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Doomsday ‘Preppers’ Warn of Hard Times Ahead As Preparedness Goes Mainstream

Doomsday ‘Preppers’ Warn of Hard Times Ahead As Preparedness Goes Mainstream

Food scarcity. Food vouchers. Food riots and flash mobs.

All of that’s coming—and soon, says Texas-based food scientist and “Health Ranger” podcaster Mike Adams, who sees dire events unfolding in America in the short term.

His advice: people need to get prepared now.

“The thing to really watch for is the food inflation,” Adams said.

“My position is we’re going to see food riots in America before the end of this year. We’re going to see flash mobs in grocery stores—especially for meat products.

“Grocery stores are going to respond with increased security and checkpoints. At some point, we’re probably going to see an attempt at price controls and rationing. 

“And not on everything—certain types of things. It’s almost certain that the rationing they will attempt to enforce with a vaccine passport app that becomes a food rationing app,” Adams told The Epoch Times.

Adams is not alone in his predictions of hard times coming to America—and the world.

With food production buckling under the weight of runaway inflation, skyrocketing fuel costs, and fertilizer shortages, much of what’s in store is already “built-in.”

Unfertile Ground

In North America two years ago, it cost around $200 an acre to fertilize a 1,000-acre commercial farm, Adams said. Right now, with spring planting, farmers can expect to pay $1,200 to $2,000 an acre.

And consumers will pay for it in higher prices for basic necessities. 

“Many farmers are deciding not to plant. In addition, the diesel fuel prices and diesel fuel scarcity is going into their equation whether they should plant,” Adams said.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Is there a long emergency plan for peak oil?

Ever since I first learned about peak oil in 2000, the Master Resource that makes all other resources and activities possible, I’ve wondered what The Plan to cope with its decline and eventual disappearance was. So it wouldn’t be just a long emergency plan, but a permanent emergency plan.

There have indeed been plans: Nixon launched “Project Independence” after the oil shock of 1973 to wean the U.S. from its dependence on imported oil by 1980 with kerogen shale oilhydrogen fuel vehicles, and nuclear power.

When that didn’t pan out, further government attempts were made to find alternatives for fossil fuels, for example (NRC 2009):

  • Richard Nixon’s “Project Independence” (1974)
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (1974)
  • Gerald Ford’s “Energy Independence Act” (1975)
  • Energy Policy & Conservation Act (1975) to restrict exports of coal, petroleum products, natural gas, petrochemical feedstocks, and supplies of materials and equipment for the exploration, production, refining, and transportation of energy.
  • Jimmy Carter’s “National Energy Plan” (1977)
  • Department of Energy (1977)
  • Ronald Reagan’s “Energy Security” report (1987)
  • George H.W. Bush’s “National Energy Strategy” (1991)
  • Bill Clinton’s “Federal Energy R&D for the Challenges of the 21st Century” report (1997)
  • George W. Bush’s “Reliable, Affordable, and Environmentally Sound Energy for America’s Future” report (2001).
  • John Kerry’s plan: “Kerry Aims to Reduce Foreign Oil Reliance,” Associated Press (2004).

But Senator Lugar pointed out in 2006 that despite Project Independence and other plans, the world has become more reliant on the three-quarters of reserves concentrated in unstable regions, where the risk of wars over remaining energy supplies will dramatically increase.

Or as Jay Hanson (2004) once wrote: “I am convinced thatafter the PROJECT INDEPENDENCE fiasco, our rulers reached the same conclusion I have: since no solution exists, there is no point in scaring Joe Six-pack…

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Marti’s Corner – 51

Marti’s Corner – 51

NOTES:

eggs-in-a-basket

*  Egg substitutions.  I have some dehydrated eggs stored, and have even used them to make scrambled eggs once (they were pretty good actually).  But in this article by “I Am Baker” she experiments with 4 types of egg substitutions:  {4 OPTIONS!} Egg Substitutes – i am baker  I was surprised to see seltzer water on that list.  Seems like that would be an easy and cheap alternative.

*  Every December, I buy new baking soda and baking powder.  When I checked the “use by” dates on the old baking powder, it was “use by Oct, 2021”.  It was only about 1/2 empty.  I don’t always go by those dates, but baking powder and baking soda DO lose their effectiveness over time – usually about a year.  Luckily they are inexpensive, so I don’t mind tossing the old one and paying $.89 for a new one.  My daughter and I were talking about it once, and she never even buys baking powder.  But I’m always thinking WHAT IF. Baking powder is a must for homemade pancakes, waffles, and quick breads.

So, this is a good time to repurchase and start the new year fresh.

*  Besides, baking soda has a lot of other uses:  21 Clever Uses For Baking Soda Around The House | HuffPost Life

*  I got an advertisement for a “Healing Garden” today in the mail.  Healing Herbs Garden Kit

Many of these herbs I’ve bought online, usually dried.  Some of them I’ve tried growing myself, although I’m still not very good at it.  Growing herbs and flowers is different from growing vegetables.  It’s a good variety, however, and includes echinacea, calendula, marshmallow, mint, chamomile, lavender, and yarrow (among other things).  I grew yarrow once and even used it to make aLavender for soap making salve.

It’s surprising how many of these flower seeds suggest planting them in the winter, then waiting for them to come up in the spring.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

The Criminalization of Preppers in Turkey: Will Our Country Be Next?

The Criminalization of Preppers in Turkey: Will Our Country Be Next?

History has shown us that collectivism detests the individual. The man who can exist independent of the system, who thinks for himself, who is not easily swayed, and who has values rooted in absolute truth which he refuses to give up – this is the enemy of collectivism.

But if we take a closer look at one aspect of the individual – his ability to exist independent of the system – is it not clear this is an end goal of prepping?

Is that not what a prepper strives for – the ability to exist independent of the world around them so that disaster does not affect them in the way that it affects others?

It is, and this is why collectivism criminalizes preppers over and over again.

We’ve seen it before and we’re seeing it right now, most notably in Turkey.

Turkey is cooked, and we all know it.

For those who keep a fairly accurate pulse of world events, you know that the fiat currency of Turkey – the lira – is collapsing.

As of this year the lira has lost approximately 40% of its value, and from all appearances, it shows no signs of stopping its downward spiral anytime soon.

Inflation is rapidly leading to hyperinflation within Turkey and the Turkish citizens have recognized this. People began attempting to step away from the lira and delving into cryptocurrency in an attempt to protect themselves.

And then the Turkish government made crypto illegal as a form of payment on April 30, 2021. This was done to prevent “irreparable damage.” What’s ironic about this is that the Turks said this was because cryptocurrencies were “neither subject to any regulation and supervision mechanisms nor a central regulatory authority.” [source]

That’s a fun train of logic from the people that are in the process of destroying their own currency.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

How to Make Soap From Scratch (DIY)

How to Make Soap From Scratch (DIY)

Soap-Making 101: Prepping Skills to Learn Now“Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants.” –William Osler. 

The average American consumer spends almost 90 dollars a year on soap and detergents. Once you’ve made a batch of your own soap, you may never use store-bought soap again. Soap making is incredibly easy, and it’s an excellent skill to have after a disaster if you are homesteading or just want to pick up a highly addictive hobby. One large batch can provide you, your friends, neighbors, and their friends all the soap you could need for months and months.

DIY SoapIn this video, I will make a simple batch of fragrant soap using oil, and sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye.  Because there is some chemistry here to get it right, I have done all the calculations for you.  Lye is highly corrosive in its pure state and can cause chemical burns, so you will want to wear hand and eye protection and even a mask.  You will also want to mix these chemicals in a well-ventilated area or outdoors, as the sodium hydroxide can give off poisonous gas.  Don’t let this scare you, though. You won’t have to worry if you practice reasonable safety precautions, as I will outline here.  I will take you step-by-step through what you need, the recipe and method, an example of a usable failure, and then a bit of the history on soap, fats, lye, and my shocking theory about the origin of soap.  By the end of this video, you will have a batch that works that you can play around with and tweak however you like…

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Do-It-Yourself Freeze-dried MREs

Do-It-Yourself Freeze-dried MREs

Make Your Own MREs: Freeze-Dried Chili Mac

While I like to have a range of freeze-dried foods on hand, I may not have time to prep a meal in an emergency.  That may result in my having to chew on rehydrated carrot chips or crunchy corn washed down with swigs of water, but having my Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) can be a huge nutritionally complex advantage.  First, I know what’s in it, so I know it’s good for me.  Second, my body had already processed some of this same food when I first made it, so I’m not shocking my system at a time when I need as stable of physiology as possible.  Third, I have a meal ready to eat anytime I don’t know what to have for dinner on a particular night.  And, though there are many other reasons I could probably go into, like the fact that the food has a shelf-life of upwards of 25 years, a huge reason is its cost savings.  Food prices aren’t going down, so when I cook in bulk today and set it aside, I am essentially putting food in an interest-bearing savings account of sorts.  The ten dollars I might spend today on food will be worth even more five years from now, and after a disaster, it will be priceless.

Portions of frozen chili macIn this video, I’ll make and freeze-dry classic Chili Mac.  To rehydrate, just add hot water, and you’re eating a home-cooked meal while the disaster rages outside.  Throughout this series on the Harvest Right Freeze-Dryer, I’ll give you a few pro-tips based on lessons I have learned and one technical fact per video….

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Marti’s Corner – 42

Marti’s Corner – 42

Marti's Corner at City PreppingHi Everyone,

NOTES:

*  If you want to store some food for emergencies and are looking for some low-carb ideas, check out this site:  30 Low-Carb And Keto Emergency Food list – get the printable lists NOW

*  Want to try dehydrating but don’t want to buy a dehydrator?  Try the oven.  How to Dehydrate Food Without a Dehydrator « Food HacksDehydrator jerky

This site shows you how to use an oven, a toaster oven, a microwave, and the sun.  The author even shows you how to make your own dehydrator.

*  Garden Notes – Even though the weather is still warm here in So. Cal., the days are gradually getting shorter, which also means that the sun does rise as high in the sky, which means that the plants don’t get as much sunlight even during the day.  Last year I gardened all winter long, and frankly, the plants did NOT do very well, except for the lettuce.  So this year, I’m not going to do that.  I will take the plants out as production decreases and just let the garden rest, except for the lettuce.  My zucchini and yellow squash that I planted in the spring is just about done.  But the zucchini and squash that I planted about two months ago are now starting to produce.  Somehow the aphids got away from me and seemed to be everywhere—spray, spray, spray.  I’m using BT, an organic spray for the aphids.

LONG TERM FOCUS: Fruit

Last week to gather cans of fruit, fruit roll-ups, dehydrated fruits,  jams, powdered fruit drinks, and other types of fruit.  Cans of fruit, although bulky and heavy, have sweet syrup that will giveFruit needed calories in an emergency.

SHORT TERM FOCUS: Raisins, Craisins

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Sunchokes: The Ultimate Prepper Survival Food

Sunchokes: The Ultimate Prepper Survival Food

“Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see the shadow.  It’s what sunflowers do.”— Helen Keller.

SunChokesThe sunflower should be the symbol of preppers and survivors, and it’s the unsung hero that every prepper should grow, know how to recognize in the wild, and use.  Helianthus comprises about 70 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae. Except for three South American species, the species of Helianthus are native to North America and Central America, but they now grow around the world.

In this blog, we will take a look at Helianthus tuberosus.  Its common names are sunroot, wild sunflower, earth apple, Canadian truffle, and Jerusalem artichoke.  The tuber of this plant can commonly be found in some grocery stores, and it is sometimes referred to as a fartichoke.  The taste is similar to that of artichoke hearts, but it derives this slang name because of its high amounts of inulin.  When the tubers are stored for an extended period, this inulin will convert to its component fructose. Still, inulin is only digestible by gut bacteria, hence the gas that it sometimes causes.

I will show you how to grow, harvest, and cook the sunchoke to reduce the gassy effect.  I will also freeze-dry some and make it into pasta.  Let’s explore this ultimate of prepper plants.

GROWING  & HARVESTING

The first thing to know about this plant is that it grows wild in almost any soil.  Colonists first brought it and other sunflowers back to Europe, and it now extends around the world.  Its tuber roots are prolific, and it will take over whatever garden plot you put it in to start.  One planted acre will yield almost 9 tons of tubers…

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Marti’s Corner – 38

Marti’s Corner – 38

NOTES:

*  Here is a great article about storing water:  Drinking Water Guidelines.

*  I came across a FaceBook group called, “Simply Prepared With CFD Publications.”  From there I found this website: CFD Publications  You will find a lot of good information in both places.  You will also find a book called Pantry Cooking by Cheryl Driggs, which offers over 350 shelf-stable recipes.

*  Beginning in late 2020, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints began to publish “Local Area Preparedness Guides.”  Go here to find YOUR area:  Local Area Prepare    Here is the one for So. Cal:  Temporal-Preparedness-Guide-North-America-Southwest-Area-Guide-May-2021

*  I apologize if I’ve offered this before, but it’s really great:  Houston Emergency Preparedness Cookbook  You can download it now and look at it later.Emergecy Preparedness Recipes - Cooking

**  Garden Update.  For several weeks, something has been eating my lettuce – AS SOON AS IT SPROUTS!!!  I tried sprays and diatomaceous earth.  I finally dug up all the lettuce and started over in new tubs.  Same thing.  I took pictures and sent them to a master gardener.  She suggested mice, rabbits, or squirrels.  I bought some sticky mouse traps and laid them right in the tubs.  BUT, then I decided to move the tables away from next to the house.  If it’s a mouse, I thought, it won’t be able to climb up the table if it’s away from the wall.  Soooo… I did not catch a mouse, only a bunch of flies in the sticky goo.  BUT, moving the tables has seemed to work, and I’m now harvesting lettuce again.  In addition, I have also gotten zucchini and yellow squash from plants that I sprouted only a few weeks ago.  Yay!!!  I feel that the plants are finally starting to bloom again after the summer heat.

LONG TERM FOCUS: Milk

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

The Current Supply Chain Crisis Could Throw The Global Economy Off Course!

The Current Supply Chain Crisis Could Throw The Global Economy Off Course!

Be ready! The current supply chain crisis is becoming noticeable to most at this point and it could toss the entire global economy off course.  With just the right problem, we could all be facing shortages that would make the toilet paper incident of 2020 look like a daydream.

Be ready! The current supply chain crisis is becoming noticeable to most at this point and it could toss the entire global economy off course.  With just the right problem, we could all be facing shortages that would make the toilet paper incident of 2020 look like a daydream.

The Guardian has explained that all of the problems with the supply chain, including shortages, are in one way or another tangled up in the surge of post-pandemic consumer demand. Of course, when all of the problems are taken together, they threaten what one leading economist calls a “stagflationary wind” that could blow the global economy off course. The supply chain problems are also bigger than we are currently being told according to many who work in the transportation and manufacturing industries.

“The supply chain problems are much more persistent than most policymakers expected, although companies are less surprised,” Mohamed El-Erian, and adviser to the insurance giant Allianz and president of Queens’ College, Cambridge, said. “Governments are having to rethink quickly because the three elements – supply side, transport, labor – are coming together to blow a stagflationary wind through the global economy.”

Instead of waiting on the government’s response, which will more than likely only include the printing of more money and the push of the inflation rate higher, we should be preparing

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

15 Common Dynamics of SHTF Collapses

15 Common Dynamics of SHTF Collapses

When it comes to how we see and prepare for SHTF, thinking in terms of real and probable rather than fictional and possible can make a big difference. Even though SHTF has many forms and levels and is in essence complex, random, diverse and unsystematic, some patterns and principles are common to the way things unfold when it hits the fan.

With Toby and Selco’s Seven Pillars of Urban Preparedness as inspiration, I came up with a different list of the 15 dynamics and realities of collapses.

#1 SHTF is nuanced and happens in stages

Thinking about SHTF as an ON/OFF, all-or-nothing endgame is a common mistake that can lead to severe misjudgments and failures in critical areas of preparedness. Part (or parts) of the system crash, freeze, fail, or become impaired. This is how SHTF happens in the real world. And when it does, people run for safety first, i.e., resort to more familiar behaviors, expecting things to “go back to normal soon.” 

By “normal behaviors,” I mean everything from hoarding stuff (toilet paper?) to rioting, looting, and crime, and yes, using cash – as these happen all the time, even when things are normal. But no one becomes a barterer, a peddler, a precious metals specialist in a week. Society adapts as time passes (and the situation requires). That’s why preppers who are also SHTF survivors (and thus talk from personal experience) insist that abandoning fantasies and caring for basics first is crucial. This is not a coincidence. It is how things happen in the real world. 

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Marti’s Corner – 37

Marti’s Corner – 37

*  Here is the email I got from USU Extension this week:

PLAN

  • Meet with your family or household and discuss the disasters that are most likely to occur.
  • Review basic actions for each situation and decide on a family meeting place.
  • Decide how you’ll contact each other if separated.

PREPARE

  • Make an inventory of your home.
  • Show all family members where to shut off the utilities.
  • Assemble an emergency preparedness kit. Instructions can be found here.
  • Compile a list of emergency contacts.
  • Identify the best evacuation routes from the house.

PRACTICE

  • Choose a regular time to practice your plan.
  • Conduct a practice run of evacuation routes, and evaluate any changes that need to be made.
  • Examine your emergency preparedness kit and replace items that have expired or are no longer viable.
  • Practice cooking a meal using electricity-free methods.

This list is not comprehensive, but it is a good place to begin. Check out more emergency preparedness tips here.

LONG TERM FOCUS: Milk
Milk - Powdered Milk

Milk is available from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints here:  Nonfat Dry Milk | United States Store.  You do NOT have to be a member of the church to purchase any of the food they offer.  Each pouch makes 32 servings.  12 pouches = $66.  Or about $11 per pouch.  $11 for 2 gallons of milk is NOT cheaper than fresh.  But the shelf life is listed at 20 years!  I checked with Emergency Essentials.  They have a #10 can for $19.99.  It makes about 36 servings (slightly more). That’s an $8 difference in the price PER POUCH!  Plus, I don’t think the Church charges shipping.  (I could be wrong about that).  You MUST buy by the case.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Signs The Worst Winter in Years is Coming

Signs The Worst Winter in Years is Coming

“You think winter will never end, and then, when you don’t expect it, when you have almost forgotten it, warmth comes and a different light” – Wendell Berry.

It’s hard to think about winter when many regions are broiling in the sun right now, but there are enough indicators out there that this winter may be particularly brutal.  We may have another record-breaking winter in the northern hemisphere.  Scientists, climatologists, and meteorologists are all reporting a perfect storm of conditions coming together to brew up a winter as we have never seen before.  In this video, I will explain these conditions as best that I can.  I am not a meteorologist, by any means, but I can follow the science enough to know that if you’re in Europe or the United States, you should be paying attention.

And, as I have shown in other blogs, our aging infrastructure isn’t equipped to handle the extended periods of extreme cold that are currently being predicted.  Just ask anyone in Texas about that, as almost the entire state was left without power for many days this past February due to the extreme cold.  Ice on sagging power lines and frozen pipes could result in an outage that can quickly escalate to a disaster for many.

At the end of this video, I will give you a warning I would encourage you to heed.  But for now, here’s why this winter might be especially brutal…

POLAR VORTEX

The first piece of this colder than average weather prediction is the polar vortex.  A polar vortex is a low-pressure, vast expanse of swirling cold air that is parked in the polar region…

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Take us to DEFCON 1

Take us to DEFCON 1

The US military defines its Defense Readiness Condition (DEFCON) levels as follows:

  • DEFCON 5 is normal readiness.
  • DEFCON 4 is above normal readiness.
  • DEFCON 3 is the air force ready to mobilize in 15 minutes.
  • DEFCON 2 is all forces ready to fight in 6 hours.
  • DEFCON 1 is the maximum state of readiness and means nuclear war is imminent or has already started.

I have my own definitions that I use for my personal life.

I spent the first 50 years of my life at DEFCON level 5. That would be as a normal, fully in denial, culturally conforming, dopamine & status seeking, energy maximizing, member of a superorganism.

Then I had a stress related meltdown and while recovering stumbled on peak oil. After seeking and failing to find a good path forward other than population reduction, I wondered what else I was in denial about, and widened my field of view to include climate change, pollution, species extinction, unsustainable debt, etc., all of which I eventually came to understand are related and fall under the umbrella of human overshoot.

Now at DEFCON level 4, a realty based state of awareness, I began to think about making changes to my life, took a 6 month course on small scale farming, and did some volunteer work on a small organic farm.

Then the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC) occurred and I went to DEFCON level 3.

Confident that a collapse would occur within 10 years, I changed everything in my life. A new location where I’d be happy finishing my life, a simpler slower lifestyle, satisfying physical work, improved health, and thank goodness, Varki’s MORT theory to keep me sane with an explanation for the insanity all around me.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Marti’s Corner – 35

Marti’s Corner – 35

Marti's Corner at City PreppingHi Everyone,

NOTES:

*  More reasons to stock up.  And Now It’s Oats
*  Time to feed your garden again.  I use a vegetable fertilizer with mycorrhizae fungi.  I just buy it at Lowe’s.  I like Kellogg’s brand, NOT this one, but similar.  Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato Fertilizer.  In addition to the fertilizer, I give them some nitrogen (DO NOT feed the beans).  Either compost or worm castings.  I usually do the worm castings.  You should be feeding at least once a month.
*  If you’ve kept your plants alive through the heat, they should start to produce again.  Some things like the beets, beans, and cucumbers, I just started over.  It’s like a “do-over”.
*  EVERY week, as you shop, you should be thinking, “If I have to hunker down again for a month, can I do it?”

LONG TERM FOCUS: Milk
Milk - Powdered Milk

There are two types of powdered milk.  There is instant powdered milk, and non-instant.  She mixes her milk in a blender.  2 c. hot water + 1 heaping cup of powdered milk.  Mix in blender.  Pour into a milk jug, then add an additional 8 cups of water.  Mixing Powdered Milk – YouTube

Instant milk is more expensive.  But you can just stir it into cold water with a spoon, no heavy mixing is needed.  Also, it takes more.

Here is a blind taste test:  8 Best Powdered Milk Brands: Taste Test RESULTS!  But remember he does not include Emergency Essentials, or Honeyville or any other large Emergency Food Company.

I have always mixed my non-instant milk in a blender.  It creates a ton of foam on top.  Just let it sit and it will calm down.  Best results come from letting it sit overnight in the fridge.  It is NOT cost efficient.  It is cheaper to buy fresh milk.  And you should try to rotate it, or just be prepared to buy new milk every 3-5 years.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Olduvai IV: Courage
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Olduvai II: Exodus
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