Designed to sit inside the house, this feeder is easy to install and offers an extra-large viewing area. Simply place the feeder on the windowsill and slide out our unique, dove-tailed wood side panels to fit the window. What do you think ? Learn more about this bird feeder in the link below…
Features a 2-way mirror viewing window so you can see the birds, but the birds cannot see you…
I’m fortunate to call the windswept prairie of the Great Plains my home. If you get out of farm country, it’s just grass as far as you can see. In fact, there are still places nearly unchanged since pioneers first tried settling this area more than 100 years ago.
Although quiet and expansive, there are real challenges to living in the plains. This rings especially true for a person who pursues knowledge in woodcraft. One of the biggest barriers to settling the plains was the lack of timber. Historically, people all around the world have overwhelmingly depended on wood as a natural construction material. The lack of trees on the prairie was one of the biggest obstacles pioneers faced when they looked into the Great American Desert. Wood was, and is, such a central part of our life, especially when forging a living from the land. Lack of timber seemed to make settlement nearly impossible.
While most Americans during the mid-19th century looked at the prairie as an inhospitable land, there were already people living happily in this treeless expanse. An array of Native American societies were established, each developing strategies for living a life that depend on wood as little as possible. Adventurous mountain men and explorers had also learned these lessons the hard way. They, too, knew how to survive in a land devoid of such a pivotal resource. One thing everyone on the plains had to know was how to build a fire without using wood as a fire fuel.
Even today, we can take a page from their book and remember there are other excellent fire fuels besides wood. Here are three examples of resources you can burn when heavy timber may be in short supply:
1. Buffalo chips/cattle manure
Buffalo chips is a reference to the dried manure of buffalo that once dotted our grasslands. Once dubbed as “Plains oak”, buffalo chips were widely used as fire fuel for generations on the plains. When cattle were brought north, their manure also was collected for the same purpose. Both sources were a very common source of fuel, and actually offered several advantages to wood fires. For starters, in such a dry environment, buffalo chips don’t throw sparks like wood fires tend to do. Manure fuels smolder more than they actually burn. The smoldering actually helps control the fire, rather than constantly setting the prairie ablaze.
Image source: Pixabay.com
This smoldering characteristic also made buffalo chips ideal for burning in tipis and other natural shelters. Another advantage of using a fuel “cut by the cows” was the saved labor. Rather than spending hours cutting and splitting wood, people living on the plains simply gathered and stacked the chips. In a region so difficult to make a living, this saved labor would have been nice.
2. Woody shrubs
Although there is a lack of trees on the Great Plains, there are locations with an abundance of woody shrubs. Most prolific in my area are sagebrush and yucca. At times, these sources of fuel came in especially handy. One mountain man, Osborne Russell, kept a journal of his experience depending on sagebrush for fire.
Russell and a few companion’s horses had been run off, and the group was on foot. Back in those days, being afoot on the prairie was akin to a death sentence. They headed for an army fort they that lay across a sagebrush sea more than a week’s march. While making their way across the barren land, they carried little more than their rifles and basic gear. No blankets, no food, and none of the small comforts their rough lives knew. As they traveled, they shot buffalo when they came upon them and used the hides to sleep on. While caught in his sagebrush sea, a mix of rain and snow moved in upon the group. Russell’s account of the incident leaves no debate that the trip was miserable. After many, many cold and wet miles, the group finally safely walked into an army fort and survived the ordeal.
Along the way, though, the group needed to build a fire each day. With no wood in sight, they turned to a nearly endless source of fuel in the sagebrush. Russell noted that at times these fires consisted of no fuel larger than thumb size. Needless to say, it kept them alive in poor conditions.
Sage and other woody shrubs should not be overlooked for their potential as a fuel source. As with buffalo chips, small shrubs offer the advantage of keeping a fire small. Again, in a place that is so dry and windy, keeping your fire small is important. An old mountain man adage was “the bigger the fire, the bigger the fool.” By keeping the fire small, they not only limited the chance of spreading fire, but they saved labor and decreased their chances of being seen by those who meant to do them harm.
3. Animal fat
A final alternative fire fuel people utilized is animal fat. In the past, animals like bear provided not only meat for the larder, but fire fuel, such as for burning lamps. If the pioneers or Native Americans happened to be in an area devoid of animal manure or shrubs, fat would have been a viable option.
In my own experience, I’ve used raccoon fat as a fuel source while building a campfire. I can testify to its ability to put out some heat. A word of caution, though: Unlike the previously mentioned fuels, fat burns extremely hot and very fast. Just toss a bit of raccoon fat on the fire and step back. It is best used in small amounts; otherwise your fire could easily get out of control. Have a bucket of dirt on hand. (With a grease fire, water only would heighten the problem.)
Do you have any fire-starting advice? Share your tips in the section below:
This cute dog crochet pattern is the perfect amigurumi project for dog lovers. Domino The Dog is crocheted in continuous spirals without joining the rounds. We suggest using a stitch marker or different color yarn to keep track of each round. Domino The Dog is approximately 7-inches tall. Be aware that size may vary depending on the yarn and hook size used. Gauge is not particularly important, just be consistent with the tension you are using. And most importantly, have fun! More details in the link below…
Stockman, left, with Reagan, Image source: Reagan Library
WASHINGTON – The United States is on the brink of a “fiscal bloodbath” that will cause the government to run out of cash, according to former Reagan budget director David Stockman.
Stockman served as the director of the Office of Management and Budget under Reagan and believes debt will bring the United States to its knees.
“I think we are likely to have more of a fiscal bloodbath rather than fiscal stimulus,” Stockman told USAWatchdog.com. “Unfortunately for Donald Trump, not only did the public vote the establishment out, they left on his doorstep the inheritance of 30 years of debt build-up and a fiscal policy that’s been really reckless in the extreme.
“People would like to think he’s the second coming of Ronald Reagan and we are going to have morning in America. Unfortunately, I don’t think it looks that promising because Trump is inheriting a mess that pales in significance what we had to deal with in January of 1981 when I joined the Reagan White House as budget director.”
Stockman’s belief is that the national debt is so high it will be impossible for America to pay it off.
“I think what people are missing is this date, March 15th, 2017. That’s the day that this debt ceiling holiday that Obama and Boehner put together right before the last election in October of 2015. That holiday expires. The debt ceiling will freeze in at $20 trillion. It will then be law. It will be a hard stop. The Treasury will have roughly $200 billion in cash. We are burning cash at a $75-billion-a-month rate.
“By summer, they will be out of cash. Then we will be in the mother of all debt-ceiling crises. Everything will grind to a halt. I think we will have a government shutdown. There will not be Obamacare repeal and replace. There will be no tax cut. There will be no infrastructure stimulus. There will be just one giant fiscal bloodbath over a debt ceiling that has to be increased and no one wants to vote for.”
Stockman also believes the stock market rally is the “greatest suckers’ rally of all time.”
“It is based on pure hopium and not any analysis at all as what it will take to push through a big tax cut,” he said. “Donald Trump is in a trap. Today the debt is $20 trillion. It’s 106 percent of GDP. … Trump is inheriting a built-in deficit of $10 trillion over the next decade under current policies that are built-in.
“Yet, he wants more defense spending, not less. He wants drastic sweeping tax cuts for corporations and individuals. He wants to spend more money on border security and law enforcement. He’s going to do more for the veterans. He wants this big trillion-dollar infrastructure program. You put all that together and it’s madness. It doesn’t even begin to add up, and it won’t happen when you are struggling with the $10 trillion of debt that’s coming down the pike and the $20 trillion that’s already on the books.”
Stockman served as a U.S. Representative from Michigan from 1977 to 1981 and director of OMB from 1981 to 1985. Stockman predicted a Trump victory last year in his book, “Trumped! A Nation on the Brink of Ruin.”
What is your reaction? Share it in the section below:
Human beings love dairy. It has been a part of our diet for centuries, and is used in many recipes in many cultures across the globe. Dairy is important to us. In fact, we are actually hardwired to have a weakness for the stuff, genetically programmed to enjoy things like milk and cheese so much they induce a mild opioid effect in the brain. Yeah, you read that right, opioid – we’re literally addicted to the stuff. Casomorphins (protein fragments derived from digesting cheese) are known for their opioid-like effects on the human brain. Cheese addiction is a real thing, and you might be surprised how many of us are affected by it every single day of our lives. So it comes as no surprise that lactose survival may be important in a SHTF scenario. Bear with us on this one.
Lactose Survival – How To Do Dairy
Could you imagine a world without dairy? No milk for your cookies. Cheeseless pizzas. No butter for your toast. Sounds like hell. A hell that many of us might have to live through someday. Because, consider this: in an extended emergency situation (a plague, nuclear winter, social revolt, etc.) the frivolous parts of life will be the first to go. That is to say, anything not necessary for survival will likely become extremely difficult to come by. Especially if it needs refrigeration…
So what do we do? Continue living like savages in a cheeseless apocalypse? Give up on dairy altogether and just relinquish lasagna and ice cream to history? No! I won’t stand for it. And neither should you.
(Unless you are lactose intolerant, in which case you don’t particularly care – but I urge you to KEEP READING. Because, even if you hate everything dairy with all the fibers of your being, there is still an advantage to knowing what I’m about to divulge. Because dairy products might have a lot of economic potential in a post-order world, a lot of capital weight, if you will.)
Unfortunately, the art of dairy is not so easily mastered. Artisan cheese makers and experienced dairy farmers spend years learning and perfecting their trade. Just like any other exercise, practice makes perfect, and you’ll never master anything from reading just a single online article. Things like this take time to get the hang of, and you will probably fail a number of times before you ever experience the creamy taste of success.
That is not to say you shouldn’t understand the basic concepts behind making dairy products. Because, years from now if SHTF and you have to retreat to and live within the wilderness, understanding the basic concepts of making dairy might enable you to become the lactose king-pin of your region. So read on, study up, and try to remember what you learn – it may change your life someday.
How (and What) to Milk
All things dairy start with milk. Now, it doesn’t really matter what you get your milk from so long as it’s fresh when you get it. That means cows, sheep, deer, mares, goats and any other mammal are all viable sources. Which is bizarre and makes you really realize how freaky it is that we collect and consume and enjoy the mother’s milk of different animal species. No other creature on Earth does that… But put that strange thought in the back of your mind, cover it up and forget about it. Just note that different animals produce different tasting milks, which will produce different tasting creams and cheeses.
Whatever you find yourself milking, the concept behind the practice is the same. Pardon me if this next bit gets weird, but that’s the nature of dairy.
First, get a female mammal.
Wash your hands.
Locate the mammal’s teat and give it a good wash too (on a cow this is the udder, it is different on other animals but I’m sure you can figure that out on your own).
Snap on your latex gloves (if you’ve got some) and grab hold, gently but firmly of the teat.
Express milk from the teats into a container, making sure you milk each teat evenly.
Ideally, disinfect the teats when finished. But if you don’t have any teat disinfectant laying around, soft soap and water should do.
And you’re done! You’ve got a container full of mammal milk and you are ready to move along to the next step.
The Next Step: Making Dairy Products
Cheese
Start with fresh, warm milk.
Acidify the milk: this is the first decision you have to make. Because there are two distinct ways to acidify milk and they both produce different types of cheese. You could use direct acidification and pour vinegar or citric acid directly into the milk – this will result in cheeses like ricotta and mascarpone. Or you could use cultures or bacteria, to acidify the milk – these cultures will eat up the lactose in the milk and produce lactic acid.
Add a coagulant: Coagulate is a funny word – it means, “to change to a solid or semi-solid state”. Which is the next thing you need to achieve in your cheese making endeavors. Coagulants can be a number of things, it just needs to have the enzyme “rennet” in it. This can come from within animal stomachs, it can come from the sap of fig trees or milk thistle, or it can come from fungi. You have a number of options here, and while it may seem gross to add the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber of young mammals to your cheese, it is how things need to be done. I’d prefer using fig tree sap, but alas, I do not know where to find fig trees…
Give it time to congeal. Test the “doneness” by pressing a clean hand against the curd. When it has transformed from a liquid into a gel, it is ready.
Cut the curd down from one gigantic blob into a number of smaller cubes using a knife. The smaller you make these cubes the drier, and more ageable your cheese will end up. So if you want a very dry cheese that will last a very long time, make a bunch of very fine cubes.
Stir the curds in the vat for up to an hour. Gently heat the vat as you do so. The longer you stir the drier your cheese will be
Drain the curds with cheesecloth. Use the porous fabric to strain the cheese of the liquid that has separated from the curds. Let them drain over a colander or sink for 10 minutes and then press the curds to force out any excess fluid.
Start extracting cheese chunks from the vat. This step is somewhat time sensitive because if you move too slowly the cheese will cool and won’t dry into a wheel properly, likely falling apart. Press the still-warm cheese into wheels (or whatever shape you feel like).
When the curds have been separated from the whey, you can add salt. At this point you can either choose to eat the cheese right away, or save it to age it.
Cultured Dairy
Cultured dairy produces things like yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream. Dairies that are cultured are some of my favorites and often contain a lot of probiotics, so knowing how to make these is healthy knowledge.
Yogurt: This dairy product is relatively unique from other cultured dairy products because it requires a constant source of heat to culture. Culturing is achieved by adding heat and a number of different lactic acid producing thermophilic bacteria – like lactobacillus bulgaricus. Add the starter culture and keep a constant source of heat on the yogurt.
Cottage cheese:
Start with raw milk and scrape the cream off the top with a turkey baster (or something similar) and save it in a jar in a cool place for later.
Pour the skimmed milk into a container and cover with a cheesecloth. Leave this to sit for about 2 days, or until it has achieved a jello-like consistency and there is no watery whey on top. The culture should exhibit signs of whey and curd separation.
Skim off any leftover cream.
Take the thickened milk and dump it into a large pot. Put it on a low heat for 5-10 minutes until you can actually see the curds and whey separating.
Find a bowl and place a CLEAN dishcloth over it, pour the curds onto the cloth and allow them to strain for up to 5 hours.
When finished, take curds off of the cloth and place into a bowl. Add salt to taste, and pour ¼ of the leftover cream over the top and mix well.
Butter
Ohhhh, ho ho, butter. If dog’s weren’t already man’s best friend, you surely would be. Butter goes well with just about everything, and is one of the greatest treats one can have in a survival situation. Here is a quick version of the old churning method:
Scrape the cream off the top of fresh milk and pour it into a jar, which you can screw a lid onto.
Shake the jar vigorously until butter starts to form from the cream into a soft lump, separated from the liquid buttermilk.
Pour the contents into a fine mesh strainer to get rid of the unwanted buttermilk. You will be left with solid butter, which can be salted to taste and refrigerated for later use.
A Dairy Economy
Today if you want milk or butter or ice cream or cheese you just go to the grocery store and buy it. But that kind of easy access to dairy won’t always be so readily available to us. If things start to go really south to the point where electricity is out for extended periods of time, or to the point where grocery delivery trucks stop delivering, or dairy farmers stop farming dairy, dairy products are going to become a rarity. Their value will elevate to become an exceptionally precious resource for trade and cooperation. And they taste good, which is also very nice.
Maybe someday you become the dairy tycoon of a post-apocalyptic world. Maybe not. Either way, understanding how to make something humans have such a severe weakness for is valuable knowledge. So know how to do dairy. It isn’t rocket science, humans have been doing it for thousands of years with less equipment and technology than you’ll probably ever have.
That isn’t to say it’s easy. Making dairy products like those described above all on your own will be an endeavor of trial and error and effort – just like anything worthwhile. But mastering the art of dairy will feed the dairy addiction within you and those around you. And who knows, maybe you use it to become the post-apocalyptic champion of cheese commerce. What more could anyone really want?
If you can’t decide whether to give red or white roses to your boo, then give them these unique DIY rainbow roses. Make Valentine’s Day more colorful and start making these rainbow roses. We’ve got the step-by-step instructions you will need!
Fun And Easy DIY Rainbow Roses In Two Ways
— This post is courtesy of gardenseason.com and shared with permission —
DIY rainbow roses might be over the top but it’s a great addition to your flower arrangements for Valentine’s Day. I actually thought rainbow roses was a new variety of roses but looking further, I’ve learned, I can make them myself! Learn how to make DIY rainbow roses with any of these two easy and simple guide.
Choose fresh white roses for this project. Using sharp scissors or a scalpel, trim the stem at an angle for fast color absorption.
Next, using a cutter or a scalpel, cut the stem into sections depending on how many colors you wish to dye the rose.
If you want three colors, you can cut the stem into three section. Remember, the more sections, the more difficult it is to keep the stems from breaking.
For an added tip, take roses with longer stems as you may now be successful in your first attempts but you can always cut back.
Step 2. Coloring Process
Now, take test tubes or whatever container is available to allow the same mechanics as illustrated above.
When using your test tubes, use a rubber band to hold them in place and close to each other to keep the rose stem from breaking.
For the color solution, add 1 gram of FD & C food dye to a hundred ml of water. Then, gently place a section os the stem into different dye solution.
Step 3. Color Transformation
Allow the roses to stand for a few hours or overnight for maximum color absorption.
In a few hours, you will see the color change.
Watch the step by step guide to making your DIY rainbow roses in this video from Flinn Scientific:
DIY Rainbow-Colored Roses
Things Needed For Making DIY Rainbow-Colored Roses
Wouldn’t it be so amazing to give your special someone a bouquet of roses in her favorite color? Whether it may be purple or green or blue, you can now make her dreams come true! Drop those traditional red or white roses and start making your DIY rainbow roses.
Find the DIY rainbow roses experiment amazing? Tell me about you own experiment by posting them on the comments section below.
Harvesting rainwater is something many of us do for our gardens as a way to save money and to make better use of a precious natural resource.
However, do you think you could run your home and garden almost completely off rainwater? What about if you lived in the desert?
A family who lives about 45 minutes south of Tucson, Ariz., does just that. In a video interview with the Life Inside a Box YouTube channel, the father, Joe, gave a tour of his system for harvesting rainwater.
“We got some well estimates, and it was way too expensive to drill a well, so we said, ‘Let’s try some rain water harvesting.’ And that’s what we live on for about 95 percent of the year,” Joe said.
Joe created a culvert system to collect roof and gutter run-off, and he has huge polyethylene tanks behind his home. Water from the roof drains underground through four-inch PVC pipe in what Joe calls a “wet pipe system.”
The sides of his home feature a network of downspouts that connect to this underground system. These pipes then connect with a 5,000-gallon tank behind the house. The 5,000-gallon tank is buried nearly halfway underground. As water fills the tank, most of the dirt and sediment stays on the bottom.
“I do not do ‘first flush,’” Joe said. “I use my first tank as a first flush and clean it once a year.”
Story continues below video
He explained that the water that flows into his other two “clean” tanks is free of dirt and sediment, and then he adds a small amount of bleach to kill any bacteria.
“Most municipalities use chorine, and I just do that to a lesser scale,” he said. All water that is used for drinking or cooking passes through a Berkey Water Filter system, as well.
The fruit trees on the property are watered exclusively by rainwater and gray water from the home. Other trees and his garden are watered by an extensive sloping system that carries rainwater and overflow from the gutters downhill.
One pool shown in the video is about three and one-half feet deep and holds about 500 gallons of water, Joe estimated. He uses a bucket to scoop water from the rainwater pools to water his garden and other trees.
Joe, who modestly calls much of his rainwater harvesting system “jerry-rigged,” said he got many of his ideas by reading books by rainwater harvesting expert Brad Lancaster.
At the time the video was made, Joe also was working on building a sunken greenhouse, which he plans to water completely with rainwater, and a new garden that is situated on a slope that catches rainwater and allows run-off to run downhill to other parts of the garden.
What do you think? Share your thoughts on rainwater systems in the section below:
An almost two-year quest led me to the goal of finding the most versatile 22 long-rifle ammunition on the market. After trying rounds from CCI, Remington, Federal, Winchester, Norma and a host of others, I settled on one brand: Gemtech subsonic to meet just about all of my rim-fire needs.
If you learned anything about ammunition over the course of the past several years, it should be that the availability of 22 long-rifle ammo is very volatile. It can be in abundance one day and gone within an hour, not to be seen at normal prices for as long as a year.
I am fortunate to live in a part of the country where even 22 LR ammunition shortages are fleeting, but it got me thinking:
As a hand-loader, I can make any type of ammunition I need, from 22 Hornet to 50 BMG. I can size for peculiar chambers, download for revolvers and produce hot loads for machineguns or subsonic loads for silencers.
Unfortunately, there is not much I can do about most rim-fire loads, beyond using whatever I have available.
This can be problematic, as hyper-velocity loads will not be effective through my suppressors and subsonic or match loads will not always cycle my semi-autos, let alone subguns.
I set out to find the one 22 load that would fit most, if not all of my purposes, and the result was surprising, to say the least.
Image source: Gemtech
During the shortages and the hoarding, the word “subsonic” threw off many shooters who were lead to believe that it was little more than a CB Cap-type round or CCI “Quiet” load. Most people did not think it would cycle the bolt on their Ruger 10/22s, or feed in their pistols. I found that it would, with a suppressor or without.
The velocity is 1,020 fps, which is subsonic and only 50 to 100 fps below standard velocity 22 LR. The engineers at Gemtech wisely determined that this would cycle the majority of semi-autos out there without the supersonic crack.
These rounds are loaded with 42-grain lead bullets, with no jacket or plating, just a moly-type coating that acts as a lubricant to aid in feeding. Gemtech worked with CCI on a clean-burning powder to use in the subsonic load to eliminate unburnt powder and fouling problems associated with rim-fire ammunition. It is probably the cleanest 22 ammo I have ever fired, period.
I tried it in a variety of pistols, including a Beretta Model 71, Smith & Wesson Model 41, SIG Mosquito, Benelli MP95E and a Walther PPK. Moving on to rifles, it functioned flawlessly in a pair of Ruger 10/22s, a Smith & Wesson M&P 15/22, and best of all it was consistently accurate. In some cases, I was shooting sub 1-inch groups at 50 yards.
Moving over to bolt-action 22s and 22 revolvers, I had zero complaints. The round remained consistent, accurate and reliable. Most importantly, it lived up to its name and kept the sound levels low.
My shooting experiment was not completely trouble-free, however. I had a few problems getting it to run consistently in a full-auto Uzi with a 22 LR conversion kit and using it in an Armalite AR-7 gave me a few failures to extract/eject.
Aside from the Armalite notoriously being a finicky beast, the cycling through the Uzi also was less of a concern. In a real preparedness situation, I am probably not going to be shooting up 22s at the rate of 1,450 rounds per minute. We just want something accurate, reliable and quiet going through our suppressed Savage M93 or Beretta M71.
So should another panic start up and you are looking for something to hold onto in order to keep your 22s running, check out Gemtech Subsonic in 22 LR. Don’t blow it off as a pipsqueak JV type of rim-fire round.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Share your thoughts in the section below:
Do you suffer from occasional, seasonal or regular migraines? You’re not alone. Migraine.com states: “In the U.S., more than 37 million people suffer from migraines. Some migraine studies estimate that 13 percent of adults in the U.S. population have migraines, and 2-3 million migraine suffers are chronic.” As a migraine sufferer myself, I've learned to recognize the symptoms and what I need to do for migraine relief.
For those of you who have never had a migraine, I compare it to the equivalence of an abscess toothache or a full-blown ear infection. The pain is intense and unrelenting. If you regularly have migraines, please see your doctor, as the pain may be a sign of serious illness. This post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness.
These are techniques I have used for migraine treatment, but each person is different. Always use caution when considering herbal treatments for migraines. Discuss your decision with a healthcare professional before beginning or stopping any medical or herbal treatment. Many herbs interfere with other medications.
What Causes Migraines?
Migraine headaches are caused by excessive dilation of the cerebral blood vessels, but scientists do not fully understand what causes the dilation in the first place. Blood vessels don't just dilate spontaneously, so they are likely responding to chemical changes in the body.
Migraines can be hereditary. If one parent has a history of migraines, their child has a 50% chance of getting them, and if both parents have them, the risk jumps to 75%.
Migraines can be a warning sign of a more serious condition. Migraines can occur along with many other health problems, such as asthma or depression. More serious conditions, such as tumors or infections, can also cause migraine symptoms.Again, please see a medical professional before self-diagnosing or treating.
My grandmother and father both suffered with migraines for years before seeking medical attention. When the pain became too debilitating for my grandmother she finally went to the doctor, they discovered she had a brain aneurysm. Her doctor did emergency surgery and she has been disabled ever since.
Fast forward 34 years, my father was suffering the same fate. Again, he didn’t go to the doctor. When seeing his doctor for unrelated issues, he discussed his migraines and the doctor ordered a CT scan, my father also had an aneurysm. Thankfully medical technology has advanced in the last 34 years and the surgery went without incidence and he leads a normal life.
There are over 150 different types of migraines and headaches. If you can determine and identify the type of migraine or headache, it helps you to choose the right migraine treatment.
Types of Migraines
Without or Without Aura
There are two major types of migraines.
Migraine without Aura
Migraine with Aura
The most common migraine type is Migraine without Aura. Pain can occur without warning and symptoms can include but not limited to: pulsating headache pain on one side of the head, nausea, blurred vision. Fatigue, sensitivity to light, sound or smells.
Migraine with Aura, referred to a classic migraine, includes visual disturbances that occur 10-60 minutes before the onset of the actual headache and can cause temporary loss of vision. Migraine with Aura may or may not be accompanied by headache pain. Other symptoms may include but not be limited to: numbness, tingling sensations, confusion, loss of appetite, sensitivity to light and sound.
Subcategories of Migraines
Ocular Migraines – Ocular Migraines cause temporary vision loss or blindness. Sometimes they are accompanied by a migraine headache.
Ocular Mirgaines are the types of migraines I suffer from. Once the vision loss starts, I know I have about 30 mins to get to safety and prepare for the onset of the pain. Always notify your doctor if you suffer from Ocular Migraines.
Hemiplegic Migraine – Hemiplegic Migraine is a rare form of migraine that causes temporary paralysis, sometimes lasting several days.
Familial Hempilegic Migraine –Familia Hempilegic Migraines are when they run in the family.
Status Migrainosus – Status Migrainosus Migraine is a migraine attack that lasts for more than 72 hours.
Migraine without Headache – Migraine without Headacheis characterized by visual problems or other aura symptoms, nausea, vomiting, and constipation, but without head pain.
Severe Headache Types That May Feel Similar to Migraines
In addition to the Migraine with Aura and Migraines without Aura other types of common migraines and headaches are:
Sinus Headaches – Sinus headaches are the build-up of pressure in your sinuses causing a pain that feels like a headache.
Tension Headaches (stress headaches) – Tension headaches (the most common) are a dull pain, pressure around your forehead and back of neck. Tension headaches can last from 30 minutes to a few days.
Cluster Headaches – Cluster headaches are a series of short and painful headaches that can occur every day for weeks to months at a time.
Hemicrania Continua – Hemicrania continua, or continuous headache, is a rare type of headache that doesn't stop.
Migraine Triggers
There isn’t a one size fits all migraine symptom and the same is true with migraine triggers. What can set one person’s migraine off can be a totally different from another person's migraine trigger. Identifying your trigger can help you avoid a migraine attack by avoiding the trigger.
Some common migraine triggers include:
Foods
Stress
Drinks
Food Additives
Change in weather
Environmental triggers
Hormonal changes
Medication
Sensory Stimuli
Change in sleep patterns
Physical Changes
Migraine Relief and Treatment
Since my husband and I suffer from two different types of migraines, the methods we use for migraine relief often vary. We have both found relief using the following treatments.
Darken the rooms – Migraines increase sensitivity to light, close the blinds and turn the lights off or wear sunglasses.
Reduce Noise – Even white noises can sound like a marching band during a migraine, unplug, turn off the TV, let the kids play in the yard and get some peace and quiet.
Reduce Smells/Odors – Migraines can cause nausea and even vomiting. Wash off perfume, postpone cooking, and remove plugins or candles.
Have a cup of coffee – caffeine alone can relieve migraine pain in the early stages or enhance the pain-reducing effects of acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and aspirin.
Hot and Cold Treatment
Submerge your feet in a bucket of hot water (as hot as you can stand it) for two minutes.
Place a cold rag on back of neck.
After two minutes in the hot water, remove feet and put in a bucket of ice water for two minutes.
Repeat process for 20 minutes.
This process will draw the blood to the feet and away from the head.
Herbal Migraine Treatments
Feverfew (Tanacetum Parthenium) A 2011 review published in Pharmacognosy Review suggested that feverfew is an effective treatment for migraines, fevers, the common cold, and arthritis. Feverfew leaves contain many different chemicals, including one called parthenolide. Parthenolide or other chemicals decrease factors in the body that might cause migraine headaches. Feverfew migraine relief when taken as a preventive daily supplement and not as an instant relief method.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) – Ginger has been well-documented as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial. In a published study by the Journal of Phytotherapy the effectiveness of ginger powder in the treatment of common migraine attacks is statistically comparable to sumatriptan. Ginger also poses a better side effect profile than sumatriptan.
Peppermint (Mentha x balsamea) – Peppermint offers a cooling effect, stimulates blood flow and inhibits muscle contractions. A study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice found that menthol was effective at stopping migraine pain and easing nausea. Drink mint tea to aide with nausea caused by migraines, and use diluted mint essential oil topically (such as the migraine pain ease recipe below).
Essential Oil Migraine Treatment
Herbs and essential oils have been used for many years to treat a plethora of symptoms. This Migraine Pain Ease blend of essential oils helps ease the symptoms of migraines and headaches. Note: Do not use essential oils on children, and test on a small patch of skin on the wrist for sensitivity before applying to the neck and head.
Fill the remaining of the roller bottle with the magnesium oil
Replace ball and lid, shake well before use.
I use the Migraine Pain Ease on the back of my neck and my temples. I also use on my sinuses when I have a cold and it helps relieve the sinus pressure.
If you have suffered from migraines or headaches, what natural treatment offered you relief?
This post is by Amber Bradshaw of The Coastal Homestead. Amber is a environmentalist, garden and outdoor enthusiast. She is a wife, mother of three and owns a contracting business with her husband. Amber strives to get back into nature with a more sustainable and self-reliant lifestyle that fits a busy schedule and a tight budget.
She lives on the east coast with her family on a little over 1/4 acre and encourages others to do big things with small spaces.
Photographer: Mike Mozart / Flickr / Creative Commons
It’s hard to quantify, but the modern prepping movement has at least, in part, been caused by the government. I am not referencing fear in the government doing something stupid that would force us into survival mode (although that is possible), but instead in promoting the idea of disaster preparedness.
FEMA’s Ready.gov website contains a host of information on how to prepare for a pending disaster, and radio commercials promote the idea, too. While not the best information in the world, it’s a good starting point for the novice prepper.
Of course, many if not most preppers don’t pay much attention to the FEMA website. Part of that could be because few of us trust the government all that much. But a much bigger part is that the government’s idea of prepping really doesn’t go far enough.
Let’s take a look at the list of Suggested Emergency Food Supplies that FEMA has on their website:
Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables and a can opener
Protein or fruit bars
Dry cereal or granola
Peanut butter
Dried fruit
Nuts
Crackers
Canned juices
Non-perishable pasteurized milk
Vitamins
Food for infants
Comfort/stress foods
That’s it — a dozen things. While all of those are good choices, there’s no way that I would consider them enough. But then, I take a much different view of survival than what FEMA is promoting.
Image source: Pixabay.com
FEMA takes the stance that you only need to be ready to take care of yourself for three days. That’s their target reaction time. At the end of the three days, FEMA supposedly will have assistance in place. There’s only one thing … FEMA has a very poor track record of meeting that goal.
So when FEMA talks about stockpiling food, they only talk about stockpiling three days of it. That’s probably where the idea of a bug-out bag only having three days of food originates. Personally, I don’t feel that three days is anywhere near enough, especially since I have no intention of ending up in a FEMA camp, waiting for the government to decide to let me go.
There were people digging in dumpsters, looking for food, six weeks after both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy (which occurred in Republican and Democratic administrations). That doesn’t give me a whole lot of faith in FEMA’s abilities. But I’m also concerned that whatever FEMA gives out, comes with a price. The price of government meddling in our lives. That’s a much higher price than paying for my own food, to build a descent stockpile.
Let’s go back to that list for a minute. While the foods contained in it are all good choices for a survival situation, there really isn’t enough there to create actual meals, unless you stockpile canned goods that can be put together to make a meal. While that is possible, it’s not anyone’s first choice. Canned foods do provide nutrition, but they are severely lacking in flavor.
If all you’re talking about is surviving three days, that’s not really an issue. You can live on peanut butter crackers and dried fruit for three days. For that matter, you can live without it for three days, just about as well. But you can’t simply buy more of the foods mentioned on this list and expect to have a three- or six-month stockpile. You’ll have to add other foods to it. I’m not going to talk about what other foods you should stockpile, as I’ve written other articles about it. Try this article or this one for more information.
Another problem with the list is that not all of these foods will store for a prolonged period of time, without rotating your stock. While some, like canned goods will last a long time, there are other things, like breakfast cereal and crackers, which will quickly become stale and unpalatable.
FEMA also suggests that you “choose foods your family will eat.” While that may seem to make sense, most of our families aren’t going to go for a healthy diet of survival food; they’re going to want something tasty. In other words, they’re going to want the same sorts of junk food that they’re used to eating. That doesn’t work, and it’s actually totally contradictory to the list of foods they’ve put together.
I prefer to say, “Figure out how to make the foods you are going to have to stockpile for survival palatable for your family.” This requires figuring out how to take the foods that you stockpile and adapting their flavor to meet your family’s tastes. While not easy, this is actually possible. All you need is a stock of the right spices, plenty of salt and maybe a few sauces, like spaghetti sauce.
You’ll have to do some experimenting to find ways of preparing the survival foods you’re going to stockpile in ways that will be palatable to your family. Take the time to make up some recipes, and make a small batch and test it on your family. If it doesn’t work, try modifying. That usually means adding more spices to give it more flavor.
I stockpile plenty of spaghetti sauce and cream of mushroom soup, as well as the spices used in making my own spaghetti sauce, so that I can restock from tomatoes I grow in my garden.
So, yes, the FEMA list contains a few items that should be in any stockpile. Just don’t stop there.
What do you think of FEMA’s tips and list? Share your thoughts in the section below:
If you are like me, you probably had mom or grandma say to you, “Oh, honey, you don’t need a doctor or drugs. You just need a little old-fashioned medicine!” She then would promptly give me something that sounded a bit strange, but she often was right. It would fix the problem.
If this was your experience, then you were taking what is often called folk remedies, home remedies, or as my grandmother called it, old-fashioned medicine.
Prior to doctors and before most people could afford to go to one, people had no choice but to rely on these types of “cures.” The truth is that most people never expected an outright “cure” — they were hoping for relief of symptoms while they waited for their body to heal.
Unfortunately, with no knowledge of medicine, people had no way to know exactly what they were consuming, how they would react to it, or worse, whether the “cure” might kill them! This lack of knowledge allowed many a shyster to sell the infamous “Snake Oil” to a great many people.
Today, we have the knowledge of the world at our fingertips. This doesn’t mean that old-fashioned medicine is outdated, however. For many of us, we prefer to keep things simple and if we ever should find ourselves back in a situation where there are no doctors, then this kind of information is good to have.
Let’s take a look at some of the best folk remedies that really do work!
1. For bee stings …
This is another painful encounter that almost everyone will experience. Yes, the pain will subside on its own, but you can remove the stinger, the swelling and itching with tobacco. Plain tobacco (unroll a cigarette) mixed with a bit of water, then placed on the sting, will draw out most of the poison, as well as the stinger, in about 20 minutes. I actually had my father use this method on me when I was about 10 years old, and I have to say that it sounded strange, but it really did work!
2. For nausea and upset stomachs …
Who the heck hasn’t had a bout of either one of these? Or both?! Stomach problems are super-common, and everyone wants relief ASAP! You can do that by keeping either dried or fresh peppermint on hand. My grandmother always had some in her backyard, or she used dried leaves from the pantry. She placed a half-dozen leaves in a cup filled with boiling water, added a teaspoon of honey for sweetness, and drank a cup or two every time she had a tummy ache or indigestion. She also gave it to me as a child, and I still remember how soothing it was.
3. For the common cold …
How can a simple little virus make us feel so terrible? I don’t know, but I know how you can clear up those stuffed-up sinuses and feel better – good-old chicken and onion soup! Or you could use garlic in place of onion. You also can drink garlic tea (if you’re brave) to open up your sinuses and get you on your feet! Yes, you will have to repeat this several times a day for several days, but I will take feeling better even for a short period of time over and over, compared to just being sick as a dog for days.
4. Urinary tract infections …
What would you do if there were no doctors or antibiotics? Let me tell you how they did it in the olden days: They used baking soda and water! At the very first sign, mix one-fourth teaspoon or so of plain baking soda in 1 cup (8 ounces) of water. Drink this every morning until the symptoms subside.
5. For sore throats, sore gums, mouth ulcers …
These are all common-yet-painful problems almost everyone in life will face. The good news is that they are all aided by something everyone in the world has right in their kitchen: salt. A simple mouthwash of warm water with a pinch of salt works wonders.
Let’s also talk about some of the home remedies people have used over time that absolutely DO NOT work:
Cold baths and/or drinking cold water will not fix “most diseases,” as a 1740 doctor used to say.
Eating boiled carrots for two weeks does not cure asthma.
Holding a live puppy on the belly will not stop vomiting (but it might make you feel better emotionally).
Eating a pinch of castile soap each morning will not cure jaundice.
Some of these ideas seem funny to us in our modern age of medicine, but who knows? Perhaps 300 years from now, people will be snickering at our era, saying “How could they have thought that?”
Do you know of other folk remedies that still work? Share your memories and tips in the section below:
Many people in the U.S. are chasing the American dream, trying to make more money so they can – supposedly – be happier.
But a handful of Americans are going the opposite route, leaving the American dream because it didn’t fulfill their desires.
This week’s guest on Off The Grid Radio was president of a Fortune 500 division and ran one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. before he quit his corporate job and sold his house on a golf course … to homestead.
What caused him to leave his job and try something different.
Why the homesteading life is more enjoyable than a high-paying corporate job.
How he learned the skills needed to homestead, prior to YouTube.
Why the self-sufficient life fulfills a need that money does not.
How he makes extra cash living on the homestead – and how you can, too.
Young, who has written several books about self-sufficiency, also shares with us his thoughts on the American dream – and why so many people have it all wrong. If you’re looking for an inspirational story this week, then don’t miss this amazing show!
This Article Was Originally Posted On offthegridnews.com Read the Original Article here
Visit Google and type in the phrase “The Bible says not to ….” What do you think pops up first? It is the essence of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1:
“Judge not, that you be not judged.”
This is no surprise to most of us. We live in a culture that believes religion should be kept private and that absolute truth is negotiable — depending, of course, on your preferences. Practically, since we have no standard for truth, one is prevented from telling others if he/she is right or wrong. Is that really what Jesus meant in Matthew 7:1?:
Notice that Jesus didn’t say that we shouldn’t ever tell anyone he or she is wrong. In fact, Jesus spent His time on earth doing this very thing!
Later in the same passage, in Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus makes a distinction between the broad and narrow way. He doesn’t say, “Oh, golly gee, whatever you want to do in life is cool with me. I am not going to judge you!” Instead, he says:
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
So, what is this the “judge not” verse of Matthew 7:1 saying?
First, you truly judge someone not when you analyze their position against truth, but when you reject them as human, made in God’s image.
Isn’t this what John 3:17 characterizes?:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
While Jesus made abundantly clear that He alone was the narrow gate to heaven, he still didn’t “condemn the world.” You see, not condemning the world doesn’t mean you don’t forthrightly speak the truth. Instead, what you do after stating the truth determines whether you are judging.
Think about it: After telling us the truth of the kingdom of God, Jesus didn’t cast us off or dismiss us. No, he drew us closer and closer and made us — the sinners — his friends.
Perhaps the most famous Bible verse — John 3:16 (“For God so loved the world …) — precedes John 3:17. Jesus not only told us the truth, but He laid down His life for salvation!
Second, judging mirrors excessive obliviousness of our own immorality.
Jesus speaks in Matthew 7:5 about taking “the log” out of our own eye before addressing others. That is, we shouldn’t criticize others for the exact same things we are guilty of doing.
Jesus’ words here assume that there is a perpetual “log” lodged in our eyes as Christians. We might learn to lessen or downplay these “logs” by social and cultural domestication and rules, but the fact remains that the sinful depravity still lingers.
What has God given me in Christ? Grace, mercy and forgiveness. Doesn’t that change how I treat and speak to people? It should.
So, when Jesus said “judge not,” he was telling us to review the situation without rejecting the person. As Christians, we are called to speak with grace and truth (1 Peter 3:15).
Again, this doesn’t mean we can’t engage someone with truth. Rather, we have in Matthew 7:1-6 specific instructions about how to engage anyone we may meet who we may never agree with.
How do we make this practical?
Make sure private prayer is your main arsenal. We can’t change someone’s heart — only the Holy Spirit of God can do that work.
Seek for someone to come to Christ before chasing secondary issues. You may want to really make sure your co-workers know your sports team is the best in the world. But what does that have to do with eternity?
Make sure you are “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19b). Be careful to protect your pastors, staff and church by heading off gossip and slander. Be slow to speak and quick to pray.
Make sure you are patient with the speed of how God is working in someone’s life. Change is a process, not an event. We need to be patient with people as they struggle with sin. God’s timetable isn’t ours. His sovereign will is perfect, and we can trust Him.
Learn to speak to different people differently, as God leads. Jesus didn’t speak to Herod or Pilate in the same way He spoke to others. Paul didn’t talk to the Gentiles and Jews in the same way. Yet, it was the same message — the Gospel message.
Remember, we set standards that we use to judge, not realizing that we will fail our own criteria. Most judgments, accusations and verdicts don’t even need to be rendered (1 Corinthians 4:1-5). In heaven, there’ll be no judging motives, no racial profiling, no injustice, no theft, no vengeance, no hate, and nothing but love — eternal and free from the one true God of the Bible. The only fully competent Judge is coming.
In a world gone mad, only one hope remains: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25). Do you trust Him today?
This Article Was Originally Posted On offthegridnews.com Read the Original Article here
We all agree that being able to start a fire during any emergency situation is imperative. A fire can help to provide nourishment, warmth, security, illumination, rescue, serenity and a plethora of other viable benefits. But just like any other skill, fire building must be continuously practiced. Read on to learn why a ferro rod is a must!
You may have to build a fire in a wet environment, which will be a completely different experience than fire building in a dry climate. You may need to build a large teepee fire for signaling or to build a simple crossfire if the mission is food preparation. These are just a couple of the scenarios that you may encounter when emergency and survival scenarios occur.
Why You Need A Ferro Rod In Your Survival Kit
You need to be flexible and experienced in as many fire building techniques as possible. The more options and skills that you possess, the better that you will fare when SHTF. You may not only need to produce for yourself, but also for your loved ones.
Failure is NOT an option.
There are three critical components to a fire…and if one of them is taken away, you will no longer have a fire. Those 3 components are:
Ignition Source
Oxygen
Fuel
For the purpose of this post, I would like to focus on #1, the ignition source. If you think about it… We actually need a “fire” to start a fire. Luckily, there are many ways to accomplish this. These are just some of the options we can use to start a fire:
A Lighter (Zippo, Bic, etc.)
Battery & Steel Wool
Bow & Drill
Natural Flint & Steel
Magnifying Glass
Matches
Ferrocerium (Ferro Rod)
I have started countless fires with each of the options listed above. My go to igniter is a Bic lighter but if I had to pick just one ignition source for any SHTF scenario… It would have to be a ferro rod.
There seems to be an ongoing debate on which fire igniting source is the best. Some may choose a Bic lighter while others prefer the ferro rod. I have to admit that I carry various Bic lighters in my go bags. Their convenience, lightweight, and ease of use make its simplicity very desirable for fire starting. But if you -held me to the fire- and I had to pick just one fire starting tool as I headed off to “zombieland”… It would have to be a quality ferro rod.
What I would like to share with you are my 9 reasons why a ferro rod should be included in everyone’s survival kit:
1. Durability:
Ferro rods are composed of mainly Iron, lanthanum and cerium. For convenience, there is usually a handle attached to the ferro rod made of wood, plastic or other material. When this rod is scraped with a piece of steel, the sparks that are sent to your bundle of tinder can reach temperatures in excess of 5,430F (°3000C). This is possible because of the oxidation that occurs during the scraping or striking process.
Ferro rods also have a long lifespan. I have ferro rods that can be struck up to 12,000 times. I also have “beefier” ½” ferro rods that can be struck over 20,000 times. Keep in mind that it will be difficult to get your first strike to start your tinder; Multiple strikes are usually needed. But with some good practice, you can get your tinder started in 3 strikes or less.
Since the ferro rod is constructed of alloy materials, it makes it quite durable. It is a piece of gear that you can place in your pack and forget about it. There are no moving parts to concern yourself with and there is no fear of rendering it unserviceable from various tumbles you or your gear may take. It doesn’t require any special containers or housing like my lighters and matches do. I keep one strapped to the molle setup inside of my pack and it is always ready when I need it.
2. Weatherproof:
A ferro rod will work in virtually any weather situation. It can be soaked from the rain or it can be stuck in the mud. Just wipe it down, scrape it with some steel and you have seriously hot sparks flying at your tinder.
I also prefer my ferro rod in windy conditions. Matches and lighters tend to not bode very well in the wind. But a ferro rod will place hot molten metal on whatever tinder that you are trying to ignite, even in the wind.
If you are in snow or other freezing conditions, your ferro rod will still operate flawlessly. Keep in mind that the same principles apply to tinder regardless of your ignition source. If your tinder isn’t good to go, it really doesn’t matter what you are using as a starter.
Tinder Isn’t weatherproof… That’s an obvious statement but some still have trouble grasping it. Just realize that by having a tool that can send “fire” or sparks in any weather condition is only half the battle. You need to have dry tinder, kept away from the elements, in order to have a good chance of getting your fire started. Sending countless sparks into wet or damp tinder will only waste your ferro rod or lighter for that matter.
3. Dependability:
The fact that the ferro rod is weatherproof and durable makes it a tool that you can depend on. I have had countless lighters break on me over the years. I have also gotten my matches soaked from downpours, spilled drinks and taking the occasional swim without fully clearing out my pockets.
Granted, these were all in recreational scenarios but my lighters and matches didn’t know that we were just having fun. So if those instances rendered my ignitors useless… what would make me think that they would function differently in an emergency situation?
Knowing that I have a fire starting method that I can depend on gives me greater peace of mind. This mindset is not only for SHTF situations but also while I am out in a recreational or work related capacity.
4. Convenient:
Ferro rods are very convenient. They are streamlined, compact and lightweight. Many quality ferro rods even come with a steel scraping tool. These steel tools have a 90 degree edge that is ideal for sending the sparks to a targeted location. Some of my ferro rod scrapers even have additional features such as a small ruler, flathead screwdriver, paracord lanyard attachment, bottle opener and a can opener. Those can be useful tools in a pinch.
In a cold environment, it is extremely convenient not having to shed my gloves in order to strike my lighter. Usually in the colder, freezing situations, a lighter tends to not work well causing multiple strikes to be needed. When my hands are frozen and nearly frostbitten… That is not something that I would enjoy – EVER AGAIN!
I have other ferro rods that come in the form of a necklace. They are not only cool looking jewelry, if that is your preference, but they also work like a charm! They are a bit trickier to operate but with the right amount of practice, they function really well.
5. Can Travel On A Plane:
When I travel overseas I keep a ferro rod necklace in my Airport Go Bag. It basically looks like a keychain strapped to the interior of my pack. After countless miles in the air, I have yet to be questioned by security about my ferro rod. Unfortunately, that is something that will never happen with my lighters and or matches. They would have to be discarded way before I ever contemplate entering the plane. Damn Shoe-bomber…
I don’t anticipate a Tom Hanks Castaway moment in my flight travel plans, but we are either prepared or we are not. If I can add an extra measure of security for that – just in case moment- then I’m all in!
6. Inexpensive:
Ferro rods are relatively inexpensive for what you get. Since so many have jumped on the “survival bandwagon” as of late, there seems to be new options being offered on the market almost daily. I mentioned necklaces earlier but you can find them contained in various paracord devices and many other gadgets.
Since there is more popularity and manufacturers, there is more competition in the marketplace. What that means to us is cheaper prices!
I have quality fire starters that cost me less than $9. My ½” thick ferro rod was just under $20 and will probably outlast my lifespan. As far as blowing your budget, it’s definitely not a factor when it comes to ferro rods.
7. Versatile:
Ferro rods work great for getting your tinder bundle started but it also comes in handy for igniting other sources. Backpacking stoves can be annoying at times to ignite. The angle on which these stoves need to be lit can be awkward on some models. Being able to spray some sparks from the ferro rod can be quite effective for getting these portable stoves lit.
I use my ferro rods to get my backyard firepit going. I also use them for igniting my wood burning grill. It makes it convenient for me on windy days but also gives me the continual practice needed to hone in and maintain the skill. Take any opportunity that you can to practice. Once you become more proficient with your ferro rod, you will find yourself using it a lot more.
8. Can Be Used In High Altitudes:
I can refer back to my cigarette smoking days for this one… While training at the Mountain Warfare Training Center as an active duty United States Marine, we were training at over 10,000 feet in elevation for over a month. When we tried to use our Bic lighters to light our cigarettes, there always seemed to be an issue. We had to resort to matches to get our “fix” in while the Smoking Lantern was on.
Now, I’m not suggesting to light your cigarette or cigar with a ferro rod. I am giving an example of why I’d prefer my ferro rod over my Bic lighter if I had to fire build in high elevation. A spark from a ferro rod will have the same intensity, regardless of the elevation.
9. Gives You The Bushcraft Feel:
I have to admit that starting a fire with a ferro rod certainly has that…cool factor. There is a degree of skill required to operate the ferro rod as opposed to just, striking the wheel on a Bic. It brings a bit of the bushcraft feel to the fire building experience. It’s not the same as starting it with a bow and drill but still cool nonetheless.
When I hand out ferro rods to my Boy Scout troop members, the excitement is almost instant. I see some of them become a bit nervous but that is a temporary effect. Once they learn to move the ferro rod, not the actual scraping tool… And get that tinder bundle going, they walk away from the experience looking as if they had just won the lottery.
Bottom Line:
It is always best to be redundant and carry various ignition sources. Just like most things in life, balance is key. If you can carry a Bic lighter, waterproof matches and a quality ferro rod… Then you are definitely good to go.
We never want to make things more difficult than we have to. This statement expands exponentially in an emergency scenario. Expand your skills and options whenever possible. Store as many ignition sources as you can for emergency use. If you are not familiar with a ferro rod, get one and start practicing. Get your family involved and practice together. You may need to rely on them for fire building in an emergency.
Right now we have the ability to choose our preferred methods and options. When SHTF… We may not be so fortunate.
