Fermenting vegetables is not only an excellent way to preserve them, but it’s also a great way to improve their flavor and their nutritional value. The fermenting process produces beneficial microbes that are extremely important for our health. These probiotic-rich vegetables will help balance your intestinal flora and boost your overall health. So check out this excellent video …
This content was originally published here.
I’m tired of homesteading!
I’m tired of the loss! There is no way around loss on the homestead. Its the part of reality to this chosen lifestyle that one cant escape.
You can prepare yourself, prepare your animals and flock, but its never easy when you loss a animal.
And our homestead there has been much loss.
Is it the nature of how we chose to live?
Irrelevantly if you chose this life you to will have to approach loss.
What will you do]
Will you be prepared?
Do you ever get us to it?
Starry Talks…..frankly about it all
When SHTF and world have gone berserk, these essential homemade weapons can protect you and your loved ones. Any prepper or survivalist will tell you that the advantage of having weapons can’t be stressed enough. It’s ingrained in each one of us; we must have one or a few (or a dozen) or else and when things get really ugly, we’re left to fend for ourselves. What would you do when there is no gun or ammo around? It’s when these improvised weapons will come into play.
Knives carved themselves an indispensable spot in a survival situation. They are versatile tools you can use for a variety of task. Their ability to cut, slice, and dice along with its size make it one of the most excellent self-defense weapons we can use. So when you find yourself in dire straits, knowing how to make a homemade knife will give you an edge and increase your chances of survival.
You can easily turn an ordinary BBQ lighter into a mini cannon which shoots airsoft pellets. You just need a BBQ lighter, an epoxy or any strong adhesive, a few screws, and a drill. Find out the simple steps to make your own homemade mini cannon.
You’ll never believe how easy it is to make your own DIY bow. The first thing which comes into the mind of a survivalist when they think of survival bow is getting it from some hearty tree sampling in the woods but actually, we can use readily available materials like a scrap PVC. Learn how to make your own PVC fiberglass bow here!
Just looking at this bad boy leaves you in awe of its destructive power. You can make it out of common plumbing pipe which you can get at your local hardware store. This homemade weapon may have a simple design but never underestimate its potential to defend you when SHTF. Find out how to make this DIY war hammer!
Sure it’s medieval, but a sword has long reach and it is one of the most effective and lethal self-defense weapons you can make provided you know how to use it. Check out the step by step instructions and the materials you need to create your homemade sword.
In an SHTF situation, when the crowd becomes unruly and they are coming after you, having a DIY flashbang can keep you safe and deter your attackers. One of the most effective improvised street weapons you can create. All you need are some PVC plugs and couplings, glue, baking powder, and vinegar. Learn the simple instructions to make a homemade stun grenade.
Hit your target or attacker from a distance with this homemade slingshot. It is easy to make and you can use a variety of ammunition. You can steel balls, bearing, rocks, pebbles, marbles, and whatnot. And if you have a good aim, this slingshot can be as deadly as a firearm in close proximity. Find out the different ways to make your own homemade slingshots!
No one, not even a zombie, would want to be on the receiving end of this slinger. This homemade saw blade slinger may be a bit eccentric but this bad boy is extremely deadly. Here are the steps in making your own saw blade slinger! You can include this one on zombie apocalypse weapons.
Compound bows are easier to pull than traditional bows and give you more time to take aim. This is what makes it an ideal weapon when SHTF. You can simply make your own compound bow using a few items.
Now that you have your bow, it’s time you make a broadhead with a spoon. In times of distress and survival, it’s not enough just knowing how to defend yourself. Other skills such as hunting will increase your chances of survival. And this is where your bow and arrow will come into play. Find out the simple ways in making a homemade arrowhead out of a spoon!
Summon your inner ninja with these shurikens, just be careful in handling them. This is a great alternative weapon to defend yourself without using a gun. Learn how to make this homemade throwing stars in 7 easy steps!
This is a very interesting project which has great potential for some more research and development. A homemade pump-action rocket gun is not difficult to make plus, the materials you need are affordable and easy to come by. Here are the instructions for building your own pump-action rocket gun.
Scare away or burn away intruders or attackers with a homemade flamethrower. Hell, you can even kill zombies with this badass weapon. Ever played Plants Vs. Zombies? Find out how to make a flamethrower using an air compressor.
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This is probably one of the best innocent-looking weapons you can make but don’t be fooled by its appearance. For a cane can be deadly when utilized by a trained person or even in the hands of an angry mob. A cane is not just one of the most excellent self-defense weapons, you can also turn it into a survival equipment. Here’s how to make a survival cane!
It’s not as powerful as the real stun gun, but it’s enough to give a good shock. You can adjust it and add more power to it if you deem fit. This homemade weapon is pretty easy to do— anyone who knows how to use a soldering iron can hack it. Check out the easy step in making a homemade mini stun gun.
This homemade lunch-bomber landmine can blast airsoft pellets or any material you want. In an SHTF situation, anything can be used as a weapon even an ordinary lunch box. A homemade landmine is an interesting and fun project but things might go south and hurt those around you if you are not careful. Find out how to build one!
One of the easiest to find weapons when SHTF is a baseball bat but you can turn your Louisville Slugger into a more deadlier weapon. After all, in a post-apocalyptic period, it’s either kill or be killed. Find out the different ways to modify your good ole reliable baseball bats and use it when things go sour.
Knowing how to make a homemade primitive club is a good leverage in a survival situation. In the event when you don’t access to guns or pistol, these homemade clubs can be used to smash or hit your attacker. One solid strike can certainly knock them out! Check out the materials you need and the instructions to make a primitive club.
With the right technique, even a wooden staff is a formidable weapon. Just like a primitive club or a baseball bat, a homemade staff can surely deliver your opponent to the ground. This project is pretty straightforward to do. All you need to do is look for a robust stick then, voila! You now have a weapon to defend yourself.
This little dart gun is proof that even small weapons can be dangerous, especially when you hit your assailant in the weak spots such as the eyes. Learn how to make this homemade pocket dart gun and do some practice shots after.
The good thing about DIY weapons is you can always improve them to make them better or more effective. Knowing how to use these essential homemade weapons is also important. Take the time to learn the techniques. This will make the weapon safer and more useful. You may not have semi-automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines and an armor-piercing bullet or powerful assault weapons, but these essential homemade weapons listed above can protect you when things become a little unruly.
Do you have other essential homemade weapons in mind? Share it with us in the comments section below!
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**Disclaimer: All content on this site is for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer here**
Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on May 13, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
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This content was originally published here.
I’m tired of homesteading!
I’m tired of the loss! There is no way around loss on the homestead. Its the part of reality to this chosen lifestyle that one cant escape.
You can prepare yourself, prepare your animals and flock, but its never easy when you loss a animal.
And our homestead there has been much loss.
Is it the nature of how we chose to live?
Irrelevantly if you chose this life you to will have to approach loss.
What will you do]
Will you be prepared?
Do you ever get us to it?
Starry Talks…..frankly about it all
Leave the house prepared or you may perish. Ideally, you will travel with a friend. Having someone watch your back has a very practical and psychological value. You both can spot that patch of white, which may mean frostbite on the nose or cheeks of each other, inspect the bottoms of each other’s feet, and recognize the signs of hypothermia, so treatment can begin to reverse the potentially deadly condition. However, situations are never ideal, and so you have to be prepared to survive on your own for hours or possibly days in the cold.
A previous article discussed the basics of cold weather survival. In general terms, it outlined what hypothermia is and some prevention methods. We will try not to be redundant. Instead we will talk about shelters, the need for water, and the need for food in particular high protein food and how to keep the body from sweating when it’s cold out.
Shelter is your biggest priority before dark. Winter days are short, so once you realize you will be spending the night outside, you need to get started on your shelter. Shelter and a fire before the sun sets can save your life.
If you have a tent and the proper cold weather sleeping bag, then you are all set, but what happens if you don’t have a tent or a cold weather bag. If you are lost, then stay put, get to work on a shelter, and build a signal fire.
If in a heavily forested area you can get under evergreen trees or other foliage. Spruce trees make ideal shelter locations. Knock the snow off the branches as best you can and create a snow cave under the branches near the trunk of the tree. Look for dead branches that could fall on you before settling in, because you may have to find another tree if there are a number of dead branches overhead.
Snow can be your friend. Dig down or simply move snow to create walls to break the wind and use a tarp or poncho for overhead cover by stretching and securing across the snow walls. You must have good insulation between you and the ground.
Build your fire on rocks, green branches, or aluminum foil. Place other rocks near the fire so they absorb the heat and can then help heat the enclosure. You can place the warmed rocks in your sleeping bag or in the thermal blanket or tarp you roll up in.
Melt snow for water even if you have an ample supply. Save your supply so if you have to hike about or hike out of your predicament you have water with you. Melt the snow near the fire before drinking. Cold water will lower your core body temperature.
You can become dehydrated in the winter and not be aware of it, so drink water by sipping throughout the day whether you feel thirsty or not.
Remove the outer layer of clothing as you work to put together your shelter so you do not sweat. If you feel yourself sweating then rest for a bit or remove another layer. However, be careful not to get chilled. You have to monitor your situation carefully and pay attention to details like sweating and leaving a layer off too long so you get chilled.
Eat just before sleeping because the digestive process will raise your core body temperature. Protein takes longer to digest, and so the digestive process will create more heat when its protein you are digesting.
Protein bars, jerked meats, and peanut butter is easily packed and can be eaten without preparations so make sure you have ample food when traveling in cold weather. Carry hardtack as well, and make it at home, so you always have some in your pack.
Build a separate fire for signaling during the day. Your signal fire will be in the open and you will have to create as much smoke as you can, by using pine boughs, leaves and so on, but only after you have a good base built up otherwise you could extinguish the fire. Use colored garbage bags, and make three designs in the snow to signal distress. Use a signaling mirror if you hear aircraft overhead.
Wandering around trying to find your way back will cause exhaustion, cause you to sweat more and will increase your chances of injury. Stay put, keep a fire going, and improve your shelter.
This content was originally published here.
People tend to want to go on the offensive when they are scared or are convinced someone or some group is out to get them. If you are in a military unit then offensive and defensive strategies are a part of life. Orders come down to defend your position or to take a position currently occupied by the enemy.
In the civilian world, you are mainly in a defensive position. Your home has alarm systems, fences, walls or other barriers designed to keep people out or to let you know someone is snooping about. You are not roaming the countryside attacking others in their home. No, you are home waiting to defend your family and possessions, essentially waiting for someone to start something so you can counter their attack.
Once the SHTF, until you know otherwise, everyone or every group you encounter is a potential enemy out to invade your territory, which could be your home, compound, or section of land you have staked after evacuating an urban area.
You will normally be in a defensive posture until attacked and then you can counter attack if you have the means, and thus, put the opponent on the defensive. To avoid casualties and to mount a proper counter attack, you need information, and a force big enough to be successful.
Obviously, the best way to stay alive and to avoid firefights is to not offer up a reason for anyone to attack. You have to set the groundwork early, long before something happens. Keep your business between you and family only. Do not advertise you are prepared by bragging in the coffee shops and at gun ranges. If everyone in the county knows you have a stockpile of food, water, and Ammo and are ready for anything, of course, you will be a target.
When the SHTF the things you do can make or break you, so first assume an attack is possible, and assume people are watching and waiting for an opening.
Know the area you are defending first and foremost. Know the hiding places. You need to know where someone attacking the home can seek cover, and where you can seek cover if you launch a counter attack.
Know distances, for example, how far from your front door to the end of the driveway, to the mailbox, and to that large oak tree in the middle of the field. Know your firearm’s capabilities at the marked ranges, and know your own capabilities and of those helping you.
Do not gather in a group anywhere outside of adequate cover and/or concealment.
Never open any doors to the outside when there is a light on behind you. Always turn the light off before opening any doors to the outside. Cover windows so silhouettes cannot be seen if there is a light on in the room. The best method is to leave lights off or turn the lights off when entering a room and then look out windows to scan the ground.
Do not establish any patterns by going to the barns, or walking the grounds at the same time each day. Stay in the shadows at night, and never walk under or near any outdoor lighting. You need an escape route, one that allows you to get clear of the structure into the woods, under cover or to seek concealment outside the home.
You may have to come out a basement window, drop out of a back window or even crawl under the home to a covered corner of the house.
Simply put, if you cannot be seen, you probably cannot be shot unless someone wants to waste ammunition like in the movies and just sends hundreds or thousands of rounds into the home without having acquired a target. This is not likely to happen, however.
If fired upon your immediate reaction should be to move to cover as you deploy your firearm. Standing in the same spot to return fire will get you killed. Moving targets are harder to hit, as are smaller targets. Crouch, kneel or lay on the ground if cover is not available.
To move to cover you need to know where the cover is relative to your position. As we stated earlier, you need to know the area you are protecting. You need to know is so well that you can move about in the dark without creating noise or injuring yourself.
If you suspect snipers may be used, then you need to identify possible positions, however, there are many variables to consider. Would a likely sniper be military trained, and if so, then they are trained in bushcraft, camouflage, and they are likely positioned at a greater distance, and of course, they have patience.
Snipers will look for positions that maximize their cover but are within the effective range of their weapon. They will take the weather, terrain and the target into consideration when looking for a position. They could be 300 meters out or only 50 meters out.
A civilian shooter with just a basic understanding of their firearm may move constantly looking for an ideal shot or position. This will give them away, and they may not spend much time on concealing their position by using natural camouflage because of the fact they will move around.
Law enforcement snipers do not camouflage their positions well either, because they may know that the target cannot return effective fire at the range they set out at, or they have ample backup to protect their shooting position. A lone sniper, however, needs to be hidden and stay hidden until the target has been acquired and taken down.
A trained sniper always gets into position undetected and they have a plan to get out undetected regardless of the successfulness of the mission. Snipers generally do not shoot into the sun but you cannot count on this.
This content was originally published here.
A survivalist homemade booby trap is a device intended to automatically detect, scare, injure or kill.
To protect your homestead from unsuspecting threats.
For our purposes, a threat is anyone trying to enter our property or homes without your permission.
Thieves, bandits, gangs, etc.
During times of normalcy, it’s essential to keep the booby traps to the non-lethal, non-threatening sort. Simple alarm trip wires and such.
Yet, when SHTF…all bets are off…
So we will first cover 2 alert based traps.
Then several outdoor homemade booby traps and finally share a few home entrance booby traps.
Remember: In order for any of these booby traps to work, they must be discreet and out of sight of its intended victim.
Your current focus should be on traps that alert you to intruders.
Traps that allow you to either hide, fight or get away.
First up is an air horn alarm tripwire.
This is a perfect setup to detect if anyone is attempting to sneak onto your property.
Next up is another alarm based booby trap but uses explosives to create both noise and a flash.
And here’s a third way to set up a perimeter alarm system.
This one is my personal favorite and extremely simple to set up.
First, pick up a few of these new Sound Grenades.
Tie a thin natural colored tripwire to either end and then around nearby trees. This setup will pull the pin on the Sound Grenade. Once the Sound Grenades pin is pulled it will emit an ear piercing 130 dB siren.
Half the battle to defending your home is to be aware when a threat is present.
One of the biggest challenges to SHTF home defense is getting sound sleep. This is no easy task with the constant threat of an ambush.
Placing these tripwires around your property will allow you some much-needed sleep. Because you can rely on them to wake you at the first indication of a trespasser.
Now that you’ve got your alarm booby traps set…it’s time to plan the next level of traps.
This booby trap is ideal if you own property with mature trees to work with.
You should use natural obstacles on your properties perimeter to channel threats into a single location (using tall fences, bushes, etc) then add this trap at that location.
You can hide this booby trap in a lot of locations on your property.
It can be made much larger if so desired. Obviously, a larger device would create more damage and harm.
The rock swing with spikes is a simple booby trap to make and would be effective.
Hang this booby trap up high on a tree branch with a tripwire trigger. This device will swing down with speed and injury anybody in its path.
Even if it doesn’t hit its intended target, it would be an excellent deterrent.
Why? Because when someone sees this booby trap swing past them they will think twice about continuing.
Similar to the previous booby trap we covered, but even more lethal.
The wider the log, the less chance of missing the intended target.
You can dig hidden pits in strategic locations on your property. These can be either large or small.
Smaller pits would injure feet when stepped in while larger ones could be deadly.
If it’s truly SHTF and an intruder makes it past the alarm trips wires.
If he somehow avoids your property booby traps, then you’ll need to rely on some home defense traps set up on your home entrances.
Nail spikes are easy to make burglar traps and can be used at every entrance location.
These work best when hidden from plain view and can be set up on front porches or outside beneath lower level windows.
Using large batteries and a bit of copper wire you can electrically charge anything metal.
If you set this booby trap up correctly, then anyone who grabs the doorknob or metal window sill will get a nice shock.
The more electrical juice, the bigger the shock.
Here’s a video of this concept done as a prank, but its application for home defense purposes is legit.
Here’s another simple booby trap to set up.
Use a bucket (or old paint can) and add some nasty chemicals to it.
Then position the can above a door on a floating shelf with a wire tied to the can. When the door opens, the can tips, and the chemicals fall onto the intruder.
The trigger of a shotgun is set up with the action of opening a door.
The shotgun must be mounted securely for this to work. This is an extremely illegal and deadly booby trap.
It’s not something you should set up under normal circumstances.
Obviously, you won’t find any videos of this setup in action.
However, here’s a good prank video that gives you an idea of how this booby trap setup would work.
13 – The Ear Piercing Door Stop Alarm
Everyone should have alarm systems at their main entrance locations; front door and back door.
But nobody wants to spend a crazy amount of money on an alarm system and that’s before the monitoring fees.
14 – The Guard Dog
While not technically a homemade booby trap, having a loyal guard dog is another badass way to deter intruders.
The sight and sound of an attacking German Sheppard will keep most sane people away.
Every survivalist should be prepared to make these homemade traps, but don’t stop there. When SHTF there will be millions of people looking for food, water, and shelter. You need to be prepared to defend what’s yours.
But not only should you booby trap your property, it’s also essential that you learn all the home security and defense measures.
I know the booby traps we covered today are some of the best and most effective ones to defend your property and your home. Yet, that’s only the beginning.
To truly protect and defend what’s your’s you need a comprehensive home security game plan.
A plan that robbers, thieves, and enemy assailants hope you never learn.
How to protect your front door so no man can ever break it down.
85% of home invasions take place at the front door and this simple system will give you 5 simple ways to turn your front door into a hardened barricade.
And an inexpensive trip to your local hardware store will give you everything you need.
A simple flick of a hammer is all it takes to for an intruder to break through your window. You’ll discover the skills to turn your windows into nearly unbreakable panes of “transparent steel.”
One of the easiest places for thieves and intruders to gain access to your home is one that almost no one ever considers a risk. A few simple hidden screws will completely remove this point of entry.
The one place in your home that is made to be broken into by design. Thousands of home invasions happen here but no one thinks to just remove the opportunity for intruders. You can remove this access point completely with a single snip of your scissors if you know where and what to snip.
How to keep criminals and any unwanted visitors from ever sneaking up to your house without you knowing, this is one of my favorite parts.
How to keep a SWAT team from smashing through your doors, walls, and windows whenever they please. And at the same time help law enforcement if you do need them.
What’s the right kind of surveillance equipment and how to use it to actually deter criminals rather than just record them.
How to protect an apartment. Apartments can be difficult to protect by their very nature, you’ll discover the system steps to solve this problem
And that’s just the first few sections…
This man can boost any electricity source into 5 times more… instantly and apart from taking the panels out once in a while to charge them… they won’t need any intervention…for a minimum of five years.
That means that if you gain 68% more electricity… you’ll pay only 32% of how much you’re paying today.
This content was originally published here.
I’m tired of homesteading!
I’m tired of the loss! There is no way around loss on the homestead. Its the part of reality to this chosen lifestyle that one cant escape.
You can prepare yourself, prepare your animals and flock, but its never easy when you loss a animal.
And our homestead there has been much loss.
Is it the nature of how we chose to live?
Irrelevantly if you chose this life you to will have to approach loss.
What will you do]
Will you be prepared?
Do you ever get us to it?
Starry Talks…..frankly about it all
The citizens of this country are conditioned to wait for the authorities to show up during a crisis. Your local government even goes so far as to tell you what you should stockpile for a disaster. Everyone has heard the mantra leading up to a natural disaster. You need at least a three-day supply of canned goods, water, batteries, and candles and do not forget the hand operated can opener.
Survivors of disasters in many cases have come to realize that the government itself is not prepared for a crisis. Super storm sandy victims learned firsthand how well certain organizations operate during a disaster and to this day, many of the survivors are still in recovery mode. Disaster relief agencies actually shuttered their offices during the crisis because of “bad weather”.
Financial problems, political posturing and mismanagement means that most communities are not prepared for any type of major calamity. This means that survival is an individual responsibility.
The threats and possible disaster scenarios that might befall the country or larger cities are too numerous to mention. Anyone that has been paying attention knows it is just a matter of time. It is not if but when hackers slip through the firewall or another so-called national security agent goes rouge and really causes damage, and no one really knows as of yet if the latest one has set the wheels of our destruction in motion or not.
The Government
The government is designed to survive so it can continue to govern in any situation. That is why leaders and others are whisked away to secret bunkers at the first sign of trouble. Leaders must survive to lead at any cost and this means during a national or world crisis the average citizen is on their own.
The end justifies the means and the government will commandeer supplies and people such as doctors, engineers, and others to keep the government going. Your local government may be forced to provide to a higher authority (federal government) before they can provide to you.
Survival at the Individual Level
Given everything, you know about past disasters a three days’ supply of food and water is not near enough. Power disruptions can last for weeks or even longer, water treatment plants can be damaged and it may take weeks to get them back on line. If you are not prepared for the worst-case scenario then you are not prepared at all.
The simplest of things that you take for granted can cause you problems during a crisis. For example, what will you do with all of your household garbage if the sanitation trucks do not run, what about sewer systems that are not operational, and what will you do about not being able to push a button and communicate with others. The simplest of things will cause great angst during a crisis if you have not planned. Not to mention the things that really matter such as water, food and medical care.
Change Your Way of Thinking
Freedom gives you the ability to succeed or fail on your own and it is not freedom if you expect the government to take care of your every need. The government has its place and job to do as do you.
Set goals, achieve those goals and move forward. For example, your first goal is to get to the point you can survive for 90 days without intervention from anyone. Once that is achieved, go for six months and so on.
Ultimately, you will need enough emergency supplies to sustain you while you develop alternative food and water sources. However, you should be thinking about other sources of food and water long before you will need them.
What tools and supplies will you need to grow your own food using hydroponics, Aquaponics and traditional growing methods? Most of you will not want to survive on just fruits and vegetables so you will need other foods such as fish, chickens, goats and possibly even larger farm animals if you have the land and resources to raise them.
Most of you cannot make dramatic changes such as purchasing acres of land in the wilderness or building underground bunkers so you have to work within certain parameters. There is much that you can do however, but you will have to plan around certain things because of the fact there are some things you cannot change.
This content was originally published here.
Native American fish trap. The funnel opening has to have a large enough opening for the fish or turtle to swim into,
This content was originally published here.
