Kids Bug-Out Survival Bag

 When we asked the boys what they would like for Christmas this year, the first answer was for dad to put together a grown up survival/bug out bag for them. When they were little we started them off with some simple items, like a water bottle, change of clothes, compass and some small form of entertainment.

Senior was in all his glory shopping for these bags, looking for useful items that kids could use in the event we needed to bug out. 

First we found these bags from Mossy Oak, extremely roomy and can hold a lot of stuff:

 

The bags are so roomy inside that they can even carry their Hennessy Hammocks they got for their birthdays in 2015. 

Senior addressed three main areas when planning for these bags: First it was food, he got them a couple of bags of Mountain Houses, and a block of Emergency Food rations, these bricks are available anywhere and give you around 2400 calories..

Next came Warmth...before we added this to their bag Senior held several fire starting classes with them, and made sure he knew that they were well educated and versed in fire safety.  The orange can is "Murray's Super Light" hair dressing it is  very flammable,  Just rub a cotton ball around in it and put it in some tender. We also included some fire starters to spark a flame.  Fire is not only essential in keeping warm and cooking but it is essential to a persons morale.

Next and probably the most important item is water... He found this water bag squeeze filtration system. You put water in the blue bag and filter it out through the orange thing at the top.  A person can go three weeks without food, but the human body can only go three days without water...  A water filtration source should be the most important thing in anyone's bug out bag...

Shelter is also an important component, and we love the Hennessy Hammocks, first off they keep you off the cold wet ground. We gave them a Shemagh scarf to help camouflage them if we are out in the woods etc. And the boys think it is totally fun to wear them...lol

Some other useful items are a couple of pocket knifes, a multi tool and compass...got to know where you are going!

For this past Fathers Day we got Senior this folding saw...He loved it! And added one to the boys bags, it is great for cutting small branches and brush.

I know there are people out there probably scratching their heads as to why we  allow our kids to carry around knives and fire starting items..Well unlike yuppy kids, our kids are well versed in safety and carry with them the knowledge of using these items, they understand they are not a toy, and could one day save their lives. Our boys love to get outside and pretend to Bug-Out, they will set up their hammock tents and make a little campsite, it gives them responsibility and independence... They see their parents, prepping and carrying around this cool stuff and they want to as well. I guess it gives them a sense of importance.

So if you are searching for a gift idea for kids who are like ours, I recommend putting something together for them.
 Just keep the child's age in mind, some of the things we have for our kids, may not be age appropriate for yours.

Items that are not posted but just as important are A change of clothes, poncho,  flashlight, para-cord, toiletries and first aid items...

-JUGM

A step back in time...

We bundled up and took the boys to a Revolutionary War Weekend. The encampment started yesterday but the weather was so atrocious that we decided to head over today and check it out. How appropriate to kick off this important election week with a little bit of revolt...

If there was ever a time in history that I would love to go back to and live in, it would be this time period. I suppose there is a certain romance about it that just draws me in.
 I think I have found my new calling and would love to serve as a reenactor. Men, women and kids all participated and after watching these people and seeing their campsites, I had to wonder how many of them are in the prepper community. I was amazed at the level of self sufficiency. I felt like we in our preps are no where as prepared or organized as some of these people. Made me take a step back and reevaluate my own preps.



Here are some pictures :

Senior did a panoramic of the entire battlefield

 

Our mouths began to water when we smelled this chicken on the spit:

 

 

Lining up for Muster:

  

 

A smoke ring after a cannon blast:

 

 I love this flag:



 

 

 

That is the Cornwallis house..it was featured in the movie "The Patriot"

 

After the smoke cleared for this particular battle, the British accepted the Colonial surrender. And  another history lesson was in the books. Our boys were amazed at the rifle fire, and cannon blasts.

 I  stood for a few seconds and wondered what the real battle scene back in 1780 must have looked like. I tried to imagine the scene in my mind, but could not come close to the real thing.The reenactors were lucky, they could get up and go home. But for those brave souls who fought for the freedom of this country they were not so lucky. I am so thankful for those patriots, how sad they must be for the way our country is now.

 

-JUGM

The Mom

As the history of the shooter starts to evolve, the picture of a troubled teen is emerging. His father was an executive with GE, his mother on the other hand was like us...of our mind set...she was indeed a prepper.   How do you think we are going to be portrayed in the MSM? 

I took the following excerpt from the Daily News this morning:


"Dan Holmes, owner of a landscaping firm who worked on the family’s home, said she was an avid gun collector: ‘She told me she would go target shooting with her kids.’
Sources close to the investigation also revealed last night that Nancy had recently stopped hosting monthly get-togethers for neighbors in order to look after her increasingly troubled son.
The 50-year-old is thought to have worked as a supply teacher at the elementary school where the shootings took place.
Last night it also emerged Nancy was a member of the Doomsday Preppers movement, which believes people should prepare for end of the world.
Her former sister-in-law Marsha said she had turned her home ‘into a fortress’. She added: ‘Nancy had a survivalist philosophy which is why she was stockpiling guns. She had them for defense.
‘She was stockpiling food. She grew up on a farm in New Hampshire. She was skilled with guns. We talked about preppers and preparing for the economy collapsing.’
Marsha added that her nephew had been raised by ‘kind, nurturing’ parents’. She said she last seen Adam in June but recalled nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
‘Nancy was a good mother, kind-hearted,’ she added. ‘She wasn’t one to deny reality. She would have sought psychiatric help for her son had she felt he needed it.’"


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2248782/Adam-Lanza-How-classmates-remember-genius-turned-heartless-killer.html#ixzz2FEHwsz6y

Chicken -N- Dumplings

Gravy is an essential item in my house. I use it in recipes at least 2-3 times per week. It is also an essential item for preppers. Dry gravy mix will add flavor to bland boiled rice, or potatoes and It can also be used to marinade meats.

I was never good at making home made gravies, so for years I would buy the packs from the store.Well at a cost of between .33-.78 per pack, the amount can add up.
So, thank heavens for Emergency Essentials. Because they sell the most tasty brown and chicken gravy mix in the # 10 can. It equals out to about 3 lbs of mix for a price of around $11.73 per can.
Each one offers 170 servings, all you do is  add 1 Tbsp per 1/4 cup of warm water, whisk throughly and heat until desired consistancy is reached.

I was never a big fan of Chicken Gravy, but last night I decided to open the top of our recent purchase, and make some Chicken and Dumplings.

I bought Tyson grilled Chicken Chunks, and Mary B Dumplings ( making dumplings is another things I have not mastered). Poured it all in to the pot with the chicken gravy and let it simmer.
The aroma flooded wafted through the house and lingered until the late evening.

I Served it over a bed of rice and a big glass of sweet tea. We ate so much we couldnt move. It was very good, and very filling.

Welcome New Followers

Today I warmly hang out my welcome sign for two new followers. A big Clothesline Welcome goes out to:  Mohave Rat He is quite the character and I am going to love getting to know him. However he does have one small fault..he is former Air Force--I know we all can't be perfect..ha ha.

And to  K, she as well, blogs about Prepping and Prepardeness. She is a suburban Prepper, and even has 2 boys..so we do have lots in common. I will enjoy our chats and getting better aquainted.

Thank you both for stopping by my Blog, and hitting the follower button, comment as much as you like, and I promise to do my best to respond.

Prepping Conversation With A Friend

A good friend that I will call “Kay” and I, walk most every morning after we drop our kids off at school.  Her husband works for law enforcement, and is very much like minded when it comes to the second amendment. Kay and I have had many conversations during our walks in reference to the future. She knows that I carry concealed; her husband has been encouraging her to take the class and apply for her permit as well. I like the fact a person in law enforcement feels that way.

She and I have had many a good conversation on the future, but none as eye opening as Thursdays “Walk and Talk”.  We were joking abut the “Doomsday Prepper” show on NATGEO, her husband watches out of amusement, she said: “Something is coming not sure what though, and that the American people are about to have a real gut check”.  Like most of us, she has a school aged child and a one year old, she and her husband are very concerned about them and the future they may or may not have.

 Her brother is a over the road truck driver, he has told her that on average, most stores only keep 1.5-3 days worth of food stocked. And in the event of a collapse or like we are seeing now: higher gas prices, those supplies are going to dwindle down to nothing.

 I agreed, and said that is why we have begun to store up foods, and have found the LDS cannery to be very useful.
Kay then told me that she has recently taken it upon herself to start a food storage area in her home, and so far only has about 2 months saved. Her husband has also started an ammo stock pile, as he knows that once you have food stored and SHTF, you need to protect it. I was very excited to hear this. She also inquired about the cannery, such as items you can purchase, and cost.

And then I instructed her on where to purchase and what to look for. I explained that the 10/10.00 at a chain store really isn’t a deal at all. And that you can go to Wal-Mart and, get the Great Value brand cheaper.

I also told her that there are many other items to consider in your stock pile, like water, toiletries, and baby items. If you really think of how much the average person goes through in one day, its mind boggling!

So I am happy to say our “Walk and Talk” ended with her wanting to come with us to the cannery, and meet the good folks and  start making purchases.

This led me and Senior to start thinking, about what we need to add to our stockpile…one thing is larger sized clothes for our kids, especially shoes. How many of us have thought of that? The good sister at the cannery told us to buy up for at least 1-2 years ahead.

 So, I am slowly starting to do so. It helps to have some big named stores going out of business around here and everything is on clearance.   Also we are going to check garage sales more, and second hand children stores. I am going to get our boys their own foot locker of sorts, and keep them a nice supply of larger sizes, incase SHTF and we are bugged out for more then a year ( which I hope doesnt happen)...but HEY, ya never know!

Hot Date at the Farmers Market...

Senior and I took a day to ourselves, we started the morning off at the LDS Cannery and made a nice sizable purchase. It was also a rare occasion that we got to actually do some "canning"..which is always a treat. We are a bit sad that the nice "sister" and her husband that we have become so familiar with are leaving the area and in April new replacements will arrive.

We then headed off to our local Farmers Market.. I LOVE that place. I remember going as a child, it had become very run down, but our city stepped in and re-modeled it in to something very nice. I always enjoy seeing all the "colorful" people out selling their produce, its so much like being in another country... Today the air was rich with the aroma of boiling peanuts and fresh strawberries.The weather was awesome and it was very enjoyable for me to just stroll around and smell all the good things.

 For 20.00 we hauled in 1/2 flat of strawberries, a head of cabbage, a head of broccoli, 6 pounds of dry goods like Lima beans, black eyed peas and popcorn. and about 4 pounds of red potatoes. and just for our tomato eating little one, 2 baskets of cherry tomatoes..He will be so happy when he comes in from school and See's his "treat".

So tonight--its gonna be a real "Throw Down" for supper:..Pork Chops, Cabbage and Red Potatoes...mmmmm. And afterwards, strawberries for dessert.
Senior and I then ended our little outing at the markets sandwich shop, and cool glass of cherry limeade...

The Costco Cashier and Zombie Apocalypse....

Earlier this afternoon, Senior, the boys and I made a trip out to COSTCO. We wanted to get more rice and sugar, plus I was shopping for a new IPOD, mine of 5years got fried about 2 weeks ago while I was backing out the driveway, coffee spilled on to it. So Senior told me I could shop for a  new one. However, imagine my disappointment when I realized Costco does not sell them, but they have no problem selling the IHOME docking station for them... ?????????

We shopped for other items not on our list, and managed to fill up the cart. I had the youngest in the shopping cart seat, and joked with the check out guy: " This didn't have a bar code on it, so I don't know what it costs"....LOL   He laughed and said " sorry, ma'am can't sell him then"  The youngest starred at me in horror cause he thought he was going to have to live at Costco,
 he said " If I live here I will eat everything"..   Our lovely cashier heard him and said... " little boy you want to live here? well my family told me that when the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE happens, we are coming to Costco and locking all the gates"  So, our youngest in all his infinite wisdom, then says:
" Democrats are Zombies" ! ... 

Then I came home and stumbled upon this most appropriate pic:

    

Did You Watch?

As you all know I was excited about the new episodes of Doomsday Preppers. However, half way in to the first show, it turned a bit dismal to me. Stephen has all ready touched on some of the points, but I will elaborate more.

 I was afraid from the onset that Natgeo was painting preppers in a negative light, even with the commercials for it, I kept telling Senior that they are making a joke out it. The folks they picked were flea market quality at best, and made us all look like Right Wing Wack Jobs. What else would I have expected? after all it is liberal TV.
 The girl from Houston really irked me the most, to begin with I felt like she was “not all there” . I know some of my readers are from Texas, I have been to Houston on many occasions, and trust me when I say this: No way in Hell are you going to be able to hoof it out on foot if SHTF. She had a six mile hike to her bug out vehicle, and IF she made it out, she then faced the odds of the vehicle being stolen or all the gas siphoned out.  And the “Weed Man of L.A”  oh Lord!  The overweight truck driver did make a few good points, on gas shortages, etc...

 The only one they profiled that I liked was the lady from Utah, Senior and I picked up some food prep tips we had not thought of. After her segment I, turned to senior and said "good night".

So, if you watched what are some of your opinions ?

NatGeo-DoomsDay Preppers

Tonight is the premier of this seasons "Doomsday Preppers" Senior and I have been waiting with much anticipation. If you can't be home to watch it, and you have a DVR then set it. It is a series worth watching and something you don't want to miss.

Also..another TV tidbit, Next Tuesday @10pm on the History Channel, starts the new season of TOP SHOTS. with host Colby Donaldson. If you have never watched, its a competition type show pairing teams against each other until one person is left standing, here is a link to the shows website:
TOP SHOTS

My First Official Loaf

With the arrival of our new grain mill, and cases of purchased wheat berries from the nice "sister" at the LDS Cannery, I got down to business yesterday whipped out the LDS recipe guide and made my first loaf of home made bread. I have used the boxed mixes before, but this was the first time for grinding our own wheat

We did a half and half mixture of white all purpose flour and hard white wheat

Mixed all ingrediants and kneeded it on a lightly oiled surface, and let it rise.Until it doubled

Shaped it in to a loaf pan

And baked it on 350 for 35 minutes and the results:

WERE DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

It was so good that Senior ate about 4 slices with our dinner last night. And both boys asked for more.

Now I am ready to try some other varieties of bread...   

My New Grain Mill and Canned Cheese...

Finally got my grain mill delivered today, now i just need to figure out how to use it and make some home made bread. Looks like this could be one of those undertakings I could post updates on...

And got in our order of BEGA canned cheese, from Australia...be careful when ordering canned cheeses, the kraft brand is now processed and canned in the middle east.... So now we are ready to pop a can open and try it on some crackers later tonight

Doomsday Preppers on NatGeo Channel

Mark you calenders, because on Tuesday February 7th @9pm est. A new episode of "Doomsday Preppers" airs.The featured episode for that evening will be about a young woman who lives in a 700sq ft. apartment and is a prepper.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/doomsday-preppers/

Preppers Article...a good read

So go grab yourself a cup of coffee this morning and prepare yourself for this article. I saw it on Drudge, and yes while I know it is a bit long, its worth the read.I have highlighted my favorite parts.

By Jim Forsyth

Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:44am EST

(Reuters) - When Patty Tegeler looks out the window of her home overlooking the Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Virginia, she sees trouble on the horizon.

"In an instant, anything can happen," she told Reuters. "And I firmly believe that you have to be prepared."

Tegeler is among a growing subculture of Americans who refer to themselves informally as "preppers." Some are driven by a fear of imminent societal collapse, others are worried about terrorism, and many have a vague concern that an escalating series of natural disasters is leading to some type of environmental cataclysm.

They are following in the footsteps of hippies in the 1960s who set up communes to separate themselves from what they saw as a materialistic society, and the survivalists in the 1990s who were hoping to escape the dictates of what they perceived as an increasingly secular and oppressive government.

Preppers, though are, worried about no government.

Tegeler, 57, has turned her home in rural Virginia into a "survival center," complete with a large generator, portable heaters, water tanks, and a two-year supply of freeze-dried food that her sister recently gave her as a birthday present. She says that in case of emergency, she could survive indefinitely in her home. And she thinks that emergency could come soon.

"I think this economy is about to fall apart," she said.

A wide range of vendors market products to preppers, mainly online. They sell everything from water tanks to guns to survival skills.

Conservative talk radio host Glenn Beck seems to preach preppers' message when he tells listeners: "It's never too late to prepare for the end of the world as we know it."

"Unfortunately, given the increasing complexity and fragility of our modern technological society, the chances of a societal collapse are increasing year after year," said author James Wesley Rawles, whose Survival Blog is considered the guiding light of the prepper movement.

A former Army intelligence officer, Rawles has written fiction and non-fiction books on end-of-civilization topics, including "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It," which is also known as the preppers' Bible.

"We could see a cascade of higher interest rates, margin calls, stock market collapses, bank runs, currency revaluations, mass street protests, and riots," he told Reuters. "The worst-case end result would be a Third World War, mass inflation, currency collapses, and long term power grid failures."

A sense of "suffering and being afraid" is usually at the root of this kind of thinking, according to Cathy Gutierrez, an expert on end-times beliefs at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. Such feelings are not unnatural in a time of economic recession and concerns about a growing national debt, she said.

"With our current dependence on things from the electric grid to the Internet, things that people have absolutely no control over, there is a feeling that a collapse scenario can easily emerge, with a belief that the end is coming, and it is all out of the individual's control," she told Reuters.

She compared the major technological developments of the past decade to the Industrial Revolution of the 1830s and 1840s, which led to the growth of the Millerites, the 19th-Century equivalent of the preppers. Followers of charismatic preacher Joseph Miller, many sold everything and gathered in 1844 for what they believed would be the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Many of today's preppers receive inspiration from the Internet, devouring information posted on websites like that run by attorney Michael T. Snider, who writes The Economic Collapse blog out of his home in northern Idaho.

"Modern preppers are much different from the survivalists of the old days," he said. "You could be living next door to a prepper and never even know it. Many suburbanites are turning spare rooms into food pantries and are going for survival training on the weekends."

Like other preppers, Snider is worried about the end of a functioning U.S. economy. He points out that tens of millions of Americans are on food stamps and that many U.S. children are living in poverty.

"Most people have a gut feeling that something has gone terribly wrong, but that doesn't mean that they understand what is happening," he said. "A lot of Americans sense that a massive economic storm is coming and they want to be prepared for it."

So, assuming there is no collapse of society -- which the preppers call "uncivilization" -- what is the future of the preppers?

Gutierrez said that unlike the Millerites -- or followers of radio preacher Harold Camping, who predicted the world would end last year -- preppers are not setting a date for the coming destruction. The Mayan Calendar predicts doom this December.

"The minute you set a date, you are courting disconfirmation," she said.
Tegeler, who recalls being hit by tornadoes and floods in her southwestern Virginia home, said that none of her "survival center" products will go to waste.

"I think it's silly not to be prepared," she said. "After all, anything can happen."

AR-15s Paint job and other Stuff....

A friend of ours used fingernail polish to paint the etchings on his glock...so cool I thought. So Senior did my AR in Hot pink.  I know the picture doesnt look that great, but remember folks, I had stitches in my right hand and it was hard to keep it steady..  : )

Secondly this morning, over the past weekend We worked in our spare room got out a guest bed, and bought some more shelving for our food supplies. In the white boxs is our current haul from the LDS. not quite to our goal yet, but getting there slowly as finances allow.

Lastly this morning, I am reading on US News that Americans fear Obamas re-election 2:1. I too am in fear, it is a very real possibility, especially if we don't pick a strong republican nominee. Senior and I are preparing for 4 more years of BO and his BS. But, we do have a voice and it is called VOTING. and if you don't get out and vote, then you don't have a reason to complain.  BO is going to try every dirty trick in the book to win, and I am positive one will be to replace Biden with Hillary. And then there is the numerous voter fraud that will go on. So it is up to us to create a revolution in the voters box, and make him a one-termer.