BugOutBag

CAUTION: If you are allergic to iodine or have any thyroid disease DO NOT take potasium iodide without first consulting your physician.

OFF THE GRID NEWS about seeds

Below is an email I got today from Off The Grid News about seeds....worth the read. There is a link at the bottom to a site that sells non - hybrid seeds.

Suppose you're some poor schmuck in India whose country was forced by the World Bank to open up its seed markets to genetically-modified seed from major corporations. Through manipulative marketing practices, these companies seduce you into purchasing their "superior" seed.
There's only one problem--it's not superior. Their little genetic modifications didn't work quite as expected, and you've lost your entire crop. You live in India, you're already poor, and now your last crop is gone. You feel the only thing left for you to do is to drink the pesticide from the company you purchased your seeds from, killing yourself. You are but one of 183,000 Indian farmers who have committed suicide since 1997 over poverty and indebtedness as the result of genetically-modified seeds and the poor return on investment.
Or suppose you're someone living in the "reformed" country of Iraq. Saddam Hussein is gone, as is his terror network. You look forward to beginning a new life under a democratic regime, but soon find out that maybe the "reforms" are just another type of terrorism and noose around your neck, just with a different name. That name is "Corporate Agriculture", and it's as harsh a taskmaster as Saddam Hussein ever was.
You watch the centuries of heirloom products cease to exist under the ravaging advance of genetically-modified seed and its fruit that is foreign to the land of your birth. You cannot save your seed from year to year because you are legally obligated to buy your seed from only select vendors. You have no recourse because the constitution the occupiers helped put into place limits your options for 20 years. As William Engdahl states in his book Seeds of Destruction: "The forced transformation of Iraq's food production into patented GMO crops is one of the clearest examples of (how) ... GMO giants are forcing (these) crops onto an unwilling or unknowing world population."
Let's bring this closer to home with some statistics. The world's largest seed company accounts for 23% of the patented seed market. The top three companies together account for 47% of the patented seed market. These three companies have been estimated to control about 65% of the patented corn seed market worldwide, and over 50% of the patented soybean seed market.

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In the U.S.A. alone, 85% of the corn grown is of a GMO variety, soybeans are at 91%, and sugar beet is at a whopping 95%. And don't think that Big Ag's tyranny ends overseas. No, it has extended its arm to small farmers and seed cleaners all over the United States in its attempts to control the seed industry. Cross-pollination is a fact of life. But let your crop become contaminated by the GMO pollen of neighboring farms who utilize GMO-grown vegetables, and watch the private detectives and lawyers of these companies come knocking at your door.
State governments and federal agencies are also complicit in the modus operandi of these corporate giants. The goon-squads that include federal marshals, state and county police of not a few states (Illinois, Missouri and Indiana in particular) have already shut down several seed separating operations that enabled the farmers to easily clean and save their seed from one year to the next. Randomly selected seed tested for GMO traits at these facilities (seed that came from unsuspecting farmers who were the victims of cross-pollination of crops) tested positive and the entire weight of these agricultural tyrants came bearing down on these rural farmers and seed cleaners.
There's going to come a time, however, when the upheaval in the economies of the world are going to be such that even Big Ag isn't going to be able to stop the individual farmer from trying to grow enough food to feed his or her family. By then, though, will these corporations have succeeded in destroying the heirloom seed industry as we know it? Will viable, propagating heirloom seed even be available without costing a fortune to buy?
It's possible to circumvent that eventuality, however. Instead of waiting for the time you need the seed, purchase your heirloom seeds beforehand, while they're still marginally available. These seeds need to be of a superior heirloom variety, have above-average germination rates, be nutritionally dense, and of course, have a shelf life of years.
The Survival Seed Bank^(TM) is that product. Packed with 22 varieties of vegetables, this seed bank contains enough seed for you to plant a one-acre crisis garden. Each seed is dried to the precise level needed to lock in vigor and maintain an extremely long shelf life. The foil pack is sealed with a special desiccant designed to keep the seed fresh for 20 years at 70 degree temperatures. (Survival Seed Banks^(TM) that are frozen can possibly increase that shelf life by five times or more!) They are then packed in a waterproof container for long-term storage.
You can choose to practice your gardening skills with any hybrid that is available for now, or you can break out the seed packs from The Survival Seed Bank^(TM) and hone your vegetable growing skills today when the need is not so dire. Either way, whether for your use now or in the future, The Survival Seed Bank^(TM) is one product that any prepper should seriously consider purchasing.
What good is planning for the future if you can't even provide your family with enough to eat? Go to http://www.survivalseedbank.com/ to purchase your seed bank today.
And as always, thank you for reading!
Sincerely,

Hanne Moon
Editor
OffTheGridNews.com
editor@offthegridnews.com

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Col.3 :15 Let the peace of God rule your hearts

DMC

Planting hybrid and non hybrid seeds next to each other...a real no no

Another informative site from Patty ( my Sister - in - law ) . For those of you that don't know, Patty lives in Illinois and grows a garden every year. She has a lot of hands on experience and I appreciate her input. Go to the following link to find out about storing tomato seeds.

Planting hybrid seeds next to non hybrid seeds wasn't a situation that I have even imagined yet. Go to this site to learn more...

http://organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-83-1784,00.html

Thanks Patty!

DMC

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

Storing saved seeds

My Sister - in - law Patty emailed me a link to a wonderful website with plenty of information on how to store your saved seeds...

http://organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-2-10-1187,00.html

DMC

Thanks Patty

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

Caution: there is bloody gore and talk of Jesus in this post

The comfort of knowing that you are prepared for unexpected events help ease the stress of "what if". I have been watching a LOT of the survival videos on You Tube. There is a mountain of useful information there but some of the things people say  would scare you to death if you let it. When I was a young Mother I  never spent the day in fear that my child was going to soil his diaper, I  had diapers and extra diapers on hand.
Baby soiled diaper = I changed diaper = problem solved. That's how life is, we do our best to be prepared in  life's situations. My journey to acquire knowledge about " what to do " started when my Son was 18 months old. He was standing at the open front door looking out when another child ran outside and slammed the door. What no one knew at that time was my Son had his pinkie finger in the door jam. I couldn't see anything when the door slammed shut except for my Son's face. I knew something was wrong just by his expression. He didn't cry he just looked at me with those eyes that said it all. I was 21 years old at the time, not prepared for my baby to have his finger cut off. When the door was opened, blood starting flying everywhere from the severed vein in the end of his finger. I panicked and ran next door for help while my Husband did the best he could in the situation. It was at that point in my life that I knew I needed to have a handle on the "what ifs". The good news is that my Son's finger got sown back on, it functions well and he only has a scar as a reminder of the event.

It recently occurred to me that I can make all the preparations I want to but there are a number of events that could happen in which no amount of preparation could save me or my family. I am not worried though because I am prepared, spiritually prepared that is. I have my eyes on the higher prize and that is eternal life with Jesus. Just thought you might want to take into consideration your spiritual preparedness so you can have your "Spiritual back pack" packed and ready to go. For those of you that are ready to stand before the creator of the universe, praise God! Those of you that aren't ready or aren't sure, the Bible says that today is the day of salvation, 2 Corinthians 6 : 2...no need to put it off, no need to wait in line for it, just do it, it is free and it is a gift to you. Ephesians 2: 8 & 9.⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. In order to live in Heaven you must be born again John 3:3.³ Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."  How you ask?
⁹If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:9 & 10. I pray that you will make the decision today about where you WANT to spent eternity and don't just let eternity happen to you with a "let the chips fall where they may" kind of decision. If you have questions email me or post a comment.

As always I'll see you here, there or in the air,

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

DMC

blood  cuts   Jesus   Heaven   prepare   confess   help  

Seeds for survival. Hybrid vs non hybrid

WOW! I got a whole new meaning from Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. NIV

I've been cruising along in life buying a few packets of seeds here and a few packets of seeds there for the last couple of years. The last two packs I got from Winn - Dixie. I paid $1.88 each for a pack of organic cucumber seeds and a pack of squash seeds.

 I felt it my duty to do a little research before I posted anything about seeds. Low and behold, I feel like I have been living under a rock! I remember catching part of a program on TV or maybe it was a DVD that was talking about how farmers aren't allowed to save seeds but they have to by law purchase new hybrid  seeds every year. I was thinking about that and looked up information about hybrid seeds. To my astonishment I discovered that we can grow a crop of food from hybrid seeds but if you save the seeds from the crop grown with hybrid seeds the results will be that the seeds are not reliable to produce more food. New hybrid seeds must be purchased for each new crop. Ah ha! the light bulb went off. I was buying seeds thinking of the long term...crop after crop but the seeds I already have are good for one crop only. The good news is that the internet is full of seeds on sale that are not hybrid. My non hybrid seeds are in the hands of the US Postal service as I write this. Soon they will be in my refrigerator  for a 10 year nap, unless they are needed.

US nuclear reactors locations

Full-screen

Lakeland, FL 33809, USA

has 2 nuclear plants in 200 miles zone. 

  67 miles from Crystal River 3 Florida

123 miles from St Lucie Florida

Potassium iodide

Have you heard of  potassium iodide? I know I didn't until I started researching what I could do for myself and family if a nuclear incident occurred. Potassium iodide is also know as KI. In the event of a nuclear event  KI  reduces the risk of thyroid cancer from breathing or ingestion of radioiodines. KI floods the thyroid with non-radioactive iodine and prevents the saturation of the radioactive iodine into the thyroid. In other words if you fill the thyroid with good iodine the bad iodine can't get in to harm it. KI only protects the thyroid from radioactive iodine and is not a general use compound for all radioactive elements.

At this time KI products approved by FDA may be legally marketed in the U.S. I purchased mine off of eBay.

Below is the guideline for  specific exposure levels.

Exposures greater than 5 cGy: 
    Birth through 1 mo.  - 16 mg.
    1 mo. through 3 yrs.  - 32 mg.
    3 yrs through 18 yrs.  - 65 mg. (Adolescents>150 pounds should take adult dose.)

Exposures greater than 10 cGy:
    18 yrs through 40 yrs. - 130 mg

Exposures greater than 500 cGy:
    Adults over 40 yrs - 130 mg.

The dose you need should be taken one time every 24 hours for about 10 days or until risk no longer exists.

If you are allergic to iodine DO NOT take potassium iodide ( KI ) . People with multinodular goiter, grave's disease and autoimmune thyroiditis should be treated with caution especially if the treatment lasts more than a few days. If you have these conditions checking with your Doctor NOW to see if it would be ok for you to take KI will ease your mind.

KI will be MOST effective if taken within the first couple of hours after a nuclear incident. Do you think you can depend on the Federal Government to have KI at your door step within 2 - 3 hours of a nuclear incident? I didn't think so. If a nuclear event is something that could be a real possibility in your area buy KI now and have it on hand for you and your family.

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

DMC

potassium iodide     radiation    nuclear    

Food from a raven or a storehouse?

My comments are in red text...

1 Kings 17:5 & 6 Elijah did what the Lord told him to do and went to Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there.⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 

Elijah did what the Lord told him to do and because of his obedience food was provided for him.

 In Genesis 41: 46 - 49 we find that Joseph acted on what the Lord showed the King in a dream and when the land was with plenty he stored grain. When the famine came Joseph had enough to sell to those that didn't have food to eat. Joseph was obedient to what the Lord had given him wisdom to do, because of that act of obedience people didn't starve to death.



⁴⁶ Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt. ⁴⁷ During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. ⁴⁸ Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. ⁴⁹ Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure. 

I know the voice of the Lord when I hear it. After serving the Lord for 25 years I have become quit familiar with His leading. In 2005 the Lord spoke clearly to me and told me to get prepared. I have spent the last five years researching and doing what I can to prepare for the unexpected so that like Joseph my "barns" will be full and my family and I will survive in the event of a catastrophe. Yes, I believe that God could send me food using a bird if He wanted to but God didn't tell me to go sit on a rock and wait for a bird to bring food. He said GET PREPARED.

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

DMC


prepared   survival food   mre   survival water  duct tape
plan     emergency    first aid    learn how to survive

Duct tape

Have you ever wondered what duct tape is? When I was a kid I called it duck tape and couldn't understand why the tape was named after a duck. I was told often that everything in Florida is repaired with duck tape and bubble gum. I don't know where that saying came from but it is one that I repeat  to this day.
Lately I have become aware of a new use for duct tape. It came to my attention that we should have enough duct tape on hand to seal our windows and doors in the event that we are required to shelter - in - place.
Go here ---> http://www.ready.gov/america/other/faqs.html
to get your questions answered about why YOU need duct tape. Don't just read about it folks, go buy some duct tape.

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

DMC

Water storage with rain barrels

 Place the barrel under the down spout of your house and catch the water as it flows off the roof. That water can be used to water your plants, flush toilets or any purpose as long as you don't drink it. Birds are lovely but where they leave their droppings vary and roofs catch a lot of it. I shutter to think of how many times I have popped a hug ice cycle off the edge of the roof when I was a kid and licked it like it was ice cream. Oh well, I didn't die from it but I certainly wouldn't do that today. Roofing materials are loaded with chemicals so consumption of roof water isn't a great idea. The rain barrel should have a lid on it to help keep it debris free and avoid it from being a mosquito breeding ground.
I currently have twenty five orchids that need watered twice a week. In the event of emergency I would still want to water them but having water to flush the toilet would be a priority.

I suppose I could purchase a food grade barrel and place it in an open area with the lid off when it is raining and collect some drinking water. I would still want to strain it through a coffee filter and boil it. In Florida we have some hard down pours so that would be a way to get  drinking water. During our dry season I might have to wait long periods of time for substantial rain fall. Having  water already stored is a good idea, one that might save your life.

Go to the following site to find out the proper and safe way to collect and save water.
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water.shtm

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

DMC

Water storage using a WaterBob

We live in a hurricane zone which means we have a day or two to get prepared for power outages and other disaster related incidents. It has been my experience that if you aren't able to get to the store right away when a hurricane is eminent the shelves will be empty of drinking water. When I discovered the WaterBob I purchased it ASAP. It is nice to know that  we could have at least a bathtub full of drinking water along with any other water we already have stored or were able to purchase.  The WaterBob is a thick plastic bag  that you put in your bath tub and fill with water. It comes with a hand  pump for easy access to the water you have saved. The thing I like about the WaterBob is that I don't have to scrub my tub in a panic, hoping I get it sanitary enough to hold water for us to drink. I did a little test on our two bath tubs by filling them with some water and waiting to see if the water would stay in the tub. One tub doesn't hold water very well long term. The other tub did. With the WaterBob we don't have to worry about our precious saved water going down the drain. In Florida we have a lot of little crawling and flying critters, with the WaterBob there isn't a danger of them taking a swim in our drinking water. Evaporation isn't an issue since the WaterBob is a sealed container. The WaterBob isn't something you could fill to the top and then transport unless you filled it while it was already in a vehicle. However, it could be filled with a couple of  gallons of water and easily transported along with your bug out bag. If the WaterBob sounds like something that could suit your temporary water storage needs just type in WaterBob in your IP search box to read more about it. I don't sell or work for the WaterBob company, I just think it is a pretty cool gadget. Those that know me well , know I am a gadget kind of person.

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
DMC

Bug out bag   WaterBob    survival water   survival food    hand water pump   MRE

Build a food stockpile

In this blog I will give you ideas on how to build your food stockpile. If you would like to use coupons to help you save a lot of money, visit my favorite couponing site to learn how. Southernsavers.com. There are a plethora of websites that you can learn from but Southersavers.com is my favorite. When you get to the website click on Marvin the squirrel to get started. You can also click on the link to find out where the next couponing class is in your area.
To begin your food stockpile you need to determine what your family likes and eats the most.
Look for canned foods that have a long shelf life. When I am purchasing food for our stockpile I reach for cans at the back of the shelf to see if the expiration date is at a later date than the cans on the front of the shelf. Sometimes that is the case, sometimes it is not. When I think of canned food my mind goes directly to canned vegetables but there are other canned items you may need such as tomato sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth, or other items needed to cook your favorite recipe. You will also need a stockpile of shampoo, toilet paper, paper towels, tooth paste and other personal care items. If it is possible have an area where you keep your stockpile, it will help you stay better organized. Storing food in a shed or garage isn't a good idea because of temperature changes that can affect the integrity of the canned food. Since we live in Florida I use the first day of hurricane season as my signal that it is time to check expiration dates on the canned food, eat what is closest to expiration and purchase food to replace what we have eaten. I always store the food most recently purchased at the back of the shelf. Having a day of the year you can use to help you remember to check dates is a way to prevent your money and food going to waste. If you live in a non hurricane zone perhaps using the daylight saving time date as a reminder will work for you.
The key to saving money on your stockpile is to buy food  only when it is on sale. Publix is my favorite grocery store.  Every week they have buy one, get one sales. You can use a coupon on the item you pay for as well as the one you get free. That is the way I save a lot of money on  sale items.  Publix is in Florida and Georgia but is expanding to other States. You may have a grocery store in your area that has buy one, get one deals. Southernsavers.com has a list of several nation wide grocery stores along with their weekly sales ad. With coupons in hand it is time to start your stockpile. Don't try to buy everything all at once. It takes time to build a stockpile but if you purchase something  every week it won't be long before you are confident and happy that you have entered the survival zone.
 I suggest a 30 day food supply for unexpected emergencies. You can adjust that to the area you live in and the type of weather situations you face every year. As I stated in the WELCOME section I am not here to generate fear but keep in mind that there are people in the world that have plans to do us harm as a Nation. By being prepared we can sleep better knowing that we have done our part to provide for our families.

Thank you for visiting the survival zone.

Proverbs 6: 6 -8  Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

My next blog will be about water storage.


Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
DMC


Water storage    bug out bag    food stockpile    generator     glow sticks

Electric generator

One of the first items we purchased in 2005 was a portable generator. We had four Hurricanes in central Florida in 2004 and we didn't have a way to produce electricity to preserve our refrigerated or frozen food. Since we also wanted the comfort of air conditioning in the event of a power outage we invested in a small window A/C for our bedroom. When buying a generator do your home work to discover what size generator best suits your needs. You will need to know the generator power output as well as the estimated load assessment. The running load is the total wattage sum of all the devises you plan on running.When using a generator put SAFETY FIRST. Place the generator outside of your home. Do not place the generator in the garage or other enclosed place where carbon monoxide fumes can seep into your home. Purchasing a carbon monoxide detector would be an excellent way to help protect you and your family. We also invested in gas cans. We purchased cans to hold the number of gallons we estimated we would need in the event of a hurricane power outage. We haven't had to use our generator yet and I hope we never do but it is a comfort to know it is there if we need it. It is a good idea to test run the generator once a year.

Thanks for visiting the survival zone.

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
DMC


water storage   bug out bag     potassium iodide    food stockpile    freeze dried food    glow stick

The BOB aka bug out bag(s) , 72 hour survival supplies

As I promised I have a list of what my Husband and I have in our bug out bag. Our BOB got too full so recently I divided the contents into two back packs. I put equal amounts of  food and water in each bag.  Following is a list of items we have in our bags at this time. I hope this list gives you some idea of what you can include in your BOB. Keep in mind that we live in Florida so our items are geared toward our weather. You may have to include items for cold weather if you are in the northern part of the Country.

BOB inventory;

5 lbs. of freeze dried food. Enough for 3+ days for two people.
12 - 16 oz. bottles of water.
3 bottles of purification tablets = will purify 75 gallons of water
2 rolls of toilet paper
2 glow sticks
1 - 24 count disinfectant wipes
1 flash light that gets its power from being shaken ( no batteries needed )
1 battery powered flash light plus extra batteries
1 battery powered AM/FM radio with extra batteries
1 bag trail mix
1 - bottle of OFF bug repellent
1 box of waterproof matches
1 magnesium stick, used to light a fire
2 toothbrushes
1 travel size tooth paste
1 dental floss
1 - 8oz. iodine solution ( I will be discussing the use of iodine solution and potassium iodide tablets in a future blog )
1 bottle of 120 potassium iodide tablets 
2 bandannas
1 small first aid kit
1 knife. I almost always carry a knife on me, that is why there is only one in the bag.
2 -N95 particulate masks
2 - 52" X 84" emergency blankets. These blankets look like Mylar balloon material
1 multi-use tool ( pliers,screwdriver, knife, can opener,saw )
1 large roll of duct tape
1 pair of small scissors 
2 - rain ponchos
1 bottle of aspirin
10 - snack bars, various kinds
1 - folding shovel, a smaller version of the kind the military uses
1 clothes line rope
1 set of walkie talkies + batteries
5 piece cooking mess kit
2 - 6 hour chafing dish fuel
1 - single , folding camp stove for use with one chafing dish fuel
1 change of clothes

If you take daily medication place a note on the outside of your BOB reminding you to take your medications with you before leaving home.

These bags are designed so that you and your family can quickly grab a bag in the event of an emergency and evacuate if needed. Since your bags are prepared ahead of time with food and water for the size of  your family  you can be confident that you have planned for survival. 

Thank you for visiting the survival zone.

Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
DMC



Preparedness      Bug out bag    emergency    water    food    heat    fire    clothes    fuel    1st aid

Welcome

You have entered the zone of preparedness! Here you will find tips and resources to help YOU be prepared for an emergency. This week end my Husband and I are going on a camping trip. We are taking or BOB bags aka bug out bags with us. We recently expanded to two BOB bags. These bags are intended to be a 72 hour survival kit.  Our bags contain water, dried foods, snacks and more. When we return I will make you a list of what we have in our BOB bags so you will have a good idea of what to use when creating yours.


Col. 3: 15 let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
DMC