have lunch the next day, and freeze enough for dinner for our family again! (Guess we really didn’t need to double those recipes after all).

With this success under our belt we expanded, we ended up making about 12 different recipes and a total of 175 or so meals (since we doubled most of them we didn’t need as many). We took this idea to our friends and family and it was an instant success! After a few YouTube videos on the subject (Food Storage Secrets, 365 Meals or Making 365 Meals and others) we have demonstrated this method of food storage for over two years now, including several Church groups who have made upwards of 8,000 meals! (I guess we put that gifted impulse sealer to good use, huh!?) And I have had at least 50 other inquiries from individuals and groups wanting recipes and advice on how to make this work for them.

After having personally been at these 8,000 meal making groups we have learned a few things to make this process fun and inexpensive. Here are the FAQs:

• The cost of each meal varies due to the ingredients but they average about $4.00 each.

• An impulse sealer isn’t required but makes it a lot easier. (We still have some Chicken Soup in a Food Saver bags and they are doing well.)

• You will need to do some conversions to make sure you have the items you will need in bulk. This is the one that I used. But a good way to do it was to see what the FDA label said were in a package (Unit size vs. number in container.)

• The more hands you have to process the meals the better. It’s easier to make two hundred meals for fifteen families, than fifteen meals for one family.

• An assembly line makes it all work very easily.

• It’s hard to tell exactly how long they will store, but most of the dehydrated items purchased say they will store for up to twenty years, and that sounds good to me!

• You can tailor your meals for your dietary needs and personal tastes (No/low salt, gluten free, etc.)

• With all your items on hand and with enough helpers you can make about five hundred meals in two hours.

• Because of their light weight, they ship quite well. They are great for gifts.

• A 16oz plastic picnic cup with its bottom cut out makes a great funnel/opener for the Mylar bags.

• Go to the dollar store and buy a few sets of measuring spoons and cups, you’ll need them.

• All of our now 200ish meals store under our son's twin size bed.

• Meals we’ve successfully made: Split Pea Soup, Chicken Soup, Ham Hock Stew, White Rice and Chili, Mac-n-cheese, Black Bean Chili, Pasta Fagioli, and Chicken and Rice.

Our food stores are varied and deep but our TEOTWAWKI 365 meal plan is to have a simple breakfast, of oats or grains, a hearty lunch/supper of our bagged meal, and a dinner of breads and snacks. I know that having one meal a day does not a full food plan make, but to know for sure that you have at least one meal a day for an entire year takes the guess work out of your planning, although the very best benefit is peace of mind.

I'm sharing this food storage concept with SurvivalBlog readers in the hope that it will inspire you to move ahead and get your meals set aside. If there is enough interest I will be making “Meal Kits” in the future. If you'd like to contact me with questions, to purchase a full list of recipes and instructions for the soups mentioned here, or to purchase emergency preparedness supplies, please visit my web site: FrostCPR.com.


PS-all pictures were added by me. I can't stand a boring post. Y'all have a good 'un.

The only thing any man really needs to know...

For those shadetree preppers that are unsure...

Hillbillies worry about teeth?

Yes. We worry about our teeth contrary to popular belief. I just read a blurb on modernsurvivalonline.com about a new emergency dental kit. It is used by the Australian military and seems to have really taken off. It was made by a dentist and the instructions are supposed to be easy enough, even for a hillbilly. Check it and Rourke's site out. Good stuff. Y'all have a good 'un.

Picture for the weekend...

Not a lot of time this weekend; DSW has me helping with some stuff tonight and I have work on Saturday and Sunday but I did want to leave y'all with a good pic a friend just posted. Sorry for the language, but dang, that's a good one.

Amen, Brother.

I think we're being setup...

I just read yet another article about the Occupy-idgits and their rants. Apparently this time the teachers and some others got in on it, read here. Then some "black-clad" folk jumped in and did a little head-knockin'. I hate to be the crazy conspiracy theorist here, but are we being setup? Is their some master pupeteer behind the curtain like the Great Oz orchestrating both sides? You have to be curious. Everything just seems to work too well with the whole movement. Maybe it's just me and we'll look back on this in 10 years and look at it like the hippy movement of the 60s and 70s. I don't know. Well...hang on tight. Y'all have a good 'un.

The Red Machine...

Why do I have numerous pageviews from Russia and should I be worried about a team of Spetsnaz? Just curious. Oh well, Molon Labe, boys. Come and get some...

The Hermit...

To Arsenius, wherever you may be, good night, good luck, and God bless.

New found quote...

Just found this and thought I'd put it up. I have no idea who the author is, but give him/her full credit:

"The social contract exists so that everyone doesn't have to squat in the dust holding a spear to protect his woman and his meat all day every day. It does not exist so that the government can take your spear, your meat, and your woman because it knows better what to do with them."

Found another one...

I have to be honest-I don't talk about prepping at work or with most friends. They just don't get it. I have one guy I work with on a regular basis who is on the same playing field and we share ideas and info all the time. One of my best friends knows about my preps, but doesn't really worry about the future; I can't force it on him I guess, although I worry about him and his family. I talked to my sister a while back and it freaked her out some. She asked if I was one of "those nuts" and the conversation ended. She called me back a little later, apologized, and said she did in fact understand, but that it was a little much to handle all in one shot. I agreed and have been easing her into it as of lately.

I did find a new ally the other day and it re-enforced my belief that I am not a nut and that we are out there, just under the surface. I worked some OT with a different group of guys and we got into a conversation about the economy and I dared to venture into the topic a little further. Next thing I know, this guy says he thinks there is going to be a collapse and is showing me some of the websites he references. BOOM! Another compadre! To be honest I almost slapped him on the back and asked him where he'd been all this time. I just felt so relieved that there was another one of us around. In the past when I had mentioned anything about preps to co-workers, especially Y2K, I heard nothing but laughter. So, to meet someone who is actually ahead of the game was overwhelming. This guy makes me look like a little girl. He apparently is full blown; they make their own bread, can every week, and has pallets(plural) of dried food ready to go. Before I left we traded numbers and info and are going to be sharing ideas with each other. I guess this isn't really a big deal in the scheme of things, but it sure made me feel better about what I'm doing. Just goes to show that you can't judge a book by it's cover, I reckon. Thanks for listening. Y'all have a good 'un. 

Sorry and Welcome...

I just wanted to say sorry for not having been around much lately. Work has taken over lately; trying to catch some OT and have been teaching some outside classes as well. Money...y'all know the deal. I logged on today and was pleasantly surprised to find a new tag-a-long on my merry little wagon train of blogging; so, welcome to SciFiChick. I was even more surprised to see a blogger of her staure reading anything by a dumb ol' hillbilly such as myself, so go check her out over at Bacon and Eggs. She is a little ol' Texas girl that writes some good stuff. Thanks for following, M'am. Y'all have a good 'un.

A little something from Brad Thor...

I'm reading the newest Brad Thor Book, Full Black, and came across a great bit. Tell me what you think:

   "In fact, one of the most apropos political observations I have ever read is that a democracy can exist only until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From the moment that realization takes hold, history shows that the majority of the people will always vote for the candidate promising the most goodies from the public treasury.
    History also shows us that once a democracy goes down this road, things never end well.  Each and every single time, the democracy collapses. It always happens. It collapses over loose fiscal policy, and democracy is always followed by dictatorship. And guess what that dicatator promises?
    [a return to order], but when order is restored, freedom is never seen by those citizens again."
 

I know this is a fictional book, but damn, doesn't this smack of our fine leaders today? Think about that one. Have a good 'un.

New worries...

As preppers we all know the "usual suspects" that would trigger the type of world we plan for. EMP, economic collapse, nuclear, biological, solar corona, etc. After reading this article, click here, I am definitely worried about a newer one, rogue computer hackers. As a late thirty-something, my generation was on the bubble as far as computers and the tech-age. I remember the Commodore 64 my Mom bought for us, after saving up for a lonnnggg time, and how I could barely use it. Now, an iPhone has more computing power than all of NASA for the 1969 moon landings.  Today I use computers in my life everyday; I never have "embraced" tech like some, though, I still hate texting and think it's a waste of my time. So...hackers are something that makes me think of nerds drinking Red Bull and Pop Tarts in their parent's basement somewhere. I've always read about the military and US government using them to secure our own systems and even as an offensive weapon against enemies; I just never thought of hackers as someone trying to topple governments for the fun of it. Well, here we are in late 2011 and now I'm thinking about it. Yet one more worry to add to the bad side of the little scale in the back of my mind; the one that I'm always trying to balance with more beans, bullets and band-aids. I know, I think, a governmental collapse due to rogue hackers will bring the same consequences as a economic collapse, but who's to say. If some virus shuts our computing systems down will it be a longer rise back to the surface? Who's to say? It's just something I never really worried about(except Y2K) and now I wonder if we're going to have to start launching Black Ops against some kid named Maynard with a bad complexion. (No offense to any hard core computer types out there-please don't make my system meltdonw like Chernobyl-it's a really crappy computer as it is)
Anyway, y'all have a good 'un.

Some good quotes for the weekend...

Just a few good quotes for the weekend...

 

I have only two men out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold.

—Marine 2dLt Clifton B. Cates, 96th Co., 19 July 1918, 1045 a.m., from records of the U.S. 2d Division (Regular)

I won't bow, I won’t bend
I won't break, I'll tough it out
I won't budge, I won't deal
I won't change, I'll tough it out

~Webb Wilder~

 

DANGER CLOSE knows no atheists.

The old gun range...

You know, here's a real mother. You go to the range to blow a little steam and have some "gunpowder therapy", and the crotchety, old, self appointed "range master" gives you the stink eye. What is it with these guys? It's like they belong to some sort of organization that assigns them to every un-attended range in America. When I go I like to run some drills and talk at more than a whisper. I DON'T want to shoot one shot, screw around with my scope settings for 30-45 minutes, cool my barrel, and shoot again. NO FUN. I'm not asking to shoot 500 rounds of ammo in 6.25 minutes, but damn, cut me some slack. When I call "cold range" in a lull, you don't have to start cussing the whippersnappers down the line. Damn, you old fart...I once got cussed out my the self appointed "Safety Master" because I brought my own stand to place my target on, instead of using the club's angle iron frames. Mine was about 1x1, whereas theirs is 3x2. I didn't have any cardboard that big to slide into the frame and mine was placed in the ground, centered, and higher than theirs. I was informed I couldn't use it because too many people had been hitting the frames with rounds by using their own targets and stands. I informed the nice, old, squinty-eyed bastard  fellow that he could have my new .22 if I couldn't hit that gigantic 1x1 target that was, by the way, no where near the club frame. He said no go, and then I asked him would it be ok if I used the official size cardboard, and then hit the frame? He got the point and got in his truck and left; he wasn't even shooting that day.

(And yes, I have been taught to respect my elders and do it on a daily basis. I mean...I'm Eddy Hascal nice, but there is a difference between aged wisdom and old jackwagon.)

That, my friends, is why I like shooting at private locales. No one screws with you and you can run your drill however you see fit, without someone telling you that your thumbs are in the wrong position or the way you're holding your tongue is messing up their mojo. Let me be clear: I have no problem with safety! As The Rocket City Rednecks put it : Safety Third. Behind Safety's #1 and #2.  I always use proper etiquette when handling weapons, as do the people around me. No excuses. I was taught that from a young age. So for you older gentleman(and ladies) please, please don't become the self-important safety warden when you hit that age. It's no fun for the middle-agers. I promise I'm using the approved gun, ammo, target, gloves, socks, underwear, and toothpaste.