Failing to Prepare is Preparing to fail

"Surviving to Fight means Fighting to Survive"

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Friday 15 May 2015

Show Contents 15 May 2015

Show Notes
I begin this weeks show with the BUSHCRAFT SHOW 23rd to 25th May, then the Blizzard Survival 20% Discount Offer, THE TWELTH WILDERNESS GATHERING 2015 13th to 16th August, the Ribzwear 30% Discount Offer, EU Ticks Invade UK, The U.K mock SHTF scenario DX w/e (part 3), Wilderness121's 10% Discount Offer, How SHTF can happen Just Like That, Urban Prepping, The Midimax 10% Discount Offer, The Camping Survival Plan, The Fieldleisure 10% Discount Offer, The Mid Wales,Bushcraft Show and Wild Camp, Emergency Survival Items Bug-Out-Bag The Buggrub 10% Discount Offer, What Will you do When the Grid Fails? The Common Nettle, The Hunters-Knives 10% Discount Offer, The CUP Bug-Out Weekend 2015 Report The Pits & Bits Review.
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THE BUSHCRAFT SHOW, SET TO ENTHRALL & ENTERTAIN FAMILIES

MAY BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

When: 23 – 25 May 2015 Where: Beehive Farm Woodland Lakes, Rosliston, Derbyshire The Bushcraft Show is set to enthrall and entertain families and individuals of all ages in a celebration of all things bushcraft over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Visitors are travelling from around the world to attend the most exciting, entertaining and educational bushcraft event of the year.

The show provides an all-inclusive experience that cannot be experienced anywhere else in the world… Why? Well all the way from Australia is Major Les Hiddins, aka the ‘Bush Tucker Man’ coming to The Bushcraft Show 2015.

You can hear the Australian Army soldier and Vietnam war veteran on the Main Stage and listen as he shares his love of the Australian bush and his skills and experience.

John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman, author of The SAS Survival Handbook, says he wouldn’t miss coming to The Bushcraft Show for the fifth year running! This survival expert led numerous operations including involvement with the SAS Counter-Terrorist Team that ended the Iranian Embassy siege in London and brought the SAS into the media spotlight, he also ran the SAS Survival School and trained the first members of the US Green Berets who returned to the USA to form the famous Delta Force (US Special Forces).

Would you believe it, if I told you that wolves are coming to The Bushcraft Show 2015? Well they are and this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to walk with wolves.

Join a wolf hybrid pack, learn evolution, physiology, social structure, communication and conservation of the wolf, intricacy of social ranking and the subtle art of canine communication on a magical walk through the woodlands as part of the pack.

Andrew Price, ITV’s Coast & Country Presenter, owner of Dryad Bushcraft, Bushcraft and Survival Instructor and experienced practitioner of a wide range of outdoor pursuits will be speaking at The Bushcraft Show.

We also have one of the world’s most renowned and highly respected explorers, Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE, former British Army Officer, explorer and author coming along to share his adventures and expedition advice on Sunday 24th May 2015.

Tracking Expert PERRY MCGEE, son of the late Eddie McGee author of No Need to Die, will be teaching you essential tracking skills. In addition, there are many leading bushcraft, wildlife, woodland craft and survival experts speaking, demonstrating, instructing and on hand at the show for a chat.

I think you have to agree that is an impressive line up. Full details are available here http://www.thebushcraftshow.co.uk/

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THE TWELTH WILDERNESS GATHERING 2015 13th to 16th August

The Wilderness Gathering has over the years become a firm date in the diaries of those who enjoy Bushcraft, nature and wilderness survival skills. The previous eleven years have seen this event grow from a small event in one field with some traders and schools sharing bushcraft skills and knowledge to a festival of wilderness living skills encompassing bushcraft/survival and woodland crafts.

The show has grown into an event with something for all the family with stories and music by the campfire in the evenings and skills workshops and activities throughout the three whole days of the festival.

The Wilderness Gathering has without a doubt become the premier family event for all those interested in bush crafts and the great outdoors.

The show has Bushcraft clubs for all age groups of children to get involved in plus more activities for all including den building and wilderness skills classes for all.

There are hands on demonstrations of game preparation, knife sharpening, basha boat building, bow making, greenwood working, archery and axe throwing and primitive fire lighting to name just a few. There are talks on survival physiology, classes on falconry and wilderness survival fishing. All of these skills are there for everybody and anybody to participate in.

You can probably pick up information on nearly all the skills needed to live in the wilderness and prosper at The Wilderness Gathering.

There is a wealth of good quality trade stands that are carefully selected to be in theme for the show selling everything from custom knives to tipis and outdoor clothing to primitive tools. The organisers have even laid on a free service bring and buy stall where you can bring along your used and unwanted kit and they’ll sell it for you.

There are local scout and explorer groups on site promoting the World Wide Scouting Movement as well helping out with some of the classes and site logistics.

The catering is within the theme of the event with venison and game featuring on the menus plus organic cakes and drinks. The woodland and open field camping facilities (with hot showers) giving you the option to visit for the whole weekend or just to attend as a day visitor.

Check out www.wildernessgathering.co.uk or call 0845 8387062 you really won’t regret it.

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EU Ticks Invade UK

This year in the UK we have seen a big rise in the number of disease-carrying ticks following the relaxation of pet passport controls, an expert has warned.

The greater variety and the increasing numbers of ticks present a threat to both dogs and humans.

Around 3,000 Britons a year are affected by Lyme disease which is carried by the parasites. If its symptoms – such as lameness, lethargy and fever – are left untreated, these can lead to more serious conditions such as kidney disease and heart failure.

However, there are now warnings that a new species from Europe can carry a disease which causes anaemia and even death in dogs.

We in the UK had opened our doors to the ‘really unpleasant’ brown dog tick after European pet travel regulations were relaxed three years ago.

The change in rules – in line with EU freedom of movement regulations – means family pets taken on holiday within Europe would no longer need tick-treatment on their return.

In fact the numbers of ticks have increased by 73 per cent in the UK, according to a survey by the Big Tick Project.

There are a couple of European species of tick which we are now beginning to see in the UK that we didn’t have before. They can spread diseases from Europe that we haven’t got in the UK.

As these ticks continue to get into the UK, I think we are going to have a much more severe problem.’

SO WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is spread to humans by infected ticks.

The earliest and most common symptom of Lyme disease is a pink or red circular rash that develops around the area of the bite.

This usually appears three to 30 days after someone is bitten.

If Lyme disease is left untreated, further symptoms may develop, including:

Muscle pain

Joint pain and swelling

Neurological symptoms, such as temporary paralysis of the facial muscles

For more information, visit www.nhs.uk

The brown dog tick can often carry babesia canis, which affects dog’s red blood cells. In turn, this can cause anaemia and lead to death.

Most native species of tick are found outside. But the brown dog tick can live inside homes, hiding in the cracks in walls.

So far, there have been no cases in the UK where a brown dog tick has killed a dog. but it is crucial that dog owners treat their pets.


The U.K mock SHTF scenario DX w/e (part 3)

The U.K mock SHTF scenario DX w/e (part 3) will be holding their 3rd year event on June the 27th.

It is an event for preppers and people like minded to get together over the air through CB and PMR for a weekend.

They have chosen CB and PMR as they are license free and simple to work and legal for anyone to use in the UK.

All people taking part get listed on a google map on line and giving a call sign for the weekend.

There will also be a time table so people can find each other over the 2 days and the night.

Most people take part and BUG OUT for the weekend but some just join in from a parked car on a hill or from home if they are not able to get out and about.

On their Face Book page you can see past events at Uk shtf preppers and all so one or two uploaded to you tube.

The idea is as follows.

It’s a SHTF scenario of your choice.... zombie attack, a world war or a flood has took out your town/city and all land lines, mobile networks and the internet is down due to whatever you are prepping for and you need to make a call for whatever reason...

So what do you do????

Grab your BUG OUT BAG and head for the hills!!!!!! Radios normally work better from high ground so the plan would be to bug out to high ground and see who you can find on the radio.

More information will be handed out closer to the weekend.

But there are a few rules......

If you bug out please make sure you have permission to be on that land.

After the weekend please clean up your location before going home (LNT)

The radios used are open for anyone to use in the UK so please be polite and respectful to ALL other operators.

Make sure you are safe, you do not want to call out for help for real.

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How SHTF can Happen Just Like That

A second spectacular blast from the Calbuco volcano in southern Chile has covered nearby towns and villages in a thick layer of ash.

The first eruption in over forty years sent vast clouds of dust more than six miles into the air, creating an incredible display of lightning and lava against the night's sky.

Another unexpected eruption in the Los Lagos Region heightened fears of local waters becoming contaminated, residents developing severe breathing problems and more flights being grounded.

The ash covered cars and houses in cities as far as 18 miles away from the source of the eruption as another massive evacuation effort got underway.

Previous and equally violent eruptions at Calbuco have continued for up to a week and this volcano is one of the most dangerous of Chile's 90 active volcanoes but was not under any special observation before it suddenly sprung into life.

Emergency officials were taken by surprise and had only a few minutes to issue an alert.

Local authorities have evacuated 4,000 people away from the gas and ash contaminating the air and closed access to the area around the volcano which lies near the cities of Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt - 620 miles south of the capital Santiago.

Even Professor David Pyle who has studied over a century of eruptions across Chile's 1000-mile stretch of volcanoes ranks this one among the strongest - and claims its ash could cross the Pacific to Australia.

He ranked this particular explosion 'a three or four' on the Volcanic Explosivity Index which means it could unleash an astonishing ten billion cubic metres of ash into the atmosphere.

He said, 'Based on a 15km-high plume and an eruption of around an hour and a half, that’s quite strong. This particular volcano has erupted a number of times over the last hundred years.

A 30-year-old from Puerto Varas admitted many people in Chile are deeply concerned about the harmful effects on their health, adding: 'We woke up today with a blanket of fog and it hasn't cleared. We have a layer of smoke above us.'

People went into a state of panic' as the ash cloud spread, according to Miguel Diaz who lives in Puerto Montt 14 miles away. He added: 'I heard a loud noise as if somebody had detonated an atomic bomb.

One man said All the neighbours were outside, a lot of young people crying. Armageddon type reaction.
There were a lot of people out in the streets, many heading to the petrol stations to fill up their vehicles. A friend told me to fill everything we had with water.
The attitude and actions of those caught up in this natural disaster are to me totally understandable and are what most people in their position would do.

But we as preppers and survivalist know better don't we? We have Bug-in or Bug-out plans, some of us have Bov's and Bol's.

These plans however without us practising and testing them are just notes are they not?

Now is the time to plan bug-out weekends, simply pack you preps into your vehicle and leave dodge.

When you get were you are going unpack and get into your shelter and stay put until it is time to return to the ranch.

This simple exercise will expose the many gaps and deficiencies in your plan, and there will be some I promise.

The results will need to be worked on, but at least you have identified them and can plan to improve on them.

Urban Prepping

If you live in an urban environment and you want to get prepared for emergencies, you face some unique challenges.

You should start with the basics like everyone else—water first, emergency kits second, food storage next, then other supplies—but you might have to go about it a bit differently. Here are a few issues that you’ll probably face, along with some suggestions for dealing with them:

Space

If you’re living in the city, you will likely be living in a space that’s smaller than homes in the suburbs. When it comes to storing food and water, you may wonder where to put it all.

There are several ways to combat the space issue. One is to buy furniture that has built-in storage space, like a bed with drawers underneath, or an ottoman that has storage space inside.

The furniture is going to take up the floor space anyway, so why not let it serve a dual purpose?

You can also store your items behind or under furniture throughout the house. Pulling your couch, bed, or TV stand out just a few inches from the wall would allow you to store smaller items behind the furniture, and you probably won’t even miss the space. You can prop up your bed on risers to create additional space below for storage.

The unused portions and floors of closets are also great for storing emergency supplies.

Do you have a area of your home where you hang shirts that don’t reach the floor? Well, you can put a bucket, cans of food, a kit, or other items in the space below for quick access in an emergency.

Making furniture out of your storage is another option. If you don’t have the space for food storage, think about turning a couple of 5-gallon buckets into a side table—or use plywood to make a small shelving unit. There are a variety of configurations you could put together based on what items you plan to store and the amount of available space.

Food Storage and Preparation

In an emergency where your utilities are intact, you will likely be able to prepare and eat food much as you normally would. If supplies to grocery stores are cut off, then you’ll need to rely on your food storage if you’re staying at home for the duration of the emergency.

If you’re sheltering at home but your utilities aren’t working, you’ll want to have just-add-water meals and MREs that don’t require any cooking—especially if you don’t have an outdoor space or a spot in your home that is safe for open flames (like a fireplace).

With a fireplace or an outdoor space for a grill or emergency camp stove, you’ll be able to prepare meals from the food you have on hand and from your food storage. You’ll also be able to boil water for sanitation, first aid, or other needs.

If you have to evacuate, having a supply of calorie food bars and MREs in your kit will allow you to keep energized and nourished without carrying a camp stove or other cooking gear with you.

Calorie food bars are non-thirst-provoking, so you won’t need to compensate with extra water. And MREs can be heated or eaten cold, without the need for plates (you can eat them straight out of the metallized pouch). All you’ll need is a fork, knife and spoon.

Water Storage and Treatment

Water is the most important thing you can store for emergencies. You can live much longer without food than without water—just a few days without water can be fatal. I recommend having a two week water supply at home for each person—at the rate of one gallon per person per day.

If you live alone, easy peasy. Buy a 15-gallon barrel, and you’re good to go. Or stack three 5-gallon water containers or two 7-gallon containers in your home.

If you’ve got a family or room mates, it can be difficult to find the space to store all that water. But like I have said with a little creativity, you can use smaller nooks and crannies in your home to store small-capacity containers—a liter at a time if that’s what it takes. Just be sure to keep your stored water in as cool and dark a place as possible.

If the water supply is interrupted, and you don’t have stored water available to use, there are two potential sources of water in your home—your water heater and your toilet tank (the tank, not the toilet bowl!).

You can drain the water from your water heater into pitchers or other containers. Take the time to learn how to do this—and keep easy-to-follow instructions for doing so right near the water heater.

To use the water from your toilet tank, it must be free from chemical cleaners—so if you’ve used bleach or other toilet cleaning chemicals or tablets in the tank, don’t use it for drinking. You could still use it for cleaning—it’s got the chemicals in there already, anyway!

You should also have a way to treat and filter water—at home, and in your bug-out kit.

At home you might want to keep a large-capacity filter system, especially if you don’t have space to store much water. Then you’ll have a way to treat water you find from local sources like rivers or streams.

You should also have a lightweight, portable water filter to carry with you during evacuation

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The Camping Survival Plan

Your camping gear is the starting point for your survival plan.

History is a magnificent tool for understanding the present but it is also great at foretelling the future. If there is one thing you can accurately say about history it is that it will repeat.

Peace and war, feast and famine, prosperity and depression, all cycle as random eddies in the river of time.

Thus it is prudent to consider that a desperate situation is not only possible but, if we believe history, quite likely. This realization makes developing a mentality and a plan that prepares us for the ability to simply survive.

What happens if your area has five fire engines and your house becomes the sixth fire burning? Unless you are willing to fight the fire you are just plan out of luck.

So self sufficiency is the way we must learn to think in order to survive.

Survival at Home

Perhaps you have seen the movie "Contagion" where a really bad and untreatable virus spreads throughout the world.

Much of what is enacted in the movie is, in fact, how governments would handle such a situation.

Schools and businesses would be simply closed and you might even find yourself restricted to your own home.

This would put us at the mercy of government emergency services. What happens when the governments' survival resources run out or are stretched beyond the limit of their capabilities? Desperate people do desperate things.

If conditions deteriorate to this point, we may need to "get out of Dodge", so to speak.

Head for the hills.

Here is where we have a decided advantage over the standard population. In a minimal sense we have to configure for survival every time we just go camping or training.

Whether you are setting up for a weekend trip or a two week vacation you will have had to addressed these basic survival needs:

Water

Food

Protection from the elements

Thus all you have to do is add a food and water stash to your basic camping equipment or shelter kit and you have the core of a survival plan put together.

Choose a couple of good spots to locate your survival camp away from built-up areas as these places will likely be chaotic. Again, desperate people do desperate things so get away from the masses.

Gather the tribe.

Plan where your family and selected friends will be when things start hitting the fan. They can meet you there where you can pool resources and efforts. The wolf pack mentality is very useful when in the survival mode.

Setup your survival base camp in a familiar out of the way spot near water ( have a purifier) and natural food sources.

Having the means, knowledge and ability to protect yourself and your loved ones may be essential to your collective survival.

In the mean time:

Consider learning the following skills:

How to identify and prepare natural foods in your area.

How to start a fire without matches.

How to hunt and fish.

How to shoot and defend yourself.

I know it's ugly to think about, but remember what history has taught us about the dark side of human nature.

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The Mid Wales Bushcraft Show and Wild Camp

The weekend wild camp is from Friday 29th May to Monday 1st June, this is on our Mid Wales hill/woodland site, and the stall day is on Sunday 31st May held in the Elephant and Castle (pub) conference rooms in Newtown.

The wild camp and entrance fee to stalls together is £20 or just £3 if just coming along to the stalls.

It's best if people contact them for exact details of how to get to the Woodland site, as they would rather people pay in advance and not tie them down on the weekend with having to sort tickets out and handling cash etc. If you have got any questions then let us know. Chris/Kate http://midwalesbushcraft.co.uk/

Emergency Survival Items Bug-Out-Bag

Disasters here in the UK such as floods and storms or power cuts can strike at any time, sometimes without warning. 

All disasters have the potential to cause disruption, damage property and take lives.

The information here will help you learn about the disasters that can affect you and what you can do to be prepared before they happen. And knowing what to do during and after these disasters will also help you and your loved ones keep safe and get through.

In most emergencies you should be able to stay in your home. Plan to be able to look after yourself and your household for at least three days or more. 

Assemble and maintain your emergency survival items for your home as well as a portable getaway kit a, Bug-Out-Bag in case you have to leave in a hurry. You should also have essential emergency items in your workplace and in your car.

Emergency Survival Items

Torch with spare batteries or a self-charging torch

Radio with spare batteries

Wind and waterproof clothing, sun hats, and strong outdoor shoes.

First aid kit and essential medicines

Blankets or sleeping bags

Pet supplies

Toilet paper and large rubbish bags for your emergency toilet

Face and dust masks

Check all batteries every three months. Battery powered lighting is the safest and easiest. Do not use candles as they can tip over in earthquake aftershocks or in a gust of wind. Do not use kerosene lamps, which require a great deal of ventilation and are not designed for indoor use.

Food and water for at least three days

Non-perishable food (canned or dried food)

Food, formula and drinks for babies and small children

Water for drinking. At least 3 litres per person, per day

Water for washing and cooking

A primus or gas barbeque to cook on

A can opener

Check and replace food and water every twelve months. Consider stocking a two-week supply of food and water for prolonged emergencies such as a pandemic.

Bug-Out Bag

In some emergencies you may need to evacuate in a hurry. Everyone should have a packed getaway kit in an easily accessible place at home and at work which includes:

Cash

Torch and radio with spare batteries

Any special needs such as hearing aids and spare batteries, glasses or mobility aids

Emergency water and easy-to-carry food rations such as energy bars and dried foods in case there are delays in reaching a welfare centre or a place where you might find support. If you have any special dietary requirements, ensure you have extra supplies

First aid kit and essential medicines

Essential items for infants or young children such as formula and food, nappies and a favourite toy

Change of clothes (wind/waterproof clothing and strong outdoor shoes)

Toiletries – towel, soap, toothbrush, sanitary items, toilet paper

Blankets or sleeping bags

Face and dust masks

Pet supplies

Local maps

Survival Knife

Survival Kit

Include important documents in your getaway kit: identification (birth and marriage certificates, driver’s licences and passports), financial documents (e.g. insurance policies and mortgage information), and precious family photos.

First Aid

If someone you care for is injured in a disaster, your knowledge of first aid will be invaluable. Many organisations provide first aid training courses. Consider taking a first aid course, followed by regular refresher sessions. You can buy ready-made first aid kits or make up your own.

In some situations you may be forced to evacuate your home, office, school or neighbourhood at short notice.

Before an evacuation

Consider your transportation options in case you have to evacuate. If you do not own or drive a car, ask emergency planning staff at your local council about plans for people without private vehicles.

Know which local radio stations to listen to during an event for announcements from your local emergency planning officials.

Discuss and practice your evacuation plans with everyone in the household.

Make in-case-of-evacuation arrangements with friends or relatives in your neighbourhood as well as outside the area you are in.

Know the evacuation routes you could take and plan several evacuation routes in case roads are damaged or blocked.

If you have pets, domestic animals or livestock, include them in your emergency plans.

If there is a possibility of an evacuation, fill your car’s fuel tank. Keep in mind that if there are power cuts in an event, fuel stations may not be able to operate pumps.

If you are in an area this is being evacuated

Listen to your local radio stations as emergency planning officials will be broadcasting the most appropriate advice for your community and situation.

Evacuate quickly if told to do so by authorities. Take your getaway kit with you. If you are outside the evacuation zone when a warning is issued, do not go into an at-risk area to collect your belongings.

If there is time, secure your home as you normally would when leaving for an extended period.

Turn off electricity and water at the mains if there is time. Do not turn off natural gas unless you smell a leak or hear a blowing or hissing sound, or are advised to do so by the authorities.

Take your pets with you when you leave if you can safely do so.

If you have livestock, evacuate your family and staff first. If there is time, move livestock and domestic animals to a safer area.

Use travel routes specified by local authorities. Some areas may be impassable or dangerous so avoid shortcuts. Do not drive through moving water. If you come upon a barrier, follow posted detour signs.

Get your car ready

Why not plan ahead for what you will do if you are in your car when a disaster strikes. In some emergencies you may be stranded in your vehicle for some time. A flood, snow storm or major traffic accident could make it impossible to proceed.

Consider having essential emergency survival items in your car. If you are driving in extreme winter conditions, add ice scrapers, brush, shovel, tire chains and warm clothing to your emergency kit.

Store a pair of walking shoes, waterproof jacket, essential medicines, snack food, water and a torch in your car.

When planning travel, keep up to date with weather and traffic information.

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What Will you do When the Grid Fails?

In the more remote parts of our planet or the less well developed, millions of people live without electric power, fridges, freezers, Internet, no computers, TV, emergency services, hospitals, clean water or shops and supermarkets etc.

Whether you consider their lives to be simply existing, the fact is that they do exist, OK day to day it is of course a great struggle but they manage.

The question is could you?

If we could travel back in time to say the 1800's, which is not too long ago is it? We would see much the same in the UK, now if they had got it wrong and failed, we would not be here today.

But I would say that they got it right because of thousands of years of living without electricity and our modern conveniences that we now depend on to survive.

I think that the more we have depended on the on the grid the more basic survival skills we have let go and that has meant that they have not, and now will not be passed down to our children.

Without these learned skills we will not survive, we cannot.

When was the last time you or your children lite a fire in the harth? collected water from a local lake, stream or river? trapped, snared or hunted? built a shelter? made your own clothes or shoes?

You can clearly see that if an EMP/CME hits us we are as a race are doomed to fail in vast numbers, in fact I would say that 90% of the UK would perish within one month depending on the time of year.

After all most UK homes store their only main food source in fridges and freezers, and within three days they will just be white containers of rotting food as the defrost.

So what will they eat then?

Without preps the UK population is doomed to perish which sounds horrific but I have to say there is no other way to enforce the ethos of prepping than to tell the unpalettable truth.

I think it is time to develop a plan to survive/exist post an electric age, in other words learn from our pre electric ancesters.

I have always mourned the loss of community, forty years ago we knew our neighbours we depended on them for many things, today we no longer have that local support system, in fact we do not even know our neighbours at all.

Just imagine the level of skill sets and knowledge in your local area that you do not even know about, I think that nothing will help people survive more than a tight knit community that cares for its members.

Now in this, community, you will, find different skills, access to different resources, and a psychological morale improvement. Finding others with the same mindset will help you survive long-term, and make the situation far more bearable than braving the dark times alone.

Remember do not dial 999 as there won’t be any response.

You will have to learn to shoot, and then you’ll be better feed your family and it may even keep you and your family alive.

You will have to learn how to cut timber for fire lighting, so you can boil water, cook, heat, clean and keep warm daily, instead of what was once was a winter chore.

How much wood will you need for a year, many years, and where will it come from?

Clothing can be made from almost any source of cloth which can be used to make shirts or dresses. The real question is where will the cloth come from do you know how to make it?

Being able to make something useful like a horseshoe, tool, or cooking utensil from scrap metal will come in very handy.

This is a skill people will barter for. Blacksmith work does require a good deal of practice and some special equipment, but it’s a skill worth learning and the learning curve is cut a bit if you already know how to weld or do other metal work.

Preserving food without a fridge or freezer is something people have forgotten here is one of the easiest methods available and doesn’t take much time. You will need fresh pork, pickling salt, brown sugar, and jars for storage.

First, cut the pork into slabs. Generally, four- to six-inch slabs work best. Mix 1/2 pound of pickling salt with 1/4 cup of brown sugar. This is enough to cover twelve pounds of pork. Liberally cover the pork with this mixture. Next, pack the meat into sterilized jars. You should make sure it is tightly packed. Cover the meat with cheesecloth.

You need to keep the meat in an area that is about 36°F – no higher than 38°F. You also do not want an area that could see freezing temperatures. Leave the meat in this cool storage for at least one month.

After that time, you can wrap the meat in plastic or moisture-proof paper and leave it stored all winter. You now have salt-cured pork for any occasion.

If you are familiar with preserving/tinning fruits and vegetables, you should know that you can also tin meat. You have to make sure you get the temperature of the meat high enough to kill bacteria before it seals.

Chicken and beef are good options for tinning, as are fish. You can cook the meat before you can and seal it. For example, you could make beef stew and preserve it in tins. Stewed chicken also tins and preserves well. Raw packing is another option you can try as well.

Do not forget smoking too.

I have not covered first-aid training, mechanics, dentistry, gardening, building skills, military skills, medical expertise, etc. etc. I think you get the picture. The next move is up to you. Good Luck.

The Common Nettle

Nettles are high in iron, potassium, manganese, calcium, vitamins A, C and protein (a whopping 25% protein). Nutritionally nettles are better than Popeye’s spinach: higher in protein, calcium (4 times), and have alot more health benefits… and almost the same taste.

And it’s not that difficult to safely harvest them. Some rubber dishwashing gloves would provide enough protection.

You’ll also need a small bucket and pair of kitchen scissors. Snip the stems right below the top four leaves of the nettle plants and let them fall into the pot or bucket.

If the nettles are picked early in the season (March-April), the stems can be eaten along with the leaves. Stinging nettles should not be harvested once in bloom.

My grandmother picked them with her bare hands and she said that after picking up 10-15 stinging nettles you won’t feel a thing.

Nettles are used as a medicinal herb and can help in treating arthritis, anemia, hay fever and kidney problems, among other ailments. Dried leaves may be used to make a tea that is useful in alleviating allergy symptoms.

First you have to know that keeping the nettles for a day in your home (room temperature) will eliminate their ability to sting.

So it will be safe to sort the nettles from other weeds or dirt.

Wash the nettles very, very well! (I do it 3 times)

Boil the nettles for 5 minutes (5 min when the water is effectively boiling). When you’ll remove them from the pot, you’ll notice that you are left with only a handful of nettles.

Don’t throw away all the water yet (it should be green by now). Or at least keep one glassful. You’ll need it in a few moments. But you can also keep some because it is very nutritious. I have drank it. (but it’s not tasty at all)

Now it’s time to blend the nettles and add one large tablespoon of flour.

Stir the nettles and add some of the water left from boiling the nettles (at least half a glass). Pour in a pot just a little bit of olive oil and add the nettles.

While cooking the nettles (for at least 20 minutes), peel and cut some garlic (7-10 cloves).

Grate a horseradish just to “sprinkle” over the nettles.

Now it’s ready! You may enjoy it just like that, but I prefer it with polenta, some sheep cheese and an egg.

To quote a chef:

It seems like a vegetable cliché, but you can use your cooked nettles anywhere you’d use spinach. Try stinging nettles in pasta, either as a filling, or right in the dough.

Use stinging nettles in a soup. Go for asparagus benedict on quinoa nettle cakes or use them to top a pizza.

Did You Know That Stinging Nettles Are Also Used For:

Beer; all you need for the brew is nettles, sugar, water, yeast, an orange and a lemon and cream of tartar.

Making a liquid plant food. Mix nettles with water to make a nitrogen-rich feed your plants will love. Cut or crush the nettles into small pieces and stuff them into a large container.

Weigh the nettles down with large bricks or rocks. This will stop them floating about when you add water. Add water to the container and leave for four weeks.

Dilute the solution to make a liquid plant food suitable for direct application. Use roughly one part of concentrate to 10 parts of water.

Making nettle tea. As well as being delicious, nettle tea is reputed to help combat several ailments, including eczema, asthma, hay fever and muscle aches. Just steep a few fresh tips in boiling water, removing them when the water goes slightly green, to avoid bitterness.

To trap aphids. The fresh growth of spring attracts aphids in their thousands – sucking the life from plants, stunting their growth. Luckily, aphids love new nettle shoots, which has several benefits for the garden – it means you can use them as sacrificial plants, saving valuable edibles, and it may even stunt the nettle growth. The birds will get their treat, too.

Nettles are the number one destination for ladybirds with eggs to lay. These eggs turn into ladybird larvae, which predate on garden pests, including aphids, whitefly and red spider mite.

Nigel at www.hunters-knives.co.uk has offered you dear listener 10% on all his products simply by using the code PREP10.

BREAK

You are listening to the UK preppers Radio network on KPRNDB-UK I’m your host Tom Linden

The CUP Bug-Out Weekend 2015 Report

As you all know I was at the CUP bug-out weekend 2nd to the 4th May and I must begin my report with two words. Thank You.

The thanks you's go to the landowner Greame for his friendship and conversation, Ian Coultard for organizing, setting-up and running the event well done mate you did a great job and it was a great event and I am looking forward to the next one.

The thanks muxst also go to Rich from Torn Apart for doing such a good job demonstrating the Titan, and to everyone there for making it possible for me to take part and to enjoy the event.

Once again my health let me down, so when everyone decided to move the communinal fire plus the seating to near my set-up it was a humbling experience indeed and simply shows the feeling of community, friendship, caring and unselfeshment within UK preppers and survivalists.

Well, having arrived at the remote 16 acre BOL first job was to set-up and with Roberts help that was easily done, next it was off to meet those who were already there and a few drops of falling down water was given and exchanged.

As more and more people arrived the landscape changed and began to look like a refugee camp in many ways. Individual fires were being built and fuel foraged and stockpiled.

The majority of felled wood was from dead standing, neverless there was more than enough to go around, even after the lumberjacks had finished with their chain saw LoL.

Ian invited me for a Beef and Veg Stew which not only filled me up but was very tasty indeed.

As light faded and the last arrivals for the day set-up out came the rum, whiskey, brandy, smirnoff gold, in fact you name it and it was probably there, and it was then the usual around the fire banter which is what I really look forward to at all camps.

I was woken up at 0340 by Ian who had found me in my car asleep with the engine running, don't ask LoL.

Waking up at 10ish the smell of bacon and eggs wafted towards me and it was time to get breakfast, although some even managed to sleep on through the morning, eh! Daarren and stu.

Despite the occassional rain storm some heavy with thunder the fun and banter continued as it always does as what is a bit of rain in real terms anyway.

The second evening was much the same as the first, you know food booze and more campfire chatter. I had two steaks cooked on the grill and there is nothing tastier in the pitch black sat by the fire.

Day three saw people take to the target ranges with a varied assortment of weapons from Roberts all singing £1,200 multi-mag night vision fitted air rifle, "once owned by Gazza himself" to Rifle crossbows, Pistol crossbows and catapults.

Rich offered as challenge to Karl to taste his hot chilli sauce, Karl jumped at the chance putting enough on his plate to dip bread bun in, he was followed by Ian who did seem to suffer as its warming properties took hold.

Then things took a turn for the worse, Rich offered "The PASTE", I have no idea what it was called, who made it, or why, Karl and Ian both placed some on their tongue and boy did they suffer, they danced and jigged downed soft drinks but it was burn, burn,burn, very brave guys as I would not have done that I can tell you.

And so to the final night which due to the very clear sky was one of star gazing and watching the satalites fly past, oh! forgot the booze and banter of course.

Monday it was breakfask tea, coffee etc. and final good byes with promises to meet up again and you know something I can't wait.

The Pits & Bits Review

Whether you are on a practice bug-out, wild camping, fishing, hunting or to be honest simply away from a water source the waterless Pits and Bits Body Wash will keep you clean when away from any shower facilities.

All you have to do is squeeze a little out of the bottle, rub in to remove any sweat, grease or mud and then towel down with a micro towel, if you have one.

Or why not use with the Pits and Bits Expandable Wipes for a really good clean.

I really like the waterless body washes, Pits and Bits Body Wash is unfragranced, so is just what you need when hunting.

Although it has no alcohol like conventional sanitizers, it removes dirt/grease from your skin and onto your towel, ensuring no loss of essential oils and also providing another great use as fire lighting tinder.

One of the hardest stains I find to remove is the combination of grass, wood and dirt especially in the wet, and another is not only the blood but the smell of your hands after processing game in the field.

Well Pits & Bits did the trick, each day at the CUP Bug-Out weekend I left it as long as I could without washing my hands and let their waterless products do the business and that is exactly what they did, time and time again.

And as for the under arm, groin etc. wash they removed odour and the reason for it.

Another use is wiping after no2's to wash clean that is in fact all personal washing needs are taken care of by Pits & Bits.

Yesterday I shot a woodie and removed the breast meat to eat and as usual there is that gamey smell left on my hands again they were cleaned and the smell was removed all without water which is a novelty to say the least and a total must for those whether bugging-in or bugging-out.

The waterless shampoo is amazing even for me with close cropped hair after using it my hair felt clean and soft which is all I can ask of any shampoo, and imagine the saving in water too.

The waterless instant use toothbrushes are perfect for a quick brush, no mess and no fuss yet safe to swallow. The toothpaste is stored in the head of the brush so just brush and carry out LNT.

The expandable Wipes can either be used in combination with the body wash for a soapy wash or used to clean pots and pans etc. as a wound dressing and of course as tinder, there will be many other uses I am sure.

I cannot recommend these products highly enough, having a range of waterless personal hygiene products opens many doors for the bugged-out prepper, survivor or outdoors man/woman.

You can now wash in your shelter in the desert on a boat, in your vehicle, at home with no running water, on holiday on the beach, anywhere you want and that feels great. You can order yours at http://waterlessltd.co.uk/products/pits-bits/
 
 
 










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