In an article recently posted demand for prepping gear has exploded! And from personal experience companies like Mountain House are reportedly having a hard time keeping up.  My local vendor here in Portland recently told me that the Country Living Grain mill was on backorder..

What does this tell me?
Well, like the article below it tells me that people are nervous on an international scale for a number of already posted reasons.. But it also tells me that people are waking up to being more prepared for the future. Here in Portland our Bureau of Emergency Management is working on a campaign to help people prepare and on a national level ready.org and FEMA have been drilling this in for YEARS!

More recently with the financial crisis of the times people are now taking note. I also have heard quite a bit about 2012 and I want to remind people of Y2K..

12 years ago before Y2k there was also a run on supplies.. And nothing came out of it.. this lackluster event left many with a sour taste in their mouth when it comes to being prepared. Now we have a new generation of people who are headed down the reverse Oregon trail. They want to be more prepared, to be self-sufficient and that is a GREAT thing.. The best thing we can do is to learn how to be more self-sufficient without relying on goods alone.. Grow a garden.. Raise rabbits and chickens. Cows if you can.. Being resilient does not depend upon the water in your basement but rather on your ability to dig you own well or filter the water you find..

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As the U.S. economy tanks and the Mid-East appears poised for war,  a chain of survival gear stores in Missouri has reported a jump in sales due to people getting ready for the possible ‘collapse’ of society.

Steve Dorsey, a manager at one of the Uncle Sam’s Safari Outfitters stores in Webster Groves told KMOX-Radio that: “We had to order fifty cases of the meals ready to eat to keep up with the demand in the past three months. That’s not normal.  Usually we sell 20 to 30 cases in a whole year.”

When local stores start running out of MREs– specially packaged meals ready-to-eat, generally for the military– that seems to be a sign of strong public anxiety.

Steve Dorsey also told reporters that sales has been picking up since the Arab Spring revolts and with the continued specter of a global economic collapse hanging over America.

‘Collapse’ preparations are apparently not just for the outdoorsman either. Dorsey claimed that wealthy patrons from cities  have been buying up the gear as well, telling KMOX that:

“I’ve had people in here that are very wealthy and they’ve spent thousands of dollars just on backpacks that they fill with survival gear, one for each person of their family and something where they can just grab a bag and get out of Dodge.”

The survivalists‘ plans for a collapse aren’t limited to any one route, according to Dorsey. Some are stocking up on freeze-dried meals for home, others are stashing food at remote locations outside of cities they would flee to in the event of  major incident. In other cases, families  are setting up communal safe havens  where 20 or 30 people will gather in the event of a collapse.

Dorsey gave his analysis of the situation as “people are scared. They don’t know where this country is going. They think we’re on a downward spiral with just dramatic, crazy spending.  People just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

That much seems increasingly obvious, whether one is out storing up on MREs or not.

Source Article http://www.theblaze.com/stories/collapse-preparations-push-skyrocketing-survival-gear-sales/

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So I just finished cleansing my house.. of CLF light bulbs.. (compact florescent) You know, those twisty ones.. I have been using them for about 6 years now, and I have to say that I have had enough. Recently another 150w CFL nearly caught fire in my home, there was toxic smoke and internal fire but everything was contained. Over the last 6 years this has happened quite a few times  and my concern grows over their safety..

Audience: What does this have to survival or being prepared..

Me: Hold on, I’m getting to that..

I have three wonderful children and every hazard they could encounter makes my concern grow for the world they are in. I wish it was easier for me to just take them back to pioneer times when all they had to deal with was killer animals and horrible disease & infections; instead of technology, commercialism and GMO foods etc..

I have been researching A LOT recently on the dark side of CFL light bulbs.. Find a list at the bottom of this page.  I have decided that I have really had it.. A recent episode of the survival podcast l Jack had a wonderful guest (Paul Wheaton) on that talked about the REAL cost of creating CFL bulbs along with a array of other factors. But the cost breakdown hit home with me.. I encourage you to listen to it..

Now I am not saying incandescent bulbs are the environmental solution I think there is great hope for LED technology just at this time.. I cannot afford $30.00 light bulbs .

Okay onto the prepping subject..

So in the next few years its going start being VERY hard to get your hands on incandescent light bulbs..  So I say stock up now! Take advantage of retailer discounts and local coupons to stuff your cupboards with healthy light..

Jack sparko and Paul Wheaton’s Podcast.. http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/paul-wheaton-on-cast-iron-cooking-cfls-and-rocket-mass-heating

MSNBC on CFL’s and evnormental waste.. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23694819/ns/us_news-environment/t/shining-light-hazards-fluorescent-bulbs/

Scientific American http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=are-compact-fluorescent-lightbulbs-dangerous

“As effective as it is at enabling white light, however, mercury—sometimes called quicksilver—is also highly toxic. It is especially harmful to the brains of both fetuses and children. That’s why officials have curtailed or banned its use in applications from thermometers to automotive and thermostat switches. (A single thermostat switch, still common in many homes, may contain 3,000 milligrams (0.1 ounce) of mercury, or as much as 600 compact fluorescents.)”

Another Great article http://www.threedonia.com/archives/10595

http://www.wattworks.com/CFL%20Hazards.htm

“Bulb end-of-life hazards: When CFLs burn out they can create acrid plastic smoke and carcinogenic fumes. Those bulbs without an internal fuse will melt or smoke until power is turned off. 90% of these bulbs are currently manufactured in China where quality control is questionable.”

I am happy to announce I am planning a regular podcast. My objective is much like others: to learn, share, and teach. I already listen to quite a few podcasts out there and I really enjoy them, but it always leaves me feeling as if I have my hand up in class and the teacher walks out of the room.

I was trying to decide what I could do about this, and it came to me that the real answer here (for me at least) is to start my own podcast. We can cover topics others are covering and break new ground on our own..

I am currently seeking guests for our show and even topics to cover..

Since hunting season is here I am currently looking for an experienced hunter (which I am not) to visit with us and talk to us about some hunting basics for survival, things like avoiding detection, field dressing, tips for your first hunt.

I am also looking for a 12 volt and Solar expert and someone with creative engineering experience!

I am very excited to have my first guest lined up Micahel Knight from the Portland Preparedness Center will be joining me for our first guest show. Topic to be announced.

If you know someone who would be a great guest please have them email me.  

Catastrophe Network and The American Preparedness Radio Network (TAPRN) have teamed up to create a Standardized Amateur Radio Prepper Communications Plan. This plan outlines a standard set of frequencies that should be used by all preppers following a catastrophic disaster. These frequencies will serve as a meeting point where information about the event can be shared and actions between like minded preppers can be communicated.

This plan will not and cannot work if it is not widely publicized in the prepper community! All preppers must know and understand these frequencies in order for them to become common meeting points. This is your call to action, if you are a licensed Amateur Radio operator and a prepper, please spread the word about this new communications plan. Tweet about it, blog about it, and most of all…share the document!

Click here to download a copy of the Standardized Amateur Radio Prepper Communications Plan.

IF THIS LINK DOES NOT WORK EMAIL ME I HAVE A COPY

The following are the frequencies that have been designated by Catastrophe Network and the The American Preparedness Radio Network (TAPRN):

• 80 Meters – 3.818 MHz LSB (TAPRN Net: Sundays at 9 PM ET)
• 40 Meters – 7.242 MHz LSB
• 40 Meters Digital – 7.073 MHz USB PSK-31 (TAPRN Net: Sundays at 7:30 PM ET)
• 20 Meters – 14.242 MHz USB
• 2 Meters – 146.420 MHz FM

Aside from the TAPRN nets held on 3.818 and their digital net on 7.073, formal prepper nets will not be held on these frequencies. However, future exercises and drills may be held on-air between preppers and preppers are encouraged to use these frequencies to coordinate activities. Along the same lines, during catastrophes, it is unlikely that a formal net control will be established. The Standardized Amateur Radio Prepper Communications Planoutlines protocols for calling and communicating with other preppers.

This is a repost for http://www.catastrophenetwork.org/ simply to share the information.

The illusion of money and the price of goods has always been fascinating to me. I was sifting the internet this morning and came upon this great website. http://www.gti.net/mocolib1//prices/1901.html

I am still trying to figure out how it became so expensive to buy land.. or a bag of beans.. (Yes I really do know the answer is supply and demand) It makes me angry have been born in a generation when it is so hard to prepare for the future because greatly of the cost of goods..

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I always think there is great value in teacher resources..

Historic prices, Morris County, NJ

The prices listed in this survey were published in the Daily Record [Morristown, New Jersey] newspaper, the first fifteen days of selected months each decade. Staple items in several popular consumer categories were selected: automobiles, clothing, food & beverages, furniture, household goods, newspapers, personal care & health, real estate and recreation. Special categories include garden equipment (1902-2002 & 1903-2003), professional services (1902-2002), school supplies (1909-1999), tobacco & alcohol (1901-2001) and tools (1905-2005). Whenever possible, we selected items/brands (men’s suits, garden hoses, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes) found in today’s stores. This makes it possible to take a 1925 “shopping list” to your local supermarket or department store and compare prices.

Items differ between decades because some were not advertised or were advertised without prices (20% off). Some things were invented along the way (televisions, microwave ovens) and others were selected because they illustrate significant items from a specific decade (cashmere sweaters, food processors). What is NOT advertised, as in NO new car ads in 1944 (World War II, gas rationing and metal going to defense industries), can be as important as what is. The problems of quantity and quality also figure prominently in any price comparison project. That’s why we included unit sizes and brand names when listed.

Finding prices in your area
Check with you local library to see what old newspaper files are available for your area. Please note: with the exception of selected papers serving major cities New York, Boston, Hartford, Washington DC., old newspapers are generally stored on microfilm. If you are researching prices in a different part of the country, your librarian may be able to borrow reels of microfilm for you.

Teacher tips
Finding local historic prices is a great project, as long as you can be flexible with the items. Why? Prices in newspaper ads reflect seasonal availability, popular demand, company promotion, and product surplus. Some products rarely go on sale (a bag of Hershey’s Kisses), making their prices almost impossible to track. If you want your students to compare prices based on newspapers ads you will have the most success if you stick with the basics: bread, soap, shampoo, mattresses, movie tickets, automobiles. Don’t waste your student’s time scanning through weeks of microfilm looking for one specific product or brand. Pricing is competitive; store/generic brands are always a little cheaper than national brands. It also makes sense to pick a week (first week in May?) to deflect the seasonal nature of pricing. Some items are best found in specific seasons (school supplies in September, toys in December, garden supplies in June). Before assigning this project, contact your public library and ask if it owns the old papers on microfilm. If not, the librarians can direct you to the closest holding library. Also ask about microfilm reader-printer availability & costs.

AVERAGE U.S. PRICE DATA
The U.S. Dept. of Labor, U.S. Dept. of Energy, and other federal agencies track retail prices for various items throughout the country. Historical data varies by commodity (sugar 1890+, gasoline 1919+) and is NOT brand-specific. Some commodity prices are also reported by region. Some retail prices (furniture, lawn mowers, sneakers) are NOT tracked by the federal government. Use these sources:Web sources

• Average wholesale prices of selected commodities in Philadelphia [1720-1775] (see p. 46)
  …corn, rice, flour, bread, molasses, rum, beef, pork, sugar
• Food [1890-1970] (see p. 31)
  …flour, bread, meat, dairy products, fruits & vegetables, coffee, margarine and sugar
• Food [1980-present], U.S. Dept. of Labor
  …dozens of items including peanut butter, applesauce, potato chips & ice cream
• Food
  …selected periods & popular items Coca Cola, Hershey Bars & McDonald’s Hamburgers from product launch to present times
• Food & fuel: 12 staple commodities, U.S. Dept. of Labor, [1980-present]
• Gasoline: national averages, [1919-2004] & 1949-2008 (leaded, unleaded, premium, etc.). See also regional prices, [1949-present]
• Gold [1833-2005] & silver [1900-1998] [1975-2007]
• Postage rates: first class stamps & postcards.
• Utilities & energy (see p. 32) Electricity, Gas, and Fuels for Residential Use [1913-1970]Database source
• New York Times Historic (Proquest) [1851-present]database is useful for articles (gas prices in the 1920s, subway fare increases) and advertisements (box of candy in the 1930s, New Year’s Eve dinner at a hotel).Print sources
• Value of a Dollar: Colonial Era to the Civil War 1600-1865
• Value of a Dollar: Prices and Incomes in the United States 1860-2004 (both by Greyhouse Publishing)
  Excellent compendiums of prices for popular items extracted from federal statistical sources, advertisements, company catalogs (Sears, Montgomery Ward) and other primary sources. Prices are provided for food, clothing, furniture, household goods, medical items, personal care, automobiles, amusements and more. Data also extends to consumer expenditures, average salaries, selected stock prices, gasoline prices, telephone rates and U.S. postage. NOTE: These books are available in many public libraries.
• Standard Catalog of American Cars (1805-1942) & other old car catalogs…also includes specs and options.
• Western Prices Before 1861: A Study of the Cincinnati Market, Thomas Senior Berry, [Cambridge MA:Harvard University Press] 1943
  Selected food and commodity prices (hogs, salt), 1827-1861.

A note about wartime prices:
Food, gasoline and other essential items are often precious commodities during wartime. Prices are determined by availability and governmental regulation. In World War I our federal government established the U.S. Food Administration, headed by Herbert Hoover. During World War II the Office of Price Administration (1942-1945) set the prices of various consumer goods to stabilize the economy in the United States. War ration books were required to purchase some items.
If a man’s suit cost $30.00 in 1934, how much would that be in “today’s” dollars?
You can use

• Purchasing power of the U.S. dollar…1774-2007
• Inflation calculator, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics…1913-present.

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Hey everyone I wanted to give one last update before I go to bed.. You can now listen to the prepper podcast network right from the front page of my website! Come on over and check it out! On the right hand side.

I have really been enjoying #PrepperTalk on Twitter brought  to you all by http://www.survivorjane.com Lots of great well informed people. One of the best parts of getting prepared is meeting other like minded people..

Connect and talk with us!

And you can Follow us http://twitter.com/#!/HowtoBePrepared

Homesteading, Homemaking, back to the earth, find a farm settle down.. seems like I am hearing things like this more and more these days.  Everyone I know seems to be returning to the earth from the far right to the super left, this is a change that has not be influenced by one thing or another but by a complete shift in so many things. From food to goods and the way we have been living our lives. People are asking for more, more substance, and I think people are doing that themselves. It seems like here in Portland people are really trying to head out of the city and back into the country the woods etc..

How does this play into being prepared and the survivalist education model. Well all these city folks are learning new talents and new lessons to survive. But This is OLD knowledge that we are going BACK TO. Its almost like the folks from the east moving west on the Oregon Trail seeking change and a better life.. Now we have folks headed back out into the land in search of adventure again. Sure we have some neat new tools we can use, and better weapons to hunt and protect ourselves with but the truth here is that we are using old skills, looking to our ancestors for the answers. How to live off the land. How to preserve our foods how to eat in season.. It seems like it is all coming full circle.. And I for one welcome it.  and look forward to sharing my journey with you all.

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