Pennsylvania Man Dies–Unnecessarily–This is the Purpose of the Survival Nut!

Our purpose at thesurvivalnut.com is to save lives.  Bottom line.  We want people to live another day, in spite of their desperate circumstances.

The headline reads:

This man and his girlfriend called 911 over the course of 30 hours in order to get emergency help.  Because of the massive snow pile up and closed roads, they never reached him. He died. Unnecessarily. There will be an investigation.  There will be a lawsuit. None of that will bring him back. One thing could have saved his life–an emergency plan.

Do you have an emergency plan?  What if someone that you love is stranded because of a power outage, bizarre weather events, or the ravages of war?

Think it can’t happen?

Think again.

If you live in the United States of America, you should be prepared for, and expecting the impending crisis.

America has entered a time when its people expect more from its government than ever before, while America has a government that is less able to deliver than ever before.

The system is breaking.

If you expect to survive, YOU will have to take ownership and responsibility for yourself and your loved ones.

Start now–put together your emergency plan.

Here are some great places to start:  

The Red Cross

Preparedness Checklist

Don’t wait for others to help you–forget 911–prepare ahead of time so that you can help yourself–and others!

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Bow Hunting Equipment: The Essentials You Need For a Successful Hunt  

by KG Walsh

If you are new to the sport of bow hunting, you may be wondering what hunting gear you need to carry with you. Here are five key items to consider:

1. Hunting Crossbow or Compound Bow: It seems pretty obvious, but the first place to start is the bow. You have two options when it comes to picking your primary piece of hunting equipment.

A compound bow is a vertical bow that will use a cam or elliptical system on the ends of the bow to help bend the limbs. The levering mechanism on a compound bow helps reduce the amount of force required to hold the string at full draw. As a result, it gives a hunter more time to focus on the shot.

Another option is the crossbow.

A crossbow is a horizontal, mechanical bow that has a bow mounted on a stock (or stick). A crossbow is not limited by the strength of the hunter and therefore can be a good choice for hunters of varying age, size and strength.

2. Arrows/Bolts: You will need some arrows, or projectiles, to use with your bow. Arrows can be made of different materials, typically aluminum, carbon or a combination of the two. The arrows are also available in varying lengths and stiffness. To pick which arrow is best for you, you’ll want to look at the draw weight and draw length for your particular bow.

The arrow-like projectiles that are used with a crossbow are referred to as bolts. These will also come in varying styles so it’s good to test a few to see what type works best for you.

3. Crossbow Scope: If your bow of choice is a crossbow, you will typically need a crossbow scope to accompany it. There are different types of scopes available, including red dot and laser scopes. The benefit of the scope is that it can help compensate for the affect of gravity on your shot.

4. Camouflage: Staying out of sight from your prey is critical to success as a bow hunter. After all, if the animal catches just a glimpse of you, you will minimize your chances of success. So pick a good camo jacket, camouflage pants or bibs and apply some face paint. These will all help you to stay hidden from the deer, and the camo jacket and pants will give you the added benefit of being comfortable when sitting outside in the elements all day.

5. Scent Killer: In addition to camouflage gear, you will also want to invest a few dollars in a scent-killer spray. This one item will probably give you the greatest return on your investment. You can spend hundreds of dollars on the best bow hunting equipment, but if you can’t get within close proximity to your target you’ll have no success as a hunter.

There are several additional items that you may wish to bring on your next hunting trip, but these five essentials are a good start for bow hunting basics.

A great location and well-planned hunting strategy will be the perfect complement to your equipment and will ultimately be the secret to your success.

 About the Author:
KG Walsh provides tips & info on bow hunting equipment. Learn more at our website, http://www.huntingbowequipment.com/. We are a leading provider of hunting crossbows, compound bows, crossbow scopes, camo clothes & hunting backpacks. Check out our Daily Deals and Free Shipping on orders over $100!

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Wilderness Survival at Indian Springs Metropark

Southeast Michigan contains a hidden treasure–the Huron-Clinton Metro Park system.

The Metroparks host several instructional events throughout the year. 

On October 17th & 18th, 2009, Indian Springs Metropark’s Environmental Discovery Center will be offering a “Wilderness Survival” program geared for scouting groups or other interested persons.

Call 248-625-6640.  Indians Springs is west of Pontiac, Michigan.  More information is available by viewing the Metroparks Fall 2009 Calendar of Events or Indian Springs’ Interpretive Program Page.

Huron-Clinton Metroparks: Delhi, Dexter Huron, Hudson Mills, Huron Meadows, Indian Springs, Kensington, Lake Erie, Lower Huron, Metro Beach, Oakwoods, Stony Creek (Note: sometimes spelled Stoney Creek), Willow, Wolcott Mill.

The Observer & Eccentric News also publishes the Metropark Calendar here.

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WorldNetDaily (www.wnd.com) had this YouTube video posted today:

The video isn’t terribly shocking–the security officer won’t allow the protester to have an anti-Barack Obama poster on the school property.

The problem isn’t the law–the security officer doesn’t really have the power to make law, or to make formal arrest.

My concern is that he THINKS he has the power to make and enforce the law.

YIKES!  Yes, I’m going to say it: The Nazis of 1930s and 1940s Germany did the same thing.  Is security officer Wesley Cheeks, Jr. a card carrying member of the National Socialist Party?  No, of course not.

But Officer Cheeks (in this instance) is trying to infringe upon the right to free speech for a citizen of the United States of America.

WorldNetDaily has an excellent up-to-date list of protests and happenings that have taken place. (Click here for the list! )

Make no mistake: The issue isn’t health care.  It isn’t specifically socialism.  It isn’t even Nancy Pelosi. 

The issue is a feeling that the voice of the people is not being heard.

People are fed up with feeling that they don’t control what is happening.

The nation is unraveling!

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Is Gerald Celente Right?  Is Revolution Coming?

Gerald Celente, of the Trends Research Institute (www.trendsresearch.com), was a guest on The Frank Beckmann Show on Detroit’s WJR-AM (www.wjr.com) radio just this morning.

Mr. Celente believes that America is in the midst of its second revolution.  He said that the first shot of the Second American Revolution was fired on April 15th, 2009, when media figures began to use disparaging sexual remarks in describing the tea party protests (Video following):

‘Teabagging’ is a term used to describe sexual activities, and had absolutely nothing to do with the concerns of the average American.  The condescending and arrogant attitude of  the press is difficult to understand. 

Do they view these incidents as minor squabbles that should be laughed at?

Do they purposefully insult large numbers of people to distract us from the important aspects of the protest? 

Are they really so out of touch that they can’t see what is happening?

Ha, ha. 

The joke gets old pretty quickly. 

Juvenile antics, language and innuendo cannot distract us from what is important: retaining the constitutional freedoms set forward by the Founding Fathers.

People aren’t sending teabags to be cute.  People started with teabags as a peaceful protest against government largesse.  The anger and frustration levels are rising, and teabags might be the least of anyone’s concern in the near future.

Congress and the governing authorities should be thankful that teabags were sent, not threats or actual items of a dangerous nature.

For Rachel Maddow, Anderson Cooper, and others: Here is a refresher.  The Boston Tea Party was not about lewd sexual innuendo.  It was about taxation without representation and the ability to have a say in government.  

Get your mind out of the gutter, and give real journalism a try!

The undercurrent of discontent is stirring.  The sleeping giant of America’s patriotism and a desire to return to conservative principles (NOT party affiliation) will cause a groundswell that will be difficult to contain.

What will come of the revolution?  It is difficult to predict, but there may be no clear winners.

Did you know that the movement even has its own flag?  Check it out at www.usrevolution2.com!

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Collapsing into Political Chaos

The Disintegration of Belief in America’s Politicians

Comments are not necessary, but a few words describing the mayhem will follow the videos:

Healthcare, wars, taxes, stimulus, government encroachment, resentment and 24 hour news coverage are feeding a fire that won’t be put out easily.  

The USA is in a precarious position: rebellion is afoot.  The reaction of the government in the coming days will determine if the rebellion is merely political, or if it becomes open and armed rebellion. Dangerous days are ahead! Personal survival is of utmost importance…

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GOOD Magazine had a photo article entitled “Waiting for the End of the World” today.

The implication was that bomb shelters are for the slightly unhinged.

Okay, call me unhinged.  But you can’t call Joel Skousen unhinged!

 Security expert Joel Skousen advises homeowners and concerned citizens on methods of securing personal dwelling places in ”How to Implement a High Security Shelter in the Home.”

Mr. Skousen has written several books on the subjects of home and personal security.

Joel Skousen is a former Marine fighter pilot, a political scientist, and a self-sufficiency expert.

Joel’s expanded biography can be found here.

A complete list of J. Skousen’s published works can be found here. 

Keywords: Bomb shelter, bunker, underground home, secure home, security

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‘Peak Oil?–’ What Took You So Long?!?

Sometimes you have to wonder.

Today The Independent published an article entitled “Warning: Oil supplies are running out fast.”

What I’m wondering  is this: Is this article an old re-tread on a slow news day, or did this savvy reporter JUST find out about the idea that the world’s most abudant (read: cheap) energy supply is drying up? 

It seems hard to believe that this is a recycled story.  There are so many other important news items to be discussed each day. 

No, I don’t mean the color of Britney’s underwear.  Nor do I mean Jessica’s weight-gain-loss yo-yo.  I realize that those headlines are of the utmost importance, but other things are happening in the world.

I’m talking about the impact of Israeli-Palestinean relations, the Uighur uprising in China, or even such boring topics as the Russia-China-Iran alliance.

But Peak Oil? 

Mr. Connor lays out the sky is falling drama in this opener: “The world is heading for a catastrophic energy crunch that could cripple a global economic recovery because most of the major oil fields in the world have passed their peak production, a leading energy economist has warned.”

Right.  I agree completely.  Finite resources + mass consumption = depletion. 

The problem with the article isn’t the gloom and doom.  It is the feelgood solution of “[w]hat we need to do is accelerate the mobilisation of renewables, energy efficiency and alternative transport.”

I’ve got news for you.  It’s too late for that.  That was the solution had we begun preparing in 1992.  It is now 2009.  Things aren’t so good right now.

It is now time (possibly past time) to begin personal preparations in earnest.  Forget about depending on your government (Katrina victims have a great story to tell in that regard!)

Your life and the lives of your family members are at stake.  I’m sure that you’d like me to paint some rosy la-la picture, but the immediate and longterm future are bleak.

So get off of your rear-end and start preparing.

Survival resources can be found on this site by clicking on the FREE Emergency Downloads tab at the top.

So, Steve Connor, I do appreciate your cutting edge journalism on this subject.  Alright, I apologize for the sarcasm.  It is likely that the average citizen truly doesn’t know the extent to which we are emperiled, and your article may actually enlighten a few of those that live under a rock.

To find truly cutting edge Peak Oil information, visit LifeAfterTheOilCrash.net.  Of course the irony is that Matt probably has this article posted in the ‘Breaking News’ section.

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A Few Fall Survival Gardening Tips  

by John Wesley Smith

Late July and early August is the time to start planning for fall gardening. You may be in the harvesting and preserving mode, but you can keep on gardening and add to your food supply with new crops of several vegetables. You don’t have to limit yourself to a spring crop of lettuce or carrots.

Not only does gardening provide you with food for survival, it teaches you valuable lessons that help develop a survival attitude. A gardener should always be analyzing, evaluating and looking ahead. As a gardener, you do this all the time without giving it a second thought. How are those beans doing in that location? Why are the tomato leaves turning yellow? What are organic solutions for insect problems? You’re asking questions, seeking answers, and applying those answers.

How does this apply to fall gardening? The first step to take is to evaluate how the season has gone for you. What succeeded? What failed? How can you make better use of available space? Should you try different varieties? What can you do differently next season or for the remainder of this season?

Because climate is so diverse throughout the country, I can only give general tips and offer more questions than answers here. Check with your local university extension service for growing guides for your area. The experts in your local area know about frost dates and weather patterns you’ll experience. They can make recommendations as to the best vegetable varieties for you. They will also be familiar with what problems you might anticipate from insects and diseases. Realize their solutions to these problems conform to conventional gardening methods, and you may need to look elsewhere for organic or natural solutions.

A first fall frost date is very important to know. For example, if you want to plant something that takes 55-60 days to grow, do you have 55-60 days left before a killing frost? Can you give the plants protection to get them past that first frost? Have mulch, plastic or floating row cover on hand. Do you have a cold frame or greenhouse? If you’re container gardening, you have the advantage of being able to bring containers into a garage or greenhouse if frost threatens.

Try growing plants that like colder weather, such as kale, cauliflower or broccoli. Try a crop of lettuce, especially if hot weather in spring causes it to bolt too soon. Be sure to keep seeds and young plants well watered and fertilized, just as you would for a spring planting. Use mulch to keep soil cooler and more moist if it’s too hot when you plant.

Whether you plant transplants or seedlings depends on how much cold the crop can tolerate and the time left before frost. Vegetables that tolerate frost include beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collards, garlic, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, spinach and turnips. Vegetables that don’t tolerate frost include beans, cantaloupes, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, okra, peas, peppers, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes and watermelons.

One important fall gardening task sounds merciless, but it’s necessary. Pull up old plants that are no longer producing well, such as tomato plants that have passed their prime or are diseased. Avoid putting diseased and insect ridden plants in your compost. Ask yourself what you can put in the space left behind by the uprooted plants. Maybe you want to start adding soil amendments like organic matter there and not bother with planting anything in that spot.

Since pumpkins and several squashes aren’t ready to harvest until fall, make sure you keep everything that’s still in your garden well watered. Of course, anything you plant, whether transplants or seeds, needs watering as well. Don’t count on the weatherman’s predictions for rain.

When weather gets colder, listen for frost and freeze advisories and warnings. Before a hard freeze, root crops such as carrots and radishes should be harvested or mulched. Harvesting of mulched root crops can often be extended will into the winter. If your winter is mild, you may be able to continue harvesting until spring.

Plan ahead. Consider what plants will make it through winter where you live. For example, I plant yellow potato multiplier onions in early September, which gives them a chance to become well established so they’ll get through winter and produce next season. If you enjoy perennials, are there shrubs or bulbs you can plant before long? What can you buy now for planting next spring?

Fall doesn’t have to mean the end of your survival gardening efforts. It simply means that as the seasons change, so does what you grow and how you garden. With survival gardening, you need to grow all the food you possibly can.

About the Author

Explore this and other topics related to survival at http://www.destinysurvival.com where John Wesley Smith is author and editor.

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 Dome Tents: Lightweight Portable Comfort

Josh J Moore

 Do[me] tents have been around for a long time, and have provided shelter for travelers and outdoor enthusiasts from the very beginning.  

Today’s dome tents can withstand subzero temperatures and high winds without ripping apart or collapsing.

Before their invention, most mountaineers used small canvas tents that were just big enough for two people to squeeze into.

However, these small canvas tents were no match for subzero temperatures, and often, you could freeze to death when you used them. For more mundane camping, large canvas tents were similar to those you could find at an Army surplus store. Heavy, with wooden poles, they definitely were not particularly portable.

By the 1950s, tents had become increasingly lightweight, and were made of materials like mesh and nylon, with aluminum instead of wooden poles for much more lightness and portability.

Then, in 1949, a man named Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller created the first geodesic dome. This large dome could withstand its own weight, and then some. The US Army found interest in this and asked him to make smaller ones in the 1950’s. These were rigid domes, however, that had to be assembled, and then broken down for transportation. Fuller’s tents in this regard were not collapsible but instead were rigid so that they had to be assembled for use and then taken apart upon transport.

Nonetheless, these “dome” tent continued to be developed by a number of different inventors, so that in 1975, Robert Gillis and his company North Face developed what became the first true portable dome tent, which was called the “Oval Intention.”

Dependable and strong, this tent had strong, thin aluminum poles and ripstop nylon that was very durable. In addition, the tents are easier to set up than ever before, too.

In fact, many of today’s tent designs “self-erect” when you pull them from their bags. They pop up by themselves and all that remains for you to do is to stake them down. In addition, design innovations have led to tents that have anywhere from one to four rooms for families, with some having square footage of 400 feet.

Materials, too, have gotten much more high-tech and simply better. Today’s tents can breathe even as they prevent moisture from getting in.

There have been advances in how easy the shelters are set up. Now you can purchase so-called “self-erecting” tents, domes which you just pull from their bag and they pop right up before your eyes. All you have to do is stake them down.

There has been innovations in designs, with one to four room family tents, some as big as 400 square feet! All that remains for you to do is to stake them down.

Design innovations have led to tents that can literally be a “home away from home,” with between one to four rooms for families, and dimensions of up to square 400 feet.

Materials themselves have simply gotten better and much more high-tech.

Dome tents come in a variety of colors and sizes and weights. Some are designed exclusively for cyclists, backpackers, and mountaineers. There are cheaper designs for the backyard or simple camper, or rigorous outdoorsmen.

You can purchase dome tents that affix to the back of a pickup truck, making more space. There are tents that attach to one another, making a community of domes for large families, or activities such as scouting events.

Today, tents are very easy to set up and are very easy to find and use. You can use them for just about any type of outdoor activity. These types of dome tents remain a good choice for shelter no matter what type of outdoor enthusiast you happen to be.

Take a look at one of the many dome tents that are on the market, so that you can choose the right one(s) for the activities you want to pursue.  

About the Author

Josh J Moore is a recognized expert in Family Tents. Check here for the best selection in Camping Tents!

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