13 Things NOT To Do When Disaster Strikes

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Plenty of attention is given to the things you should do when disaster strikes. However, knowing what not to do can be just as important for your survival. In this list, you’ll find 13 things that you should avoid doing at all costs when disaster strikes.

1. Panic

Few things are more likely to cost you your life when the chips are down than panicking. While fear serves an evolutionary purpose in that it makes you aware of the danger, panic is fear’s ugly cousin, dulling your senses and your survival instincts. If disaster strikes, take a deep breath, stick to your plan, and do your best to stay calm.

2. Stare at the TV

With every news station in the country broadcasting updates about the disaster 24/7, it’s easy to fall into a state of shell-shock where you sit and stare at the TV, hanging on the news anchor’s every word. However, time spent staring at the TV is time not being spent preparing for your survival. Once you have a solid grasp of what has taken place, shut off the TV and get to work.

3. Decline Government Aid

Many preppers have a lone wolf attitude, convinced that they can survive whatever the world throws at them all on their own. When you combine this attitude with a general distrust of the government, it leads some people to actually turn down government aid such as food and water after a disaster. However, smart survivalists know that you should take advantage of every resource you have available – government aid included.

4. Bug Out Into the Woods

Bugging out is something that takes planning and preparation. You need to have a bug out bag prepared as well as a specific destination in mind. If all you are doing is running haphazardly into the woods with little to no supplies in-tow, you can’t expect your odds of surviving to be very high.

5. Act Like Rambo Resurrected

The aftermath of a disaster is no time to strap on your combat gear and start parading around the street with a gun in hand like a modern-day Rambo. Doing this will only draw unwanted attention from other civilians as well as any cops or military personnel that might be in the area. While it’s good to have firepower and combat gear in case situations take a turn for the worse, keep these things on the down-low and do your best to blend in and not stand out.

6. Blame Yourself

The blame game is a game with no winners, especially when you blame yourself. When a disaster strikes, you’ll probably think of all sorts of things you should have done to make yourself more prepared. Even experienced preppers will probably be kicking themselves over a few things, but doing this is a waste of time. It will only slow you down when you should be focused on your survival plan.

7. Blame Everybody Else

Maybe you won’t blame yourself for anything. Maybe instead you’ll blame the president, or congress, or the deep state, or another country. And maybe they deserve the blame, but there will be plenty of time to think about that later. Getting angry and blaming the people responsible is a waste of time and energy you should be using toward putting your survival plan into action.

8. Resort to Lawlessness

Major disasters have a way of turning law-abiding citizens into shameless criminals in little time at all. However, when it comes to resorting to thievery and other acts of lawlessness after a disaster strikes, the risks far outweigh the rewards. Not even taking into account the moral implications of this behavior, attempting to steal supplies following a disaster is likely to get you shot. It’s far better to have your own supplies than to find yourself on the wrong end of a gun while trying to steal someone else’s.

9. Run to the Store

The moment disaster strikes, food, water, and other supplies suddenly become invaluable. With this being the case, it may be tempting to run to the store in order to stock up on cheap supplies as soon as you learn about the disaster. However, the time to stock up on supplies is before a disaster strikes, not after.

The problem with booking it to the nearest store in the heat of a disaster is that everyone else is going to have the same idea. Not only will you be unlikely to secure any supplies before they’re gone, you’ll also be entering a dangerous area full of desperate people willing to do whatever it takes to ensure they’re the ones who walk out with that last bottle of water.

10. Ignore Your Basic Needs

Basic needs such as food, sleep, and hygiene don’t go out the window when disaster hits. Following a disaster, make sure you continue to take care of yourself and provide your body with the things it needs in order to be in optimum condition. As much as possible, try to eat balanced meals, take your meds, get plenty of sleep, keep yourself clean, and so forth. This will keep you strong both physically and psychologically.

11. Take Care of Everyone Who Shows up on Your Doorstep

One of the hardest things about being prepared when others are not is having to turn away people who are looking for help. As gut-wrenching as this might be, though, there comes a point where it is a necessity. It goes without saying that your number one goal is to keep yourself and your family alive, and you can’t do that if you give supplies to every stranger that shows up on your doorstep. (BTW, if you turn people away, you’ll need some great home security measures to make sure they can’t get in.)

12. Despair

A major disaster can turn your world upside down, leaving you feeling hopeless. It’s important to remember, though, that no matter how desperate the situation is all hope is not lost. So long as you are still breathing, planning, and doing what it takes to stay alive, you still have a chance. No matter how hopeless your situation might seem, don’t despair.

13. Keep Your Family in the Dark

Wanting to spare your family the trauma of finding out that a horrible disaster has taken place is a noble cause, but it’s also a dangerous one. In order for all of you to survive what comes next, you all need to be on the same page, fully understanding what it is that you are up against. Sit your family down and explain to them in a calm, level tone what has happened and what the next step is rather than keeping them in the dark.

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Amish Farmer Jailed For Selling Herbs

Amish Farmer Jailed For Selling Herbs See more on: https://totalsurvival.net

This jailed amish farmer turned “natural healer” is facing six years in prison for selling herbs.

An Amish farmer jailed for selling herbs has recently lost his appeal in a case in which he challenged the government’s ability to prosecute him on charges of not cooperating with government officials while he was being investigated for the crime of selling herbal remedies without government permission. My grandfather would have never believed a headline like Amish Farmer Jailed, but times as Bob Dylan said … are a changing.

Girod sold what he described as herbal remedies. He also made the remedies without the governments permission.

He promoted one product named Chickweed Healing Salve saying it may be utilized in treating sore throats, skin ailments, psoriasis, skin cancer, rashes and even poison ivy, according to a court document.

The authorities charged that one of the products Girod sold was a dangerous bloodroot infusion. However, a peer-reviewed study in 2009 suggested bloodroot extracts and infusions have great potential as therapeutic immunomodulators.

A federal court in Missouri barred Girod from operations until he met certain conditions. This included the manufacture and distributing the goods, which allowing the Food and Drug Administration to scrutinize his production facility, according to a court document.

When FDA inspectors did show up in November 2013, Girod and some Amish muscle blocked their entrance.

Girod acted as his own lawyer in the case, fighting with over a dozen charges and asserting since they were “remedies” defined by federal law, that his products weren’t subject to FDA oversight. In addition, he contended that requiring FDA approval infringed on his rights.

Reactions from outside the Federal District Courthouse were angry. Most questioned the actual sentencing of an Amish farmer who simply made and sold some of his herbal products. In a world of catch and release illegal immigrants (many of whom are guilty of murder and rape) the sentencing of a chickweed peddler like Sam Girod seems outrageous.

Jurors rejected his arguments, convicting him on charges that included conspiring to impede the FDA, failing to register his facility with the bureau; threatening a witness to attempt and keep business documents from the grand jury as well as distributing misbranded drugs. (now the remedies are drugs)

The jury ruled that the Girod didn’t have instructions available for use. One of these charges was that he misbranded the goods with the intent to defraud or mislead people.

Girod managed his own appeal, never hearing the saw that he who represents himself in court has a fool for an attorney.

The claims of all Girod were turned off by A three-judge panel of the appeals court.

The panel stated Reeves was right to rule that the products of Girod were drugs under federal law since the decision depends on whether the goods were intended for use.

Girod said the labels weren’t specific because the herbs could be used as a treatments for an assortment of conditions.

The jury found no evidence that Amish farmer was targeted by the government because of his faith to his faith, and the jury instructions were proper, the appeals panel said.

Girod became something of a cause for men and women that became aware of his situation. Over 25,000 have signed a petition asking to have him released from custody.

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Why Avengers “Infinity War” Owes Christ Some Box-Office Royalties

Why Avengers “Infinity War” Owes Christ Some Box-Office Royalties is republished from Total Survival

“There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if we could become something more, so when they needed us, we could fight the battles that they never could.”

Avengers “Infinity War” 2018

“I don’t like bullies; I don’t care where they come from.”

Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Heroes are called when there seems to be no other way out of a situation. Avengers Infinity War is no exception.

OK, I’ll admit the headline is a goofy reach. But if you read the article below, you’ll know what I’m getting at.

Last night my wife, a few of our kids and grandkids went to the new Avengers movie, Infinity Wars. I was on a tractor at our small farm taking advantage of warmer days and extra sunlight getting ready to plant all kinds of off-the-grid goodies. You have some time to think on a tractor, so after they left, my mind drifted towards this business of heroes who come to make broken things right again.

There’s tremendous amount of worldview archetecture in the “American movie mind” today. Most of it acting as a kind presuppositional “given” with precious little attention paid to anything except the existential CGI moment. But seriously…

Think about it. In an unfallen world there would be no evil, no danger, no conflict of any kind to use as fodder for books, movies and the like. Of course, in an unfallen world, men and women could still push themselves to excel. The mathematician could stretch himself to grasp abstruse mathematical concepts, but he would always have the help and support of others in the field. The artist could wrestle with paint or marble, but he wouldn’t have to wrestle with his own sloth or pride. The mountain climber could test his abilities on tougher and tougher cliffs and peaks, but he would never be in any real danger.

Everyone could strive for greater and greater mastery in this skill or that art, but there would never be any risk of loss or harm. In this quest for excellence, you could challenge someone to a competition, a race, contest of some sort, but the whole thing would be a stricly friendly matter, a time of mutual encouragement and true camaraderie. In a world without sin, there would be no jealousy, animosity, or bitterness between the competitors. Each would be happy with the outcome and perhaps even proud of the guy or gal that beat you. Here’s the rub…

Now, imagine trying to tell a story, a really riveting, high drama driven story that assumes this sinless, unfallen world I’m talking about. Pretty tough. As a matter a fact, I don’t think it can be done. At least the kind of stories we’re used to simply wouldn’t make much sense to us. All the stories our brains normally process in this fallen world involve real conflict. And so, every story that does make sense to us is rooted in the Fall and the “fallout” from the fall, so to speak.

Conflict

The conflict in life (in all media and literature for that matter) begins with sin and the curse of death that seeps into our world because of that sin. In literary analysis, we speak of any number of conflicts:

• man v. man
• man v. woman
• man v. God
• man v. himself
• man v. society
• man v. the State
• man v. Nature
• man v. the demonic or monstrous.
• Mothra vs Godzilla (just kidding)

And so on. Each of these conflicts involves some sort of danger … physical, spiritual, psychological, or social … to one or more of the parties involved. Often, the actual or potential victims either can’t see the nature of the danger or they don’t have the resources to deal with it. In all of these situations , there seems to be no direct way out. Enter the need for heroes.

A hero may me a very ordinary guy. He doesn’t have to be a superhero, a spy, or a Navy Seal. He doesn’t have to carry a six-shooter, a vibranium shield, or a light saber. But he has to confront the danger or the inherent evil in the circumstances. He could confront with strength, wisdom, courage, maybe even love. This much is always true though: He will do it even though the costs may be high.

What Heroes Do

Real heroes give themselves to solving the problems created by sin and the curse. The problems may be large or small, but they all present real and difficult challenges. The hero will normally find that these challenges come in three forms. He may run into a mystery that must be solved, an obstacle to overcome, or a sacrifice to make. A lot of times these challenges are all wrapped together in a package.

To solve a mystery, the hero needs wisdom. The hero needs to think through a complicated situation. Perhaps he’s faced with a puzzle or a riddle. I’m thinking here of detective fiction, like Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie. Or perhaps the hero has to devise complicated tactics or strategies. (Think Mission Impossible.) Maybe he has to invent a new live-saving technology, a medical cure, or even a weapon that stops the bad guys or aliens. There are all sorts of dangerous situations that require research, interpretation, analysis, discovery, or invention.

And, to overcome the obstacles, the hero needs courage, boldness, and skill. He may face physical stress, danger, even death. Our plays, TV and movies are full of such heroes. They may be lawmen, soldiers, knights, or superheroes. They may be reformers, explorers, or evangelists. Often, they bring weapons or tools that they must brandish with great skill. In the movies they may drive fast cars, fly faster planes, or be “jumpers” through hyperspace or whatever to save the day. In real life, hereos may work on a limited budget, with limited resources and without political or legal leverage.

Then there’s the word sacrifice. Most people are capable of showing love. But the real hero must love profoundly, often love the unlovely and with question, this love comes with a big price tag. That’s we say the true hero loves sacrificially. And it’s with great purpose that He lays down his life for his friends.

The most engaging stories challenge the hero on all three levels. He must solve the riddle or come up with a clever plan. He must act on his solution, his plan, with great courage, power and skill. His motivations are pure … he must challenge the conflict out of self-sacrificing love. He will risk his life. Given all this, it is no accident that popular literature divides itself into mysteries, action/adventure, and stories of relationship. It’s no accident that readers, viewers and listeners divide themselves along the same lines. (so does Netflix and Hulu)

God’s Hero

Jesus Christ is the archetypical Hero. He came into this world to undo the work of the Fall. The gospel calls Him Messiah or Christ, the Anointed One. As Messiah, Jesus is the anointed Prophet, King, and Priest and the head of our salvation. He saves His people through wisdom, courageous action, and self-sacrificing love.

First, Jesus came as our Prophet. He came with divine wisdom. No human wisdom or philosophy could ever have foreseen the cross because no human wisdom or philosophy sees sin as a problem, let alone takes sin seriously. The gospel of redemption was a mystery hid in the heart of God. But Jesus came in time and space to reveal the plan of redemption as well as fulfill it. By His words and actions, He has revealed the Father to us, along with the realization of His incredible wisdom and love. Fortunately for us, He continues to speak to us through His word.

Jesus also came as a conquering King. He was not a martyr. The cross wasn’t a mistake. Jesus steadfastly pursued His mission all the way to the finish line: the cross. There, He took on sin. In His resurrection He defeated death itself. Now He reigns from His Father’s right hand with all of the collective power in heaven and on earth at His disposal. He continues to gather and defend His Church and press the claims of His kingdom to the ends of the earth. One day He will return in glory as Judge. (a very bad story ending for those in unbelief)

Lastly, Jesus came as our great High Priest. He loved His people and gave Himself for His church. But not just that … He gave His life to redeem us from sin and all the broken glass that goes with it. We all know that pain, don’t we? The good news is that He continues to intercede for us at the Father’s right hand. He knows our failings, our weakness and provides help in ways we could never understand.

Conclusion

Every literary hero, every flesh and blood hero, at the end of the day … must imitate Christ. I guess that why G.A. Henty said only Christians could be true heroes. It’s a matter of metaphysics after all.

Some heroes imitate a single aspect or di­mension of Christ’s threefold office more than the other two. Others are “well rounded” in their heroism. Sometimes heroes come in sets: the man with wisdom and a plan; the man of action who makes things happen; and the man (or more often the woman) who feels compassion and empathy for those who are hurting. But listen, not one of us can be Jesus and be hero at this ultimate and infallible level. But every child of God is called and equipped to imitate Jesus Christ. We are all called to courage, so we can be heroes for Jesus sake. But as we move into action and purpose, we must always remember that we don’t control the outcomes. Not our pay grade as they used to say.

Our duty, as image bearers is to dive into the roaring flood waters to save whoever is trouble knowing that we as well as the drowning victim may very well perish in the attempt.

Are you ready to dive in? Are you ready to be part of the rescue team? Or…

Are you a “hot tub hero,” happy to live life without conflict and sacrifice?

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These Modern Dog Houses Are Adorably Stylish

These Modern Dog Houses Are Adorably Stylish Find more on: https://totalsurvival.net/

Nowadays pets tend to live in equally or even more luxurious conditions then their owners. That’s because people want the best for their little friends and more and more stores sell pet accessories or furniture. If you have a large backyard and are thinking about rebuilding your dog’s house, why not do something edgy and interesting? You could build your dog a beautiful and stylish dog house, that would offer him protection and comfort in any weather. Southern California-based designers, Alejandro and Sara Pijuan, make the coolest dog homes ever! They are the owners of PDW (Pijuan Design Workshop) and they make two models of modern dog houses, called the Dog Re-Treat and Woof Ranch. Their designs look exactly like tiny mansions, but built for our four-legged friends, and have a roof, a window and even a covered deck where you dog can sit in case of rainy weather.

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Food Storage Done In Phases

Food Storage Done In Phases was originally seen on http://www.totalsurvival.net/

Long term food storage is best done in phases.

Do you already have a short-term food storage plan or stockpile that will last you a week, a month, or three months? Are you ready to now plan for an even longer period of food storage? Long-term food storage is a form of stockpiling food meant to sustain you for months and even years. With a long-term stockpile of food, you will be able to weather events ranging from job loss to a large-scale catastrophe without going hungry.

When you begin your preparedness plan for a long-term food storage stockpile, you want to know what items you should select for storage, in what amounts, and how to best store these food items (not only in what sort of container but also where). This article will address suggested items for long-term storage, containers and storage locations, and how to estimate your long-term needs so that you have the most useful stockpile possible.

STEP ONE: ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN LONG-TERM FOOD STORAGE?

When should you begin long-term food storage? Before beginning, you should have a shorter-term stockpile in place. If you are just beginning to put together a food supply, begin with a very short time period, such as a week, and then double that to two weeks, and from there a month, and increase until you have a two to three-month supply of stored food. The long-term stockpile planning and supply comes when you already have a good shorter term stockpile in place, and you now want to extend your supply to ensure survival for much longer time periods.

STEP TWO: WHAT TO STORE

Grains and dried beans are the main items you will need for long-term storage. Rice, pasta, dried beans, nuts, & flour and other grains can last for decadesunder the right conditions.

Is your long-term stockpile sustainable? Can you plan for meat to be available “on the hoof” by raising it now, and having a sustainable breeding herd or flock? Will you fish as part of your long-term stockpile? If yes, plan to lay away extra hooks and a rod or two, and develop fishing skills now if you don’t already have them. While beans and nuts, livestock and fish can provide protein, also consider peanut butter, and freeze dried meats, items which are probably already a part of your shorter term stockpile.

Another consideration for long-term sustainability in your stockpile or food storage plan is to plan edibles into your landscape with plants like blueberries, raspberries, apples, pears, mushrooms, and nut trees. Edible landscaping is an investment in time and plants that you can enjoy now, and may help to sustain your stockpile in a time of great need—and it won’t take up space in the same way your main stockpiled food does. You will need sources of fruit and vegetables to meet nutritional needs. For example, scurvy can be deadly, but it is easily prevented with the vitamin C found in fruits.

Plan to include leavening agents like yeast, baking powder, baking soda, a sweetener such as sugar, and oils. Salt is essential: do not forget to include a supply of salt in your stockpile!

Don’t forget about non-edible essentials: water treatment (such as bleach), toilet paper, buckets, jars, and bags to store items, seeds, mix, and planting trays, canning and drying supplies, cooking & food preparation tools and a source of heat, and any supplies needed to care for livestock or pets.

What about coffee? Is it a luxury, or will you make room for it in a long-term stockpile? While the long-term food supply is meant for survival, you need to determine what you actually need, and something like coffee might be ok to skip for you, but not for someone else. Similarly, you may choose to store powdered milk, but others may skip it. You need to plan for your individual tastes, and your budget.

Buying items you will not eat is a waste. In some ways, the long-term readymade food kits available for purchase may not be right for you. Why? They have an expiration date, and might consist of foods you don’t currently eat, or would not eat unless in an emergency. A well planned stockpile is made up of items you eat now, but that store well. You can keep a stockpile up to date by cooking from it, and then shopping to replenish your stockpile instead of shopping to replenish your kitchen cupboards. With a readymade kit, unless you plan to use it and replenish, you are essentially purchasing a time capsule of food that will have lost all nutritional value once it ages to a certain date.

Similarly, don’t buy items you can’t prepare, and plan to have needed tools for preparing what you do store. It does no good to have ingredients without the tools and means to prepare and cook them. For example, if you are storing canned items, is your can opener electric, or do you have at least two manual can openers (two because they do break)? Do you have a plan for how you will heat or cook food without electricity if needed? Do you have the equipment needed to do so?

STEP THREE: WHERE TO STORE IT

For the longest storage, your stockpile should be in a relatively cool and dry location. Items will store longer if they are stored between 50 and 70 F. A cool cellar or basement may be ideal if you can store food in airtight containers to prevent dampness from spoiling your supply. Pests are another consideration, which will be discussed under with containers in step four, below.

Your stockpile should be accessible for rotating and replenishment of items. Rotating items is a term for using items in your stockpile before they expire their useful life, while replenishing your supply with a similar fresher item.

You also may want to test your stockpile, by using it for a week or longer, and seeing what planning gaps you come up with, or items that you need to consider adding, or removing, or substituting.

Visibility of your food supply is another consideration. You want your stockpile easily accessible to you, but you may not want to have it readily visible to all visitors. Take some time to consider the best location for your long-term and short-term stockpiles.

STEP FOUR: HOW TO STORE IT

For long-term food storage, you have to consider preserving your supply against the enemies of moisture, air exposure and temperature, and finally: pests.As mentioned above, a cool cellar or basement may be ideal for your long-term stockpile if you can seal food items away from moisture and pests.

Do you have shelving? Clean and reuse glass jars with tight lids, or even store grains in clean soda bottles. If you need to buy jars, Mason jars are great, and Weck jars are amazing. Buy extra in the event you need them for canning or pickling.

Use food safe PETE plastic lidded buckets to store, sort, and stack items. These buckets are available for from local bakeries or an online supply. If you have used a food sealer, toss sealed items in a lidded stackable bucket to further protect them from vermin or sudden environmental changes, and to organize foods by type or time period.

Be sure your containers are food safe, or that you have protected your supply from contact with a potentially toxic item. For example, if you are using a non-food safe container, line it with a food safe bag or use a food sealer to package items before storing them. Consider using Mylar to create packets (it heat seals quite easily).

Dried foods will last longer the less they are exposed to oxygen. Consider adding oxygen removal packets with airtight containers to reduce or eliminate oxygen in stored foods. Note that plastic 5 gallon buckets are not airtight, and that any food stored with these packets must be at a 10% or less moisture content or you risk contracting illnesses such as deadly botulism.

STEP FIVE: ESTIMATE AMOUNTS

There are food storage calculators that you can make use of, as well as spreadsheets to track your current food use. One estimate is that one adult will need 25-31 pounds of grains (such as wheat, barley, oats, rice, corn, pasta) and 5 pounds of dried beans or nuts per month. For that same time period, about a pound of salt, two pounds of fats, and up to 52 gallons of water will be necessary. Consider running a test from your food supply for several days or a week to determine storage levels per person.

When you are estimating amounts, don’t forget to also calculate for non-edible essentials: water treatment (such as bleach), toilet paper, buckets, jars, and bags to store items, seeds, mix, and planting trays, canning and drying supplies, cooking & food preparation tools and a source of heat, and any supplies needed to care for livestock or pets.

STEP SIX: ORGANIZE FOR LONGEVITY AND USE

Your long-term stockpile needs to be effectively labeled, so that you know not only the contents but when the items were stored. It is important to rotate stock out and replenish it. Consider cooking from your stockpile, and then replenishing it when you grocery shop rather than cooking from your grocery shopping. In this way, you have a consistently updated and fresh stockpile rather than a time capsule.

These first steps for long-term food storage should help you develop and build your own food stockpile, and ensure that it is as useful as possible. Keep your eye out for forthcoming articles about how to begin a short-term stockpile, and how to stockpile fresh produce.

Do you have any stockpile favorites? Let us know in the comments below!

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Important Home Defense Reminders

The following blog post Important Home Defense Reminders was originally published on https://totalsurvival.net/

Being prepared for a home invasion could be the difference between life and death.

As a home owner, home defense is something you have to always be concerned about. Never forget, the possibility of a burglary or home invasion get increased in hard times. You can’t just assume that you will never become the victim of such an invasion, which is why you must take the proper steps to become prepared for it.

Home defense isn’t just about defending your home from intruders. It’s also about protecting your possessions, yourself, and your family. This is why knowing even basic home defense techniques is essential.

Here are the top five tips for home defense:

Fortify Your Doors and Windows

Your doors and windows are the most obvious points of entry into your home, which is why they need to be fortified first.

The first thing you need to change out on your doors, at least on your doors that lead outside, are the locks and hinges. Have all of your hinges and locks on your outside doors removed and replaced with heavy duty variations that are more difficult to break into.

That being said, most doors on Americans homes, including doors that lead outside, are made out of wood or some other easily breakable material. So even if a burglar fails to break your locks or hinges, they could still beat down the door itself first with little more than a sledgehammer or even a rifle stock. This is why all of your doors that lead outside should be constructed out of metal so they cannot be easily broken down.

If an intruder fails to break through your doors, the windows will be their next target. In fact, a burglar may actually go for your windows before the doors.

As with your doors, your windows need to be replaced with alternatives that are not so easily broken down. The best material for windows is acrylic glass, which you will find under names such as Plexiglas, Lucite, and Acrylite. Acrylic glass looks just like normal glass, but is far more difficult to break through.

Keep Your Home Defense Gun(s) Within Easy Reach

You have a variety of different tools available at your disposal to home defense, but easily the most effective of those tools is a firearm.

Regardless of which specific firearm you opt to use for home defense, two things need to be done: your firearm needs to be secured, and it needs to be within easy reach of you.

The best solution here is to purchase a fingerprint identification safe that you keep right next to your bed or nightstand. This way, your home defense gun is kept out of the hands of children or visitors in your home, but it’s also easily accessible by you.

Some would even recommend that you should carry a pistol on you at all times in your home, because even if you have a shotgun in a closet you may not be able to get to it in time or could be blocked off from the intruder depending on where they entered.

Have A Guard Dog

Not only are guard dogs highly intimidating to intruders, they be able to sense danger before you do and will alert you to it. You could then grab your gun and run to investigate instead of being caught off guard.

The moment an intruder hears your dog barking, they may turn around and run for fear of being caught. This is why even small dogs don’t make horrible guard dogs; even though they’re not intimidating, they are equally alert as larger breeds.

If you can’t have a guard dog for whatever reason or just don’t want one, at the very least you could set up a “Beware of Dog” sign on your property. It’s amazing how effective these kinds of signs and posters are at deterring criminals.

Have A Safe Room

A safe room is any room where you and your family can retreat to in the event of a home invasion. Your safe room needs to fulfill several criteria: it must be somewhere hidden and not so obvious (such as in the walls or under the floor), it must be locked so no one from the outside can get in easily even if they do find it, and it should be well stocked with supplies such as food, water, ammunition, and first aid equipment.

In a disaster scenario, your safe room could be where your family retreats to stay clear of the danger where you. In a simple home invasion, it could be where you send your children while you go to confront the danger.

Never Make It Seem Like No One Is Home

This is perhaps the most overlooked home defense tip of all. Experienced burglars are always on the lookout for homes they know are empty.

There are multiple steps you can take to make it always seem like that someone is home: don’t announce your vacation plans on social media, load up your car for vacation in your garage rather than out in your driveway, and always keep the lights and TV on even when you’re not around.

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25 Survival Uses for Rubber Bands

The following blog post 25 Survival Uses for Rubber Bands Find more on: Total Survival

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Everyone has a few rubber bands somewhere in their home, probably in the bottom of their junk drawer. When I was a kid, my brother and I shot them at each other. I even had a rubber band gun (until he stole it from me).

You might be surprised to learn that rubber bands aren’t just good for shooting at each other. In fact, there are at least 25 survival/everyday uses for rubber bands. In this video, Sensible Prepper demonstrates them.

Here’s his list:

• Keep small items together (such as note cards).
• Stop soap/lotion dispensers from dispensing too much.
• Label charged and uncharged batteries.
• Make handles (such as a mallet handle) easier to grip.
• Keep small tools and items organized.
• Keep pens and penciles together and organized.
• Keep your paracord roll from unraveling.
• Make a strap for your reading or sunglasses.
• Label your drinking cup or bottle.
• Unscrew a screw that’s been stripped.
• Keep cords together and organized.
• Use different colors to identify cords.
• Open a jar with a lid that’s on too tight.
• Use a rubber band to make a pony tail.
• Strap gear (such as a flashlight) to your bag.
• Keep containers from opening inside your bag.
• Use a rubber band to erase pencil writing.
• Keep your sleeves secure against your arms.
• Keep your pants legs secure against your legs.
• Use a rubber band as a chip clip.
• You can also use them as fire starters.

Considering how useful rubber bands are, you might want to purchase a bag if you don’t already have some. They’re very affordable. Watch the video below to see these uses demonstrated.

This article first appeared on urbansurvivalsite.com See it here

Originally Published Here: 25 Survival Uses for Rubber Bands

Will Volkswagen’s 82 Billion Dollar Bet On Electric Cars Crush Tesla?

Will Volkswagen’s 82 Billion Dollar Bet On Electric Cars Crush Tesla? was first published on Total Survival

German carmaker makes enormous investment in electric cars. Do they know something the rest of us don’t?

It is Volkswagen (OTC: VLKAY) and not Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) that holds the electric-vehicle future. If just one-third of VW’s electric ambitions bear fruit, Tesla is doomed.

The German-auto giant plans to spend $82.5 billion on electrification; an unidentified source told Reuters. Fortune reported in November 2017 that VW has as many as 80 electric models on the drawing board. Note: Volkswagen itself refused to comment on this rumor which means it is nothing but speculation.

Some important specifics that indicate the rumor might be true include:

• Those plans will include five electric models in China by 2025, Volkswagen China CEO Jochem Heizmann told The Financial Times. Production of the first VW electric vehicles in the People’s Republic is supposed to begin in 2018.
• Volkswagen plans to start building its first all-electric vehicle in the United States by 2020, Electrek reported. They will build the I.D. Crozz Concept sport utility vehicle (SUV) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a Volkswagen press release stated.
• A second electric vehicle, the e-Golf hot hatchback, will also be built at Chattanooga at some point in the future.
• Production of the e-Golf in Germany will be doubled to meet demand.
• Volkswagen plans to market two electric cars in California: the e-Golf and the ID Cross by 2019, Green Car Reports revealed.
• VW subsidiary Electrify America announced that it would build 500 fast-charging stations across the United States by June 2019, The Verge reported. Chargers will be installed at dealerships, and on highways, Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellme told Automotive News.
• Volkswagen subsidiary Porsche is planning two electric models: the Mission E and an electric SUV based on the Cross Turismo, The Verge Both vehicles are scheduled to be on the market in 2020.
• Volkswagen is so committed to electrics that it will change its logo to reflect a commitment to electrics, Bloomberg reported.
• Volkswagen will need up to 40 factories producing enough batteries to hold a gigawatt (one billion watts) of electricity by 2030, CNN reported. Each would be the equivalent of one of Tesla’s gigafactories. VW will need 150 gigawatts of electricity to power all the cars it wants to electrify, CNN claimed.
• Volkswagen’s Scania division has invested 10€ ($12.5 billion) in They plan to build a gigafactory battery-production facility and lab at Västerås, Sweden, Electrek reported.
• Volkswagen’s MAN subsidiary is testing an electric semi-tractor, Clean Technica reported.
• Volkswagen might have plans to electrify all 300 of its models by 2030, Electrek claimed.

Volkswagen Has The Money To Electrify

Volkswagen has the money to electrify as the automaker had $45.18 billion in cash and short-term investments on December 31, 2017, YCharts reported. That number was up from $43.3 billion in December 2016.

This fact means Volkswagen can pay for much, or perhaps all of its electric ambitions with the money it has in the bank. There will be no need to borrow or issue additional stock.

Volkswagen also reported a net income of $12.75 billion and earning $19.96 billion in cash from financing on December 31, 2017. Those funds came from annual revenues of $260.62 billion at the end of 2017. That number was up from $240.48 billion in December 2016, and $236.67 billion in December 2015.

Revenue figures indicate that VW has recovered quickly from the “dieselgate” scandal. The December 2017 annual revenue of $260.62 billion almost matches the December 2014 revenue number of $268.63 billion. If this continues, Volkswagen’s revenues will exceed the September 2014 high of $270.15 billion sometime next year.

To add icing to the electric cake, Volkswagen reported $506.508 billion in assets on December 31, 2017. That means it should have no trouble borrowing money if it needs to finance new plants or equipment to electrify.

Volkswagen not only has the money to electrify, but it also has the resources to borrow the money and develop the technology needed to make EVs a reality. That gives it an advantage Tesla will never be able to match: money.

Tesla Has No Money

Tesla Motors reported an “annual net income” of -$1.961 billion on December 31, 2017. That means it lost nearly two billion dollars during the year instead of making money.

Elon Musk’s company reported an “annual operating income” of -$1.632 billion on December 31, 2017. That means Tesla lost $1.632 billion from its operations.

Disturbingly, Tesla’s actual losses might be far more substantial, as the company reported an annual “free cash flow” of -$4.142 billion on December 31, 2017. That means Tesla may have lost more than $4 billion from its operations in 2017.

Tesla Is Not Making Any Money From Its Operations

Tesla Motors also reported an “investing cash flow” of around -$4.19 billion and an operating cash flow of -$60.65 million, which sounds incredibly low on the same day. There was one positive cash flow number at Tesla: it had a financing cash flow of $4.415 billion. This amount comes from the borrowing and financing of cars the company sells.

The bottom line is that Tesla is not making any money from its operations. Despite the losses, it had some money in the bank in the form of $3.523 billion in cash and short-term investments on December 31, 2017. This figure is low for the auto industry; the Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) reported cash and short-term investments of $38.927 billion on the same day.

A disturbing conclusion that one can make here is that the money Tesla has in the bank came from the financing cash flow. That is, it might be money that Elon Musk borrowed. It might explain why Tesla has so little money in the bank, when the ailing Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (NYSE: FCAU) reported having $15.756 billion cash and short-term investments on New Year’s Eve in 2017.

Tesla Cannot Compete With Volkswagen

Here are a few nonfinancial numbers that prove Tesla clearly cannot compete with Volkswagen:

• Volkswagen operates 120 production plants in Europe alone. This statistic is an undercount because the figure does not include the VW factories in North and South America, Asia, and elsewhere.
• Tesla has two automobile production facilities: a large plant in Freemont, California, and a small facility in the Netherlands. A third factory in China is still on the drawing board.
• Volkswagen currently manufactures around 44,170 vehicles every week worldwide.
• News stories indicate that Musk will be struggling to manufacture 6,000 cars a week by June 2018. Elon himself admitted that the company is stuck in “production hell,” Wired reported.
• Volkswagen plans to increase production at its factory in Zwickau, Saxony, to 1,500 cars a day in the near future, Electrek reported. That means one VW factory can produce more than twice as many cars a week as Tesla’s maximum production.

A glance at the Volkswagen Group reveals that the $294.57 Tesla share price from April 19, 2018 was pure fantasy. The company lacks the resources to justify that price. The same data shows that Volkswagen AG (ETR: VOW3) was undervalued at $212.

Skeptics will wonder what the future of Tesla is. The simple answer is that Tesla will collapse and its remains will be gobbled up by another automaker. There are too many customers and too much high-quality technology at Tesla for a competitor like Tata Motors (NYSE: TTM) or Volkswagen to pass up. The Tesla brand will survive, but Elon Musk’s company will disappear.

I would not be surprised to see Tesla join the Volkswagen Group at some point in the future. Smart investors will ignore Tesla and buy through traditional automakers like VW.

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How To Make Homemade Survival Cement

The following post How To Make Homemade Survival Cement See more on: https://totalsurvival.net

Many people overlook homemade survival cement, but it's an essential component of off-the-grid living. There are many uses for survival cement. If you are trying to survive in the wilderness or if a disaster destroys your home, homemade concrete could be your saving grace. You just need to know how to make it.

Make Your Own Homemade Survival Cement

Essentials

As long as you can find dried glass and clay that is suitable, you can use homemade survival cement to build a temporary dwelling strong enough to keep you safe from harmful elements and animals.

You can also use it to build an oven inside your mud hut. You just need to put some effort into turning the mud and grass into cement. Then you can start building habitable structures if you ever have to make it on your own out in the wilderness.

Here is a peek at the original article. You can review the whole cement-making process here.

Steps

Step 1: Find a source of mud

The mud you will use should have as high a clay content as possible (If you smash some of the mud into a ball and it retains its shape, you should be good.)

Step 2: Fill up a bucket

If you are planning a big project, fill an entire bucket with your with your ball of mud

The great thing about homemade survival cement is that you can use it to build just about anything you can think of. Whether you need walls for your dwelling, oven for cooking, or a food cache, you can use all the resources that nature can provide in order to survive.

Making homemade survival cement is easy and fun, and the end product is very useful.

Tips for Making Good Homemade Survival Cement

1. Aim for Thinner Texture

If you are using your survival cement as a mortar, create a mixture that is thinner and wetter so that it will fill each and every crevasse and joint. This is the ideal mortar mix.

2. Cutting Your Grasses

Cut your grasses based on the length of the item for which you will be using your cement. If you are building a large structure such as a kiln or cementing over a shelter foundation the grasses can be left much longer and placed so they run all in one direction as opposed to haphazardly throughout the mud. In this way, they act almost like re-bar. (See an Anasazi example below.)

If you do not gather enough grass and have to go harvest more mid-making, cover and seal your existing survival cement as best you can while you are gone so it will retain the proper moisture content.

3. Water Moderately

If you must add water to help rehydrate your mud, do so a LITTLE AT A TIME. It's much easier to add more water than to try to re-create the proper consistency once the mud is soupy.

Check out this video from Corporals Corner for more ways to improvise concrete

Survival cement has been used throughout eons of history in countless ways. This mixture of mud and grass can be used for a multitude of projects – from construction of shelters, cooking structures, kilns, and food caches, to wrapping food for clay baking. It is simple to make, the ingredients are easy to come by, and it is one of the most durable resources available in a primitive situation.

Got any more tips for building a strong shelter? Let us know in the comments below!

Up Next: How To Build A Shelter Using Natural Resources

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“Backing Up” Your Off-The-Grid Finances

“Backing Up” Your Off-The-Grid Finances Read more on: http://www.totalsurvival.net/

History shows financial meltdowns surprise most people. Do you have an off-the-grid backup plan in place, just in case?

Our Financial System is Wobbling

One of the most critical systems that almost all of us rely upon is among the most complex and unreliable – the financial system.

News reports indicate that the financial networks are far more prone to breakdowns and malfunctions that most of us believe. To make matters worse some of the big banks seem to be preparing for the total failure or the current financial system.

Some examples of the unreliability of financial technology include:

• The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) had to halt trading in two of the most significant stocks around; Alphabet AKA Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), because of an unspecified malfunction on April 25, 2018. The cause of the failure was called a “price-scale code issue,” that was not defined. The Financial Post speculated it might have occurred because merely because Amazon and Google’s stock prices were over $1,000.The truth is, our banking system is far more vulnerable than the average American thinks.

The world’s largest banks know financial technology is unreliable, so their backups to the present financial network use the block chain technology. The block chain is a highly encrypted network that is more far more secure than traditional internet connections.

• A consortium of giant banks that includes BNY Mellon, Credit Suisse, UBS, HSBC, the Deutsche Bank, and Banco Santander are developing Utility Settlement Coin(USC), a cryptocurrency. The USC would enable banks to keep moving money around through the block chain; an alternative network, if the regular banking system goes down.
• America’s largest bank JPMorgan Chase is testing its block chain solution for moving money called Quorum. American Banker reported that Chase and Goldman Sachs tested a $150 million transaction through Quorum on April 21. The Royal Bank of Canada and the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group are also participating in Quorum. Like USC, Quorum can is seen as an alternative financial network.
• However, it is not only commercial banks. Britain’s central bank; the Bank of England, is researching the potential of sending large amounts of money through the blockchain, Digital Trends reported. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank has its block chain research institute.

Everyone and anyone that relies on the current financial system needs to ask what do the bankers know that we do not? Why are big banks spending so much money researching alternatives to present day monetary technology?

It sounds as if bankers and financiers are quietly building an off-the-grid backup system of their own… just in case. Don’t miss this.

“Backing Up” Your Own Financial Situation

Having several back-ups for your finances and technology is always a good idea. Here are a few suggestions:

• Put part of your money in precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum. They are not perfect, but precious metals can hold value better than some traditional investments.
• Have some hard money in the form of paper cash or gold or silver coins stashed away where you can easily access it. Keep the stash well-hidden and never talk about it. The bad guys have ears.
• Learn how to barter. It is a vital skill during cash shortages, hyperinflation, and other financial crises.
• Have items you can swap; such as canned foods, fuel, ammunition, eggs, cigarettes, tobacco, liquor, wine, beer, candy, condoms, sugar, first-aid supplies, building supplies, tires, car parts, firewood, etc., available in case of financial crisis.
• Have skills that you can barter such as carpentry, auto repair, plumbing, bicycle repair, cooking, hair styling, gun repair, black smithing, computer repair, baking, hunting, gardening, first aid, etc. Remember having skills in areas that people need will give you endless opportunities.
• Research alternative financial technologies such as cryptocurrencies, block chain, etc. These solutions are getting easier to use all the time, and news reports indicate that ordinary people are using cryptocurrency to survive the hyperinflation in Venezuela. Unlike gold or paper cash, cryptocurrency can be used to buy stuff online. (liquidity is extremely important)
• Backup all financial data offline on paper or flash drives and in a secure cloud storage solution. Having two or three or more backups is the best way to preserve data.
• Have a backup power system and a satellite internet connection so you can stay online and connected to the financial system – if the electric grid goes down.

The most important rule of financial survival is the most basic. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Having several backup systems for your finances might be the key to your family’s survival.

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Work Less, Live More: Off-The-Grid

Work Less, Live More: Off-The-Grid was originally seen on https://totalsurvival.net

Sometimes it’s easier to have more by simply working less.

Living off the grid is so much more than changing how you source your power. It is usually the door to a radical change in lifestyle – one that offers benefits in health and well-being. Here are five interconnected ways that living off-grid inspires you to work less and live more.

Financial freedom– Many people who want to live off-grid begin with a desire to save money on their energy bills and to not be dependent on a public power supply. Taking the next step requires finding a dwelling place that allows you the ability to power it through other means. This step usually involves leaving an urban area for a rural setting. While there can be some pretty substantialexpenses in setting up your off-grid power system, it eventually pays for itself many times over.

Additionally, people who live off-grid tend to buy or to build modest homes and enjoy having the burden of rent and mortgage payments lifted from their shoulders. Other savings come from not having water bills or waste collection fees.

Living in a smaller space encourages other habits that lead to a debt-free lifestyle. To put it simply, with less space, you desire less stuff. You tend to appreciate quality over quantity. You grow to be content with a pared-down wardrobe, less furniture and fewer toys and gadgets.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health,living with debt negatively affects our mental health. A recent research study published in the Clinical Psychology Review revealed that mental health problems — including depression, anxiety, andpsychotic disorders — are three times more likely to occur among people who have debt.

Healthier living– In addition to the mental health benefits of living better within your financial means come the physical rewards of an off-grid lifestyle. Living away from an urban setting encourages you to do more things for yourself, andthat often involves more physical tasks.

Whether it is chopping wood for the woodstove, hauling feed for the chickens or heading to the stream for water, living off-grid involves hard work. This physical labor is a healthyexercise that translates into a stronger body. (And no expensive gym memberships are required to stay in shape!)

Another common outgrowth of living off-grid is growing and raising your food. Not only does gardening add to your financial freedom through lower grocery bills, but it also helps you eat more nutritious and wholesome foods. You control what you feed your chickens, and you control what you put in your garden.

Learning all the time– Many urban dwellers get stuck in a mental rut. Each workday has a sameness to it that allows little room for creativity and education. Not so, for the off-grid dweller. Tolive successfully off-the-grid, you must learn and sharpen skills all the time.

This new knowledge runs the gamut from carpentry and plumbing know-how to gardening expertise to survival tactics. You read and study through books and workshops in some key areas, and you learn more by establishing friendships with people who have more experience living off-grid than you do.

Becoming a lifelong learner has many health benefits. The Harvard Business Review notes that learning new activities helps preserve cognitive function and memory as we age and can even help delay the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Smaller ecological footprint— An off-grid lifestyle translates into a less wasteful way of life. You become more aware of what is essential and what isnot. You find that you canget by with less and less. You enjoy the look and feel of natural products and fibers more and seeit tobe both convenient and necessary to reuse and multi-purpose items in your home and on your property.

This new awareness benefits both you and the world around us all.

More time– There are many sayings about what people regret when they are on their deathbeds, but most of them come down to the common theme of lamentingwasted time on unimportant things. Perhaps the best advantage of living off-grid is that you can reclaim some of the time you have lost.

Although it takes work and effort to manage an off-grid home and property, the lifestyle lends itself to you using your time better and more efficiently. Since you don’t care about possessions as much, you need less time looking for them and less money buying them.

You get a natural rhythm to your days that is in better harmony with the daylight and with the seasons. Hard work and fresh air help you sleep better and feel more energized in the morning.

When you are off-grid, you want your power sources to go for the essentials, so that means less time spent on tech-oriented distractions, such as video games and social media. You find that you prefer to spend your time in conversation with your family or in low-tech or no-tech activities such as playing board games, making crafts, repairing and building things or reading together.

Living an off-grid life is not for everybody, but for those who are willing to take the plunge, it can be a joyous and rewarding experience. “We can’t go back,” says Jeff,who lives debt-free and off-grid with his family of seven in rural northern British Columbia. “Gridlessnessis too good.”

Sources

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201507/what-your-financial-health-says-about-your-mental

https://hbr.org/2017/02/lifelong-learning-is-good-for-your-health-your-wallet-and-your-social-life

https://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/5-kids-40-acres-and-a-25000-house/

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5 Venomous Snakes and Their Look-Alikes

5 Venomous Snakes and Their Look-Alikes  is courtesy of http://www.totalsurvival.net/

There are over 600 species of venomous snakes on this planet, but only 200 of them can cause real harm to us. With the weather getting warmer and the sun shining brighter, many of us are killing a great deal of time outdoors. And the longer we spend time outdoors, the possibility of encountering different types of venomous snakes is higher. That is why it is of utmost importance to recognize the poisonous snakes from the non-venomous snakes.

I am barefoot more often than not, especially when I’m outside. The other day while I was walking down a path in the woods I came close to stepping on a water snake while it was peacefully sunbathing. I must admit I was startled and so was the poor snake. Good thing they typically take off when encountered by a human. It’s important to know the snakes in your area especially if you love being outdoors. It's good to remember that we're not the only ones enjoying the sunshine! We must coexist with them on this planet. This article is going to cover some of the most common venomous snakes in the US and their non-poisonous look-a-likes.

5 Venomous Snakes & Their Look-Alikes: Know Your Snakes

1. Eastern & Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes

The Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake is located in Eastern and Southeastern states and the Western Diamondback is located in Southwestern desert land. You can find them hanging out in places like dry pine flatlands, sandy woodlands, and in coastal scrub habitats.

The western species live in grassy plains and rocky hillsides. Some of their look-a-likes are the gopher snake, bull, and pine snakes. Both of them are extremely venomous pit vipers and regarded as two of the deadliest North American snakes.

2. Eastern & Western Coral Snakes

There’s an old rhyme that says “black and yellow, kill a fellow and red on black is a friend of Jack.” It’s a good one to learn because that’s how you can determine whether the snake is the venomous coral snake or a harmless look-a-like. The Eastern coral snake is native to Southeastern states while the Western coral snakes are located along the coastal plains.

Coral snakes enjoy wooded, marshy, sandy ground and hide in leaf piles. This deadly reptile has venom packed with dangerous neurotoxins. If left untreated, it could cause cardiac arrest. As a matter of fact, they have the second strongest venom in all of the snake species, next to the Black Mamba. Their look-a-likes are the scarlet king snake, king snakes, and milk snakes.

If you happen to come across a coral snake, make sure you have a watchful eye. They have a trick where they lift their tail up and move it to make you think it's their head and then attacks you from the opposite angle.

3. Copperheads

Rattlesnakes are not the only pit viper that thrives in the Southwest. These rusty colored beasts are native to North, Northwest, Southern, and Southeastern states. Copperheads are Eco-toned snakes which mean they bounce back and forth between two dens or homes. They can be found in rocky woody mountainsides and sunny thickets. They may not be as venomous as a fierce snake or an inland taipan but their bite is extremely painful.

Something you should know is they are the most likely to strike and bite out of all the snakes on this list. Some of the copperhead’s look-a-likes are the Eastern rat snake, black racer snakes, water snakes, milk snakes, corn snakes, and hognose snakes.

4. Cottonmouths

Cottonmouths are also known as, water moccasins. The name cottonmouth was chosen because when they open their mouth real wide it looks like a white ball of cotton in there. These venomous snakes like the heat and are native to Southeastern states such as Arkansas and Texas, although they have been seen elsewhere. These semi-aquatic snakes live close to bodies of water with rocky banks for them to sunbathe on. They rarely bite humans unless these pit vipers are threatened.

You can find them in and around creeks, ponds, lakes, rivers, and rocky marshes. Their bite can be potentially fatal causing anaphylactic reactions. Some of the cottonmouths look-a-likes consist of the Northern water snake, brown water snakes, and red-bellied water snakes.

5. Timber Rattlesnakes

Timber rattlesnakes are one of the few snakes that thrive in the Northeastern United States. They enjoy nesting in deciduous forests, rough and rugged terrain, as well as, on rocky ravines and ledges. These snakes have massive fangs and can distribute a large amount of venom into their victim making them dangerous and feared. There are some water snakes that resemble the timber rattler but this slithering snake has distinct markings.

Orry Martin shows a video of a Coral Snake vs a Milk Snake:

There are venomous and dangerous creatures anywhere you roam. It’s wise to know where they live and avoid any issues, as well as, to enjoy the beauty offered. If you love going outdoors, I highly suggest learning about the specific venomous snakes and their look-a-likes in your region.

If you study them, you’ll notice certain ways to tell the venomous apart from the non-venomous. Things like the shape of their head, their markings, the shape and size of the pupils, and their size and features. Some snakes produce a strange smell to warn predators they are around. Some smell like cucumbers while other smell more like menthol.

I hope you’ve learned a thing or two and I encourage you to reach out and teach me some of your wisdom as well. Happy Trails!

Do you know any more venomous snakes and their look-alikes? Please share them in the comments below!

Up Next: Survival Food | How To Catch, Cook, & Eat Snakes For Survival

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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published in July 2017 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

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Preparing Your Home For The 2018 Wildfires

The article Preparing Your Home For The 2018 Wildfires was first published to https://totalsurvival.net/

A dry 2018 could put many homes in the path of dangreous wildfires.

Everybody needs to prepare for wildfires because the danger from such destructive blazes is growing dramatically. The wildfire danger has increased by 49% in the last ten years, Wildfire Today reported.

2017 was the second worst year for wildfires in US history, Wildfire Today said. Fires destroyed 9.781 million acres in the United States last year – nearly twice the area burned in 2016.

2018 might be equally as bad or worse than 2017, news stories indicate. One state, Colorado, experienced two big fires during the week of April 16.

The 117 Fire south of Colorado Springs destroyed 23 homes and consumed 40,800 acres on April 17, The Denver Post reported. Another blaze closed a major transportation artery, Interstate 70, near Fruita in Western Colorado on April 19, Fox 31 News disclosed.

How To Protect Your Property From Wild Fires

The bad news is that there is no way to protect property from wildfires completely. Despite this reality, there are many steps you can take to make your home, farm, cabin, or business more fire-resistant.

Steps to make your property fire-resistant include:

• Create a firebreak around buildings, vehicles, propane tanks, woodpiles, and anything else you want to protect.

The firebreak should cover what U.S. Forest Service fire scientist Jack Cohen called the ignition zone, which is the distance that flames can jump. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has recommended this course of action.

• The NFPA recommends the following firebreaks:
• Keep all trees, bushes, and shrubs at least five feet away from buildings and vehicles. There should be no branches or bushes touching any structure on your property.
• Make sure that the forest or brush is at least ten feet or farther from buildings.
• Keep grass and weeds on your property cut as short as possible.
• Clear out any debris or any other unused item that can burn. This list would include deadwood, weeds, trash, litter, building supplies, unused firewood, lumber, junk vehicles (they contain flammable parts including batteries, tires, rubber hoses, and seats), and any container that might hold flammable liquids.
• Keep trash in covered metal containers such as cans or a dumpster. Plastic dumpsters can burn, so consider paying extra for a big metal one.
• If possible, get rid of your propane tank and switch to natural gas. Propane tanks can explode and make fires worse.
• If there is no natural gas in your area, consider burying your propane tank or moving it 20 to 30 feet from buildings. Do the same with tanks for gasoline and diesel fuel.
• Make sure that you store propane tanks for grills away from the house. A good suggestion is to keep the propane tank in the garage or the barn when you are not grilling.
• Replace wooden shake shingles with a metal or tile roof. Shake shingles will burn, especially if they are dried out by the sun. If you want more electricity, consider installing a Tesla Solar Roof with tiles that double as solar cells.
• If your house has wooden walls, consider covering them with aluminum siding or tiles.
• The next time you re-roof, replace the asphalt shingles with tile or metal, as these are more fire-resistant.
• If you have a swimming pool, stock tank, or pond on your property, keep it filled with water. Firefighters will be more likely to protect your property if they have an easy-to-reach source of water.
• Consider building a swimming pool, stock tank, or pond to supply firefighting water.
• Be careful with backup power systems and electric or hybrid vehicles. Many of them contain lithium-ion batteries that can explode if they overheat.
• Conduct target practice as far from your buildings as possible, or better yet, go to a shooting range. Target shooting is a significant cause of wildfires, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) reported. Therefore, it would be a good idea to postpone target practice when fire danger is high.
• Join your local volunteer fire department. You can learn valuable skills, get access to firefighting and life-saving equipment, and increase the manpower available for fighting wildfires in your area. Something to consider is that firefighters receive advanced warning of emergencies like fires in your area.

Making your property as fire-resistant as possible is the best way to prepare for fire season.

More information about firebreaks is available here: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Wildfire/Firewise-USA/The-ember-threat-and-the-home-ignition-zone

This Article Was Originally Posted On offthegridnews.com Read the Original Article here

See More Here: Preparing Your Home For The 2018 Wildfires

9 PVC Pipes Projects For Survival Uses

The following post 9 PVC Pipes Projects For Survival Uses is available on https://totalsurvival.net

PVC pipe is the most common material used for plumbing – but it can be used for so much more than just bringing water to a kitchen sink. You can repurpose a pipe as a weapon, an accessory, or even a weather-proof storage space. You'll never know the things you can do with this piece of plastic until you read the article below. With that in mind, don't forget to place one in your bug-out bag. You'll never know when you're going to need one.

DIY PVC Pipes Hacks and Survival Uses

1. Protect Yourself With A DIY PVC Blowgun

Here's an alternative to our hunting or fishing needs. I imagine myself stuck in a forest with wild animals lurking around and I thought a long-range weapon would be best suited for this environment. What makes this PVC blowgun even better is it's light and handy. Click here to watch BackyardBower's tutorial on Youtube.

2. Catch Your Prey with a PVC Bow And Arrow

It is very simple to create a DIY bow and arrow out of these plastic pipes. It doesn't take long to build this useful weapon that you can also use for fishing or hunting, especially when you're in the wild. Learn how to build your own DIY bow and arrow here.

3. Keep Your Gear Stored With A PVC Bow Stand

In relation to number 2 in this list, you can put together pipe fittings to build a stand for your bows and a useful container for your arrows. You just have to be creative and piece together PVC fitting pieces to build a stand for your bow or a stand for other purposes. Purchasing storage places for your archery gear can be pretty costly. A gear stand made of PVC pipes is definitely good for extra savings. Click here for DIY Bow Stand Tutorial.

4. Stay Fed with a PVC Fishing Rod

A small piece is enough to create a fishing rod out of this plastic pipe. By drilling a small hole and attaching a small fishing line, you can have your own DIY fishing rod. Just attach a hook and a bait at the end of the line and you'll be able to catch a fish for dinner on your next outdoor trip. Enjoy fresh products with a simple and creative equipment made from PVC pipes. Click here to watch the tutorial and make your own.

5. Hide Your Necessities With a PVC Container For Survival

For storage purposes, you can either use a bigger pipe to store larger items or a thinner tube for smaller items. For smaller ones, you can use corks to close the ends. Alternatively, you can also use PVC plastic caps to close off the pipes. For outdoor activities, this can be used to store or protect gadgets from getting wet as well. It is also advisable to include first-aid kits and a flashlight should any unexpected incidents arise. Get this PVC container storage tutorial here.

6. A PVC Periscope Can Help You See Over Menacing Walls

I remember building periscopes out of boxes as a project in school. It's the same concept when you do it with PVC pipes. Just use elbows to create the corners and add mirrors to complete the project. You can also use glue to put the pipes together and put the mirrors in place. This is extremely useful when surveying a hostile environment without exposing yourself. Here's how you can create your own PVC periscope.

7. Stay Hydrated with a PVC Water Container

Similar to number 5, use caps to seal the ends of the pipe material and store some water supply. For safety purposes, don't forget to clean the pipes thoroughly if you want to use it for drinking water. You can drill one end and place a faucet so you can have water whenever you need one. Use a thread sealant when necessary to prevent water from leaking out of the pipe. Click here for the full PVC water container tutorial.

Learn more from this video by SensiblePrepper on the different ways to use PVC pipes for survival situations:

Usually used for water piping, these pipes are a versatile tool that can be used in many situations. I tried using PVC pipes to create a longbow once on a camping trip and it was fun to make and easy to use. It is important to learn these kinds of tricks as it can help if SHTF. These pipes have so many uses that it can be repurposed for weapons, storages, and even help you when you go fishing. It is very affordable, easily accessible, and it can be found in home improvement stores, hardware stores, and maybe even in junkyards. It has many functional uses that can assist you in survival situations.

Do you have other ideas on how to use PVC pipes? Share them in the comments section below!

Up next: Essential Homemade Weapons for When SHTF

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Editor's Note: This was first published in July 2017 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

featured image via World Archery

This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

Originally Published Here: 9 PVC Pipes Projects For Survival Uses