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This open discussion forum is just that an open discussion where you can post your preps and homestead progress for the week, or ask questions about any topic that you need help with.

All that I ask is that you keep the discussion somewhat related to the topic of prepping and or homesteading.

Worth Checking Out:

• My Newest Blog Project – TN Concealed Carry
• My Brothers New YouTube Channel Tennessee Redneck.
• And a new fiction book that one of my readers just released Alien Outpost.
• And last but not least check out Concealed Carry Resources and Knife Laws in Tennessee.

Alright… now over to you all…

by Jerry M

Using your money wisely can pay many dividends for you over time. Learning to spend your money wisely is a habit most people must learn through discipline, it is usually not inbred into a person’s lifestyle (please read: The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness). All, or at least most, of today’s advertising is focused on emotional appeal for your money, not logic and common sense. If we can think logically instead of emotionally we will be far better off in almost every situation we find ourselves in, especially financial ones.

We got serious about a self-reliant lifestyle several years ago and this article is designed to give the reader some food for thought, some direction, and glimpses of things that worked for us.

One of the first things we had to adapt to was determining a “want” from a “need”, it took a while to develop that mindset, It was not easy and it took discipline, lots of discipline.

The ability to purchase things you need is governed by your own personal cash flow. Remember that cash flows both ways, in and out just like the tide. Our goal was to plug the money leaks in our cash flow pot. We are retired, so we are on a fixed income. Increasing inflation over time has eroded the buying power of everyone’s dollars. This really hits home when you are on a fixed income.

Let’s look at food purchase of a few items that just about everyone uses. We buy larger quantities of food where and when we can. We buy 5-gallon food grade buckets and gamma lids for daily use and buckets and solid lids for long-term storage. Don’t forget at least one lid wrench for the solid lids. A bucket and gamma lid cost us $ 11.00 and a bucket with a solid lid about $6.50.

If you stack buckets, put a 15”x15” piece of plywood between the buckets to avoid cracking the bottom lid because of weight. We don’t stack them more than 3 buckets high.

We recently bought table salt in a 50# bag for $12.50 which is $.25 a pound and it fills 2 buckets. Buying salt in the convenient 1# containers at $.85 each is far more convenient but cost considerably more money. Another example is white flour in a 50# bag for $11.97 or $.24 per pound. Buying flour in a 5# bag for $3.19makes it $.64 per pound.
We buy a 50# bag of sugar for$27.61 or $.55 a pound or a 32 oz. bag for $2.29 which is $1.14 per pound.

Learn to look at your cost per pound or per ounce when buying food and also know the storage life of the food. We shop at WINCO and Cash & Carry in our area for large quantity items in bulk.
We also cruise through the thrift stores and find lots of “bargains” on a variety of things. We are seniors and a veteran so we receive a 20% discount at our Good Will thrift store.

Most of us carry insurance of some type. Our experience has shown that we get the best coverage and the best price by dealing with an independent insurance agent. The independent agent will have several companies to choose from, they are not locked into one company. We stay away from “company” agents such as State Farm, Safeco, Farmers, etc. and have always done better.

We will never purchase a new car again. The purchase of a new vehicle is probably the worst investment that you can make. As soon as you drive off the lot you have lost at least 10% of the value of what you just paid for the vehicle. We will purchase a vehicle about 2 years old and preferably one from a rental car agency. They will have had a regular service schedule and not a lot of miles on them. We have had good experiences doing this over the years.

We think having a cash stash in a safe place is of paramount importance. Unexpected emergencies will happen from time to time. A safe deposit box is not a safe place, the banks are closed weekends and holidays and every evening too, giving you limited access to your cash. Even though there is lots of talk of eliminating cash in favor of a totally digital system, we think and hope that is a far-off future thing. Our goal is to have enough cash to pay 1 year’s taxes, utilities, and make small purchases for a while.

Beyond that, if things get that bad, who knows? We keep a cash stash in a small fireproof box that is easily hidden as well as transportable. You can find these at Walmart and other retailers. We also keep another fireproof box with our important papers in it.

Some folks are in favor of having precious metals stashed away. We feel that is fine if you have everything else that you need in place. Keep in mind however that in the 1930’s gold was confiscated by the federal government. The use of gold and silver may also be made illegal under a martial law situation.

You can save money by eliminating cable TV, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, dining out, unnecessary car trips, cigarettes, and perhaps other areas as well. Grow as much of your own food as possible and learn to preserve it. Getting out of debt and staying out is one of the first steps toward financial freedom.

Financial freedom is a big stepping stone to self-reliance. Reevaluate your finances from time to time to help you keep on a sound financial pathway.

Remember, these are things we have done that over the years have worked well for us. Your situation may differ a little, but the same principles apply: common sense over nonsense, needs vs. wants and logic over emotion.

Enjoy the journey.

Related: 

• You Don’t Need To Be Wealthy to Homestead
• Start Saving Today and Live Your Homesteading Dream Tomorrow
• How To Sleep Better At Night Naturally – Tips For Getting A Good Night’s Sleep

Horace Kephart was an amazing individual who assisted by George Masa a brilliant photographer they tramped the Appalachian and Smoky Mountains. It these individuals who did the most work in establishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mr. Kephart is best known for having written two of my favorite books, Our Southern Highlanders and the focus of this review, Camping & Woodcraft or The Book of Camping & Woodcraft as it is also known. For legal purposes, this is a book I have owned for many years and purchased of my own accord.

A few weeks back I reviewed a compilation titled, The Lost Ways, at the time I had read it and reviewed it I did not realize that many of the compiled articles and pieces within the book were taken piecemeal and in some cases without any adjustment whatsoever from The Book of Camping & Woodcraft as well as several other sources I personally own and love such as the 12 book Foxfire series.

While I am still supportive of The Lost Ways book, I do need to mention this, as someone on a limited income I realize that adding many of these items can be cost prohibitive. I hope to help you see the benefit of this and other books to be reviewed so that you can make well-informed decisions.

When you have a lower income than some it is imperative to take advantage of deals and options that allow you to benefit the greatest for the least amount of monetary spending. The Book of Camping & Woodcraft is such a book.

While the medical sections of the book are not completely out of date, there are definitely areas that have moved ahead of what was and what we know now. Outside of these areas which only take up a chapter, the book is literally full of some of the best camping, woodcraft, outdoors information ever penned and many modern “survival/ bushcraft/ wilderness/ camping/ primal”gurus have read this book and others like it at some point.

Mr. Kephart takes you through Outfitting your individual or group expedition all the way through dealing with accidents when they occur. In between, he goes into great detail on how to make real buckskin, tan leather and use wild greens and other items found all around us for eating, clothing and shelter.

While many of the items he speaks about are no longer in legal use due to any number of reasons, from modern drug laws through bans on use of various woods and or permitting required the essence of the book is such that you can easily utilize modern equivalents to fill the gaps. Some items of interest are his insistence on getting a solid, comfortable nights sleep.

For this purpose, he suggests the following, paraphrased, “while a good wool blanket is sufficient cover to keep you alive, a cot or bedroll will always be better. Understanding that exposure kills more soldiers than bullets (at the time this was the case).” He then proceeds to go into great detail outlining why sleeping raised above the ground or with sufficient layers of insulation between you and the ground will not only allow for better sleep but also better spirits!

His suggestion regarding the use of a sleeping bag you can open all the way up and air out daily prior to sleep (something that makes a large difference in comfort) added into his description of several mattresses, which I revised personally and have purchased 4” thick Memory Foam full-size bedrolls, are just some of the many areas he deftly describes making it impossible to not be comfortable.

As we head deeper into this fascinating book we discover his desire to use gold coin versus banknotes and his advocacy of a well-stocked medical kit. Now his list of medicines are completely outdated, though his insistence on including a good surgery kit is admirable and agreed upon by myself. Forceps both artery and tooth.

Surgeons needles, suture thread as well as several other additions are important. I carry a large medical kit with several full regimens of 6 different antibiotics both cillins and other. Additionally, I carry wound wash, and topical antiseptics as well as pain medication from Asprin through ibuprofen. He suggests using chloroform on those nasty critters in the South, chiggers or redbugs. There are modern alternatives that work well also.

Next, he suggests a small but complete repair kit for your firearms. I myself have adapted this to mean a spare bolt carrier group and an AR15 small parts kit with a small set of appropriate tools. I also carry a Glock 19 emergency parts kit and spare springs and followers for magazines.

These parts take another pound of weight and barely any space but can mean the difference between life and death should you have an issue. Some of my friends also carry a spare gas tube, this I do not carry with me though I have them at home, the reason being it is impossible to properly change one out without a vice and tools that you will not have with you!

Now while his rifle was not an AR15 the premise is the same regardless your firearm of choice, have a set of parts that are both easy to replace and are most likely to fail with you as well as the where with all to do the work should you need to.

All of this information is in the first 35 pages, the last 200+ pages are filled with diagrams, explanations and step by step instructions that you can adjust and add too based on modern equivalents to his suggested approaches. Chapter 16 begins with some sage advice regarding weight and living off the land.

He states that weight and keeping it down is everything when it comes to long trips where you may be subsisting off the land in part or fully. He makes the brilliant point that soldiers meals (modern equivalents) are often not good for the active individual living off the land except as an addition to your diet. I agree with this and make a point of introducing my children to new edibles each and every time we are out.

Over the last few chapters, his advice and well-mapped approach shows you how to use everything around you as a potential tool and what each and every plant, bark type and animal can be used for while living with the land. While his scope is limited to the Smoky Mountains, the approach can be easily modeled for the Rocky’s as well as any location you reside in.

This is why I believe so strongly in understanding what lives around you and how to use it if needed. He truly enjoys the use of well-made pemmican and even extols the value of dog meat as being quite healthy overall if necessary.

The last chapters are regarding accidents and how to set bones, suture wounds and address issues. These chapters I would not take at face value or would ensure the information is medically appropriate for modern times. After all, we do have many advances that were not in use at the time of original publication. This being said, there is much good to be had especially in these chapters!

My personal opinion is that this is a must-have book for the self-motivated individuals library. It can be had on Amazon for as little as $2 via kindle or my preferred method in paperback for $9. I am linking it here for you all and again I can highly recommend it. I currently have two copies and am going to buy another so that my children each have their own! Five stars and two thumbs up for this amazing book. Remember, while some of the information is dated, apply it using modern equipment and you will easily have a solid setup and approach!

Free the mind and the body will follow

by Warmongerel

I’ll admit it: I’m a “computer junkie”. I have a Kindle Fire, a regular Kindle, two laptops and my phone. I also have 4 regular “tower” computers. And that doesn’t include what my daughter has. All of that in a house with two people. Yeah, I’m a junkie. My girlfriend calls me a biker-geek. Love that.

I keep a lot of my Prep documents on the Kindles and the laptops, so they’re not (just) toys. Three-ring binders are nice, but I really doubt they’re going to travel well if I have to bug out. A couple of 1 pound (or less), novel-sized Kindles, on the other hand, barely take up any space or weight.

So one of my biggest fears in a SHTF situation is not having any of that available.

Enter the Goal Zero 19010 Guide 10 Plus Small Adventure Kit (you can use this link to check the current price on Amazon.com). It will help to click the link – this thing is kind of hard to describe.

This package consists of two main parts: The Nomad 7 solar panel, and the Guide 10 Plus battery pack. The solar panel is actually two interconnected panels that fold together when not in use to save space. They are

very light (probably less than a pound) and very thin (maybe an inch or so when folded together). Although they’re not very flexible, they do seem pretty rugged. If it were to drop a few feet, I wouldn’t be worried about it breaking. Probably don’t want to run it over with the truck, though.

There are two outputs on the solar panel interface device which is attached to the solar panel. One is for a 12-volt “cigarette lighter” type cord, one is a USB output used to charge your Kindle, I-pad, cell phone, laptop, MP3 player – virtually anything that can be charged from a USB port can be charged using this thing. The last output is to connect the solar panel to the Guide 10 Plus battery pack. Cords are included, but the USB/universal cord is the old type with the larger plug. You’ll have to buy one for the new, smaller universal jacks, but they’re cheap.

There is a mesh, zippered bag on the outside of the unit that can carry the cords and other small items.

The second half of the package, the Guide 10 Plus battery pack, is just a very fancy battery charger. It has 2 inputs for charging the batteries: one for plugging into the Nomad 7, and one for charging via USB port (such as from your laptop).

The Guide 10 plus charges 4 AA batteries (included) and also comes with an adapter to charge 4 AAA batteries (not included). It works with any AA or AAA rechargeable batteries. The Guide 10 Plus also has a USB output to charge devices like the ones mentioned above.

Devices can be charged in three ways: Either directly from the USB or 12-volt outputs on the Nomad 7 solar panel, or the Guide 10 Plus can be plugged into the Nomad 7 and then used as an interface to charge devices through its USB output. The second method is recommended for charging tablet computers and I-phones, as they need a steady voltage to charge, and the batteries provide that steady voltage even when they’re charging.

Devices can also be charged directly from the battery pack if there is no sun. A handy feature at night. Charging times are said to be 3 – 4 hours for most devices and for the batteries, but that is in direct sunlight.

I threw it on my dashboard while I was at work on a mostly cloudy day, and it charged 4 AAA batteries (drained) in about 6 hours. About the same with 4 AA batteries. Not bad considering the sun is very low in the sky up here at this time of year. In bright sunlight and turning it to face the sun every now and then, I can easily believe the 3-hour claim.

To charge my phone and my Kindle, I ran it through the battery pack and both charged in about 2 hours, although they weren’t completely drained when I started. Still impressive. It takes almost that long using 110-volt household voltage!

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my daughter’s I-phone or I-Pad away from her long enough to try those out. If I ever do, I’ll update in the comments section. Don’t hold your breath.

The physical dimensions are: 6.5″ x 9.5″ x 1.8″ and weigh in at about 1.7 pounds. Small, thin and lightweight. Just what a prepper needs.

So far, I am extremely happy with it. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this thing to anyone. If there is a grid- down situation, I’d have a phone, my prep files, books to read, games to play, music and also alarms, calculator, etc. on my Kindles. Add to that a 12-volt source to charge my LED trouble lights and a way to charge AA and AAA batteries for flashlights, radios, etc. All with no fuel, no noise, and a tiny footprint.

All of that would make this thing worth its weight in gold. (Note: they keep improving, updating this thing, so some of the reviews and pictures on the Amazon link are outdated. I think they’ve got it all worked out now, though ?

Good morning everyone… remember…

Morning is wonderful. Its only drawback is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of a day.

Anyways, we are all up and awake and that’s great, however, I do have some bad news to report…

After days of my brain not registering the fact that my email load had dropped from an average of 100 emails a day down to 15 or 20 at that those emails that were being sent were sent directly with my email address and not with the contact form of my contact page.

Well, once it finally did register I started looking into it and to my dismay, I discovered that my email contact form was broken and NOT sending me any email. So if you have sent an email using my contact form and I’ve not answered, then, please don’t think that I’ve been ignoring you… I’ve simply not gotten your email because the form was broken…

But the good news is that it’s fixed now, so if your email was really important then please resend it and I will get back with you as soon as possible… thank you for your understanding.

Okay, if you look closely you’ll notice a few changes to my blog design… look closely… there have been five changes to the design over the past few days… the first person to describe all five changes in the comments below will get a new Lifestraw Personal Water Filter!

I also made a few changes to my recommended must have prepper gear page but we won’t include those in the five design changes mentioned above. Now let’s see who has been paying attention… Good luck.

Okay, now let’s get on with our homesteading progress and preps for the week…

My main homestead expensive/progress for this week was that I received my Swisher 10.5 HP 44-Inch Finish Cut Trail Mower. I had to order the mower through Amazon.com because, unfortunately, no one in my area is a dealer for that type of mower.

I have some hillside on my property and mowing it with a typical riding mower was dangerous and exhausting. Once that I finally got the Swisher 10.5 HP 44-Inch Finish Cut Trail Mower unloaded and uncrated, I checked to make sure it had been filled with engine oil (it had) and then I filled with 100% gasoline as I prefer to not use gasoline that has had ethanol added.

I gave it three cranks and it started up and after letting it run idle for about ten minutes I hooked it up behind my side-by-side UTV and proceeded to mow my hillside in record time.

This mower is great for mowing on hillside land if you have a UTV or ATV and it can also be pulled behind a regular riding mower while off-set to the side to mow two times the normal area in one pass which cuts mowing time in half. However, if you’re pulling it behind a regular riding mower then you’ll need to stay on level ground.

Well, folks, that’s my main homesteading for the week… of course, I did other stuff like gardening and removed the suckers for my tomato plants and fed the chickens several times but I know that you probably don’t want to hear all of the details about that…

Now over to you…