Can we learn from reality shows?

   I am just as guilty as the next guy because I like to watch some reality shows. Now I think the majority are “made for tv” drama’s and I usually refrain from wasting my time with those but there are two that I will mention here as having some merit and maybe we could actually learn from.

   The two that I am referring to are “Yukon Men” and “Alaska, the Last Frontier”. I have watched almost all of these episodes and I have alot of respect for how they live and their simplistic beliefs but I think we could learn alot from watching them and how they live.

   We, as preppers, talk about how we will take care of things if a SHTF situation occurs but I am sure things wont go quite as planned. When I watch these folks their main concern seems to always lean toward food, and alot of it. Now granted, they are in Alaska, and living or surviving there is very much different than what many of us would experience. Everything in their lives is centered on being prepared for the brutally harsh winters and much of their time is spent gathering food and firewood.

   We store our bulk foods and what not but the fact remains you may have to hunt and fish to provide meat to sustain your family. If you are planning to bug out to a pre-determined location that is well stocked with provisions then you are probably going to be in a rural or wilderness area where there should be opportunities to get the meat needed for long term survival. But even if you are able to  gather fish and game the next skill you need to know is how to prepare it to store for later use such as jerking or drying. These skills should be learned and even practiced now rather than later.

   For those who are planning to stay put and are not already in a rural location then hunting or fishing may pose a problem for you. I am referring to those that live in the city. Since you are in a different situation then your preps should be different because of your lack of fish and game. Protein is important and should be implemanted into your preps in a different manner and in larger quantities perhaps.

   Those in the city who may live in an apartment, duplex, etc… will not be able to build a fire for warmth or even for cooking. If the grid was to fail, surviving in the winter would be much more  hard for someone in the city than for those in a rural/wilderness locale. Not every house in the country has a fireplace though so it is just something to keep in mind.

   Always have a contingency plan. Make sure that you have a backup for everything and try to think of any scenarios you may face.

Economic collapse and relatives

    A looming economic collapse could very well be on the horizon in this country unless some drastic measures are taken, and soon. It is no great secret that the United States owes China more money than we can ever pay back and there is basically only one way to get past that fact and that is a “reset”. Our dollar and our credit rating have dropped in recent years due to poor economics and even poorer financial decisions. Tax and spend can only go on for so long just like the printing of new currency.

   So how do you get your relatives to “see” what is happening when they have their head buried in the sand? I never have understood why so many people do not want to know what is happening. How can they not know that decisions made by our government have an effect on them? I have those same relatives in my family and they look at me as some kind of “kook” and accuse me of watching “those prepper shows” on tv, which I do not.

   I cannot force anyone to see my point of view and I thank God that my wife and kids do not have the “dont rock my boat” mentality. But you know that these same people in your family who laughed at you and muttered under their breath will be the first ones beating down your door to get your help when things get bad. You will be the one ultimately that has the decision whether to share your food and water with the nay-sayers in your family and it is a hard decision for some. I would hate to turn someone away BUT my priority lies with my wife and children first.

   Now will I help them if I can? Yes. Will I try to overstock food for that very occurrence? Yes, but prepping costs money and they certainly are not chipping in right now so I can help them in the future. It will come down to when the time comes whether or not I will be in a position to bring them in and provide for them.

My Laundry soap Recipe

I recently made my first ever batch of powdered laundry soap. I did some research on this topic before getting the ingredients by mostly watching YouTube videos of others who have had success doing it.

What I came up with was a fairly standard recipe which follows: 1 Cup of Arm and Hammer super wash, 1 Cup of Borax mule tam, 1/2 Cup of Oxyclean (no additives) and 1 bar of Fels Naptha laundry soap.

The bar of laundry soap must be grated and the easiest way to do this is to first cube the soap with a knife, then either place the soap in a food processor or grate it. I used a food chopper after cubing the soap but I am still looking for a better way.

I then poured all of the ingredients into a bowl, added the soap and mixed everything up. Next simply place into the container of your choice. I used a quart jar, which fit the mixture perfectly. I couldnt wait so I ran a load of laundry to “test” the new concoction and I must say it turned out pretty well. My clothes came out clean and fresh and I will save a ton of money!

Try it out. It is easy to make and does a great job.

Prepping Basics

Prepping, like alot of things in life, is a personal decision. It isnt a decision made lightly and one has to weigh many different options such as finances, a support network of friends or family, or what you might be prepping for.

After you have decided that prepping is important to you and or your family the next step is to get started. When I started it all seemed very overwhelming and the learning curve was somewhat daunting but it takes some time to gain some confidence.

To some, prepping comes easy as they may be more adept at organization for instance while others have a harder time keeping everything straight. That is okay,  The first thing to do is read, read and then read some more. There are many great books out there which can help you immensely but dont forget YouTube. There are many dedicated preppers on YT who are diligently trying to help us newbies so this resource should be used.

After you have some information under your belt I would recommend making a list of items that you need according to what you may be preparing for. If you are preparing for lets say a natural disaster such as tornado, hurricane or earthquake then your list will be different than someone who is preparing for a SHTF(stuff hits the fan) or a WROL(without rule of law) incidents. The latter list is much more comprehensive in scope and lengths of those situations are much longer, requiring more resources.

The basics in any emergency are essentially the same. You will need to make sure that you have at least 3 days of water for each person. You need food, light, and a basic first aid kit. A good pair of leather gloves and N95 dust masks are important as well. These are just some basic items to keep on hand.

Making a good list of the items that you need is very important to keep you on track in your preps. If you are preparing for SHTF/WROL then your list will be much larger than the “basics” because you will be preparing for long term food storage. This one topic in itself can include storage buckets, mylar bags, canning, food dehydrating, etc…

Having a support network in place will help you in untold ways. Many preppers find that their friends or family think they are a little crazy for talking like a “doomsdayer”. It took many years for my wife to see that what I was saying was for the best of our family and that it was important. Especially in todays world we need to be ready for whatever may happen but we cannot force our loved ones and friends to join us. They will have to see the truth for themselves but when they do then it makes prepping easier for us as they can help with the job. .

Welcome

Hello everyone and welcome to End Times Preparedness. It is my intention to help others prepare for upcoming events that may directly impact their lives. I am a Christian and therefore I firmly believe in end times prophecies which are to yet be fulfilled and it is important that we be aware of these and are prepared not only spiritually but also in our everyday lives. By remaining vigilant we can be prepared for End Times events and also for those “man made” events perpetrated by those in power in this country. With our political environment and economical situation these days it is vitally important to have our families prepared for whatever events may occur. So, again I welcome you and want to thank you for taking steps to ensure the safety and well being of you and those you love.

Ezekiel 33:6 | Read whole chapter | See verse in contextBut if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman‘s hand.