This is a guest post and entry in our non-fiction writing contest  by Repair Mama

I just wanted to do a post on trying to save money by making your home cost you a little less. Why give your money to the utility when you can use it to prep. They get enough of our hard-earned dollars as it is.

I have used these methods for years, (my older home is a nightmare)

The first thing I will address is heating. Your home has 2 ways to lose heat in the winter. Air infiltration, and heat loss. Doors and windows are usually the biggest loss factors in heat loss. Air can leak in causing cold spots and the heating system to run longer to make up for the cold coming into the home.

First, we will deal with the doors leading to the outside or unconditioned spaces of your home. Weather stripping is a must! To do a cheap test of the doors, use a lighter or if you smoke, a cigarette and place it close to the cracks where the door meets the door jam. If the flame flickers, or the smoke moves, you have air infiltration.

This is a place that needs weather-stripping. The package of stripping purchased at the hardware store is not expensive (I have even used thin strips of cardboard or other materials staple gunned into place when I could not afford the stripping). The package will have installation instructions so you can figure out how to use the product.

After you install the stripping, retest the door. Did you find a major leak at the bottom?

I do every year. This is usually the big problem spot. Even with a storm door, this area is a big problem. Here you can install a thing called a door skirt. It is a metal strip with a rubber strip at the bottom. You will have to measure the door and see what length of skirt you need. Most commercially purchased exterior doors come in 32”, 34”, and 36” (wide). Cut the door skirt with a pair of metal snips, position the door skirt along the bottom of the door remembering to push down to make the rubber contact the door eliminating the air leak and screw that puppy into place. You can seal the top of the door skirt to the door with silicone caulk, but is not totally necessary. Now that should take care of the major leaks in the exterior doors.

Sometimes, I find it necessary to lay a large towel between the storm door and the exterior door to further cut down on air leaks, but this is annoying if done to a door that you frequently use. I do this on the doors that I don’t use much. (I have 3 doors leading to the outside, but we usually only use one of them).

Do you have an air leak at the door jam trim where it meets the wall? If the gaps at the trim are small, caulk is the answer here. They make a paintable latex caulk that comes in white that can be used here. I purchase mine at the Dollar General Store for about $2.00 per tube. The caulk will fill in the crack making it less likely to leak cold air.

If the cracks are large, you can fill them in with fiberglass insulation by pushing in small pieces with a butter knife and then filling with a spray foam product that will expand and dry, or caulk. Do you have a large window in this door? Is the glass single pane or multiple pane?

When you touch the glass, is it very cold? Can you feel cold radiating from the glass when you stand close to it? If so, the only thing I can suggest here is a very thick window covering or curtain. I have small windows on my doors, and have them covered with quilted curtains. My little windows don’t radiate much cold, but I cover them anyway. The thick quilted curtain acts like a layer of insulation that holds the cold at bay just a little. Every little bit helps.

Now that the doors are air tight and the glass is taken care of, look at the storm door from the outside. Is there anything you see that can let air in to the exterior door? Any air leakage stopped here will not make it to the main door or into your house especially on a windy day. Cracks can be caulked and stripping can be done to stop air leaks. Adjustments to the door latch can make the door close good and tight here is desirable.

If you have a screen door that is not metal and glass, the whole area of screen is like an open window. I have in the past covered the screen with thick clear plastic to stop the majority of air flow. It is not real attractive, but will help with the cold blowing air.

Next, let’s look at the windows. What kind do you have? Windows come in a variety of ways depending on the age of your home or if they were updated ever. My home used to have the wood frame, single pane windows that were very common in the older homes. The panes of glass were placed in and “Glazed” or puttied into place. These are some of the most inefficient type of windows you may have next to say jalousie windows.

One pane of glass between you and the cold outside is a major source of heat loss in an older home. I hope that if you have this type of window that an external storm frame and window is in place on the outside of your home. They do help some. Some of the storm windows had additional screens that could be put in to keep bugs and such out in the summer, and the glass pane that could be put in for winter or bad weather to keep air and heavy rain away from the outside of these wooded window frames. If this is the type you have, here is what we need to do.

Look at the individual panes of glass, are any broken or missing? If so, we need to replace the pane or at least tape over the cracks. Is the caulk, putty, or glazing missing where the glass meets the wood of the window frame? If so, re-caulk the cracks and make the seal air tight.

Keeping the air from coming in the house is what we need to do in this step. Is the storm window in place, or is the screen still there? If the screen is still there, place the glass pane to the bottom, or if the glass is missing, cover the screen with plastic to block the wind from blowing into the window. Is there cracks or gaps around the outside frame of the storm window?

If so, stuff the cracks with something, or caulk them into place. I use silicone caulk here, water don’t affect it much. Silicone can not be painted, but does come in clear or white. This will seal up another source of air leakage.

Can you open the wooden window? If so, you can place a small, thin piece of the same foam weather-stripping that you bought for the doors along the bottom where the pane meets the window sill. Then close the window tightly down onto the stripping to seal up that air leak. Use the lighter or the cigarette and check the window and window trim for additional leaks. If air is leaking around the window trim, use the latex caulk and stop that air from coming in.

Now, lets look at the blinds and curtains. Winter is a good time to take down the light and airy ones that you may use in warmer weather. Vinyl backed drapes are good for the winter months, but you may want to go a step farther. Windows are not insulated like the walls of your home and are a large part of heating loss.

Think of the window as a thin place in the wall that the cold can come in. What do you have in the house or garage that can make the window less cold. Insulation comes in many non traditional forms. You want to find material that does not conduct heat or cold well.

Fiberglass insulation, Styrofoam panels or pieces, thick quilts, foam rubber like in couch cushions, or the like. These things can be measured or assembled to cover the entire inside of the window frame to keep the cold out. It will make for a darker house, but the savings on heating bill might make it worth dealing with.

Here’s what I have done as an example:

I have used fiberglass insulation measured to fit the window and placed down inside of a large black contractor grade trash bag (to keep the fiberglass fibers from getting all over everything and making me itch) and placing over the window.

I fit it to the inside of the window trim so it does not stick out past the wall and use the spring-loaded café curtain rods to hold it into place. This cuts the air infiltration to almost nothing. The window does not exist.

This is also good for black out situations. You can pull up a corner of the bag if you need to see out, but will block out all light from being seen from the outside of the house. If the area is under a power outage, the people around you will not know that your lights are on. Cool HU?

Now you can top off with a layer of plastic to cover the entire window if you want to or just put the curtains back up. The room will be dark, but look normal. Normal is good.

This week I was dealing with my windows before the cold blast came in that was forecast for us. I did not have any fiberglass insulation handy, so I went to the garage to see what I had to use. I found Styrofoam panels stored there for just this type of thing. They were 15”x20” and my windows were larger than that. I laid the panels on the table in kitchen, and measured out what I needed to cover each window. The panels were cut to fit, and taped together with clear packing tape.

I looked around the house again for more materials to finish my project and found cases of disposable bed pads that were ordered for mother’s bed. She is gone now, so I don’t need them for the purpose intended. I opened a pack of these (the backs are white) and placed them over the foam panels that I had made and stapled them into place onto the foam. Tape could also have been used, but I am deadly with a staple gun!

Once the panels were completed, I placed them over the glass in my awful windows and pulled the mini blinds down over them to hold them into place. White shows through the glass to the outside of the house like drapes, so it does not look strange and the rooms are warmer now. I finished off the inside of the window with heavy winter drapes, and that project is done except for the large window in the living room.

This window is too large for the amount of foam boards that I had left. So I went hunting and found some old ugly drapes sister-in-law gave me some years ago. I cut the pleated tops off and turned them over.

I took down the drapes already over this window and matched the vinyl backs to touch each other and stitched them together along the top just below the pleated tops of the newer ones. If one set of drapes are good, 2 layers are better. They move together when opened and will hang on one rod with one set of hooks.

They look normal, but are warmer. Under the drapes I have another rod firmly mounted to the wall and have added a set of “S” hooks like you would find on the end of rubber bungee cords. I save the hooks after the bungee has broken. I have here a large, old bedspread that covers the entire window.

I make some holes in the bedspread and slipped the s hook through the holes to hand this under the drapes. Another layer of insulation to keep the cold out. Close the drapes and the living room looks normal from the inside and outside. Project complete!

I know there are many other things that will need to be addressed to keep from having to give the utility money, but this kinda takes care of windows and doors. I will follow with more posts to cover plumbing, water heater, attic, crawl spaces, and basements.

Insulation and air leaks are the majority of all of these posts. Every dime you spend on insulation will pay for itself over and over. Just remember it is all about comfort and saving money. Take care of your castle and it will take care of you!

Prep on! Stay safe and God Bless everyone. Thanks

This is an entry in our non-fiction writing contest where you could win:

First Prize) Winner will receive a Nomad – 1 Person Standard Survival Package courtesy of Shepherd Survival Supply, a One Month Food Pack courtesy of Augason Farms, a $150 gift certificate for Remington Ammo courtesy of LuckyGunner.com  and a EcoZoom’s Versa Stove courtesy of EcoZoom stoves. A total prize value of over $875.

Second Prize) Winner will receive two (2) Rothco Sure Paks With Heater courtesy of Camping Survival, a Wise Food Vegetable bucket courtesy of LPC Survival and a Wonder Junior hand grain mill courtesy of Kitchen Kneads. A total prize value of over $509.

Third Prize) Winner will receive 3 – 27 Variety of Non Hybrid, Heirloom Non GMO Survival Seeds, 2 – Fruit Pack of Non Hybrid, Heirloom Non GMO Survival Seeds and 2- First Aid Kit with Sutures in a Waterproof Resealable Bag courtesy of  Be Prepared Now. A total prize value of over $215.

Contest ends on March 30 2012.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved

This is a guest post and entry in our non-fiction writing contest  by Lynn T

My first prepping goal was to stock a year’s worthof everything we normally use that has a year plus shelf life. This took a few months but we were able to accomplish the goal. (We did allow for freezer storage for this interim goal, so we’re reallymore prepared to not have to buy groceries for a year than being REALLY prepared if things hit the fan.

One thing I noticed is that the storage takes up A LOT OF ROOM! We have a bedroom, a walk-in closet, an upstairs ‘landing area’ plus several other small areas for all of the storage. We want to downsize when we buy land soon, so I’ve been trying to figure out how streamline as much as possible.

Over the past several months I have also started getting more concerned about many of the chemicals we bring into our house, and decided to try some of the homemade green cleaners I’ve read about. After using a few of them I realized how much less storage space they take up. Most of the homemade cleaners utilize common ingredients, so you could theoretically make all of the cleaners you need from a pretty short list of storage items. I also realized that most of the ingredients are a lot cheaper than buying pre-made cleaners. There are a few items that require an up front investment (like essential oils) but the amount used in these is very small so they will last a very long time.

They are also better for your family and the environment.

I’ve spent a lot of computer time looking for recipes. I read reviews, cross-searched ingredients to find other sources that use the same ingredients for cleaning, and looked for multiple blogs/forums/sites that ‘touted’ identical or very similar recipes. I compiled a group of recipes for my Home Notebook and would like to share these with you. I’ve also included an ingredient list explanation at the bottom.

Disclaimer: Although we have made and currently use several of these, I have not tried all of them. We are still in transition because we have so many products in storage. I wanted to give credit for the recipes, but since I didn’t save the sources when I copied them, and since I visited many sites with the same recipes, I wasn’table to find many of the real sources, so my apologies!

Homemade Cleaners

Lavender Anti-Bacterial Spray

• 1 Cup water
• 20 drops lavender essential oil

It’s smells great and lavender is naturally antibacterial.

All-Purpose Cleaner

• 3 Tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 Teaspoon washing soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon castile soap
• 2 Cups hot water

It’s a great daily cleaner on everything from counters to floors. Be careful when mixing this. It will bubble a lot . . . . so don’t double up to fill up your container! And mix over the sink just in case.

Scouring Powder

1. Make a paste of baking soda and warm water
2. Make a paste of baking soda with a few drops of castile soap and warm water

Grease Cleaner

• 2 Cups water
• 1/4 Cup castile soap
• 10 drops lavender oil

Bath & Sink Cleaner

This makes a thick paste like cleaner. So use a squirt bottle (like a plastic ketchup/mustard bottle from the dollar store)

• 2/3 Cup baking soda
• 1/2 Cup castile soap
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 Cup water
• A few drops of Tea Tree oil

Dishwasher Rinse Aid

Use plain white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment.

Dishwasher Soap Recipe

• 1 cup borax
• 1 cup washing soda
• 1/4 cup kosher sea salt
• Two packets of Unsweetened Lemonade-Flavored Kool-Aid

****Only lemon, other flavors will dye your dishwasher!****

Put all of it in the container and shake it up. (It tends to get clumpy after sitting but agood shake will loosen it up). Per load you only need tablespoon or so into each cup of your dishwasher. I read that is can leave a film on dishes if you don’t use rinse aid. So use the vinegar in your rinse aid compartment OR in the bottom of the dishwasher. It was also recommended to wash on hot cycle. Source: decorganizecrafts.blogspot.com

Homemade Fabric Softener

• 6 cups HOT water
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups Suave Refreshing Waterfall Conditioner {or other favorite scent}

Mix conditioner & hot water well, until conditioner is dissolved completely. Add the vinegar, and mix well. Store in a large container {empty fabric softener container, empty large vinegar bottle, etc} Pour into a downy ball… or use approx. 2 tbsp. in the fabric softener spot in your laundry machine… then wash! Source: thefrugalgirls.com

Homemade Laundry Detergent

• 1 5.5 ounce bar Fels Naptha soap
• 1/2 cups washing soda
• 1/2 cups borax
• Water

Using a cheese grater or food processor, grate the entire 5.5 ounce bar of FelsNaptha, finely.

Powdered laundry detergent: In a container that has a tight-fitting lid, combine the grated Fels Naptha, washing soda and borax. Stir to mix well. Store in a sealed container that is properly labeled. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons in a front-loading machine, and up to 1/4 cup in a top loader. Note: The amount required depends greatly on the hardness of your water. Experiment by using the lesser amount, and then increase as necessary. Cost: About 15 cents per load when using 2 tablespoons.

Liquid laundry detergent: Place grated Fels Naptha into a cooking pot.Add enough hot water to cover and heat over low heat, stirring, until soap is melted, not boiling. Remove from stove and pour into a large bucket that has a lid. Add washing soda, borax and 3 gallons of hot water. Stir until well incorporated. Cover and allow to sit overnight. In the morning stir again. Use 1/2 cup to 1 cup per load, experimenting with the lesser amount to start, and then increasing as necessary. Note: The liquid version will be “gel-like.” Some call it gloppy and gelatinous. This is normal. Simply give it a quick stir before each use. Cost: About 3 cents per load using 1/2 cup.

What, no suds?! This detergent does not produce suds. Suds should never be considered visual evidence that a detergent is working. Dirty water is the sign that the detergent is doing its job. Because it does not create suds, this is the perfect product to be used in HE front-loading washing machines.

Source: debtproofliving.com

Foaming Dish or Hand Soap

Re-use your foaming soap pump container! Mix your choice of liquid dish or hand soap with warm water at a ratio of 5:1 (water to soap), mix gently.

Homemade 409 Recipe

• 2 Tbsp. Distilled White Vinegar
• 1 Tsp. Borax
• 1/8 cup Dawn Dish soap
• 1 cup Hot Water

Pour vinegar, borax and hot water into a spray bottle. Then continue filling spray bottle with cool water. Add Dawn last. {no need to shake} Source: thefrugalgirls.com

Homemade Glass Cleaner

• 1/4c. rubbing alcohol
• 1/4c. white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2c. warm water

Combine everything in a spray-bottle, and shake well. Shake well before using, too, as the cornstarch might settle at the bottom (and subsequently plug the spray mechanism if it’s notmixed in well). Source: crunchybetty.com

NOTE: when beginning to use vinegar (plain or 50/50) to clean windows and mirrors after having used commercial glass cleaners, it may be necessary to add several drops of dish washing liquid to your solution for the first few cleanings to remove the buildup from the surface. I’m not sure if the cornstarch has the same effect or if the dish soap still needs to be added the first few times.

Homemade Furniture Polish

• Olive oil, walnut oil, or jojoba (my preference as it doesn’t go rancid)
• Water
• Lemon juice

Blend 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon water and a squeeze or two of lemon juice in a small bowl. Place a small amount of the mixture on a soft cloth. Wipe the polish onto a piece of furniture and give it a good buff.

The oil leaves furniture with a glossy shine, while the lemon juice cuts the oil so it doesn’t go rancid (as well as giving a fresh scent that lingers in the air).NOTE: a small amount on the cloth goes a long way!

Make the mixture as you go, so as to create less waste. You don’t want to leave this mixture sitting around because it will probably go bad before you use it again. If you want a more shelf stable version, use jojoba and replace the lemon juice with white vinegar. Use Olive or walnut oil to polish food surfaces (cutting boards, serving platters, wood bowls, etc).

Ingredients

Lavender Essential Oil – Essential oils can be found online or at health food stores. I bought a collection at Sprouts Market on one of my trips to town. They are pricey but the small bottles last a LONG time.

Tree Tea Oil – can be found at health food store and at most drug stores. Tree Tea oil has a lot of other uses around the home. But it has a very strong odor!

Castile Soap – an all natural soap that is also very strong so a little goes a long way. I use Dr. Bronners and found it at CVS. It is also sold at health food stores and I believe Target.

Washing Soda – Sodium Carbonate is a strong base that works great as a laundry detergent and has a ton of uses around the house. I use Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda, found in the laundry section of my grocery store. NOT TO BE CONFUSED with baking soda!

Borax (Sodium Tetraborate) – is a natural mineral compound. According to a chemistry.about.com article, it has many uses in the home as a natural laundry booster, multipurpose cleaner,fungicide, preservative, insecticide, herbicide, disinfectant, desiccant, and ingredient in making ‘slime’. Borax crystals are odorless, whitish (can have various color impurities), and alkaline. Borax is not flammable and is not reactive. It can be mixed with most other cleaning agents, including chlorine bleach. I found 20 Mule Team Borax in the laundry section of my grocery store as an ‘all natural laundry booster and multi-purpose household cleaner’.

Jojoba oil – is actually a wax ester. It is all natural, shelf stable, and is non-comedogenic. It has many health uses, including eye make-up remover, lip balm,massage oil, moisturizer. I found organic Jojoba at a health food store.

FelsNaptha soap – this is a laundry soap found in a soap bar. Many people experience difficulties in finding it, but I found it in the laundry section at my local (rural) grocery store. It is also supposed to be good for poison oak and ivy. HOWEVER, this is not an all natural/pure solution. Many people have said they substitute Kirk’s Castile Bar soap, ZOTE!, or even ivory if the ingredients in Fels Naptha bother them.

This is an entry in our non-fiction writing contest where you could win:

First Prize) Winner will receive a Nomad – 1 Person Standard Survival Package courtesy of Shepherd Survival Supply, a One Month Food Pack courtesy of Augason Farms, a $150 gift certificate for Remington Ammo courtesy of LuckyGunner.com  and a EcoZoom’s Versa Stove courtesy of EcoZoom stoves. A total prize value of over $875.

Second Prize) Winner will receive two (2) Rothco Sure Paks With Heater courtesy of Camping Survival, a Wise Food Vegetable bucket courtesy of LPC Survival and a Wonder Junior hand grain mill courtesy of Kitchen Kneads. A total prize value of over $509.

Third Prize) Winner will receive 3 – 27 Variety of Non Hybrid, Heirloom Non GMO Survival Seeds, 2 – Fruit Pack of Non Hybrid, Heirloom Non GMO Survival Seeds and 2- First Aid Kit with Sutures in a Waterproof Resealable Bag courtesy of  Be Prepared Now. A total prize value of over $215.

Contest ends on March 30 2012.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved

This is a guest post and entry in our non-fiction writing contest  by JD

There has been some previous articles about options and considerations for your survival battery of firearms. These options included the handgun, .22 caliber rifle, shotgun and the battle rifle. Now, I will present you with some other options to consider.

The air rifle, also known as the BB gun or pellet rifle, is many times looked down on as a practical survival tool. Some immediately think of the lever-action, “Red-Rider” model when they hear BB gun. But, there have been significant improvements on air rifles since even my child hood.

Today, many modern air rifles have much more power, greater accuracy and variable power. While there are still the standard CO2 options, many of today’s more powerful air rifles can have their power increased with several pumps of a forearm or other similar device.

Many of these modern guns also have rifling and/or other improvements that allow for much greater accuracy. In fact, my brother competed throughout high school on a shooting team through his high school R.O.T.C. unit and they used hand-pumped air rifles.

A good air rifle brings many advantages in a survival situation. It’s inexpensive to shoot a lot, it’s fairly silent and you can kill a large amount of small game animals as well as pest animals with a well-placed shot. While growing up, I killed several birds, squirrels and other rodents on my grandparent’s farm using my Crossman pump air rifle.

The next option to discuss is the bow and arrow. I don’t think that anyone can go wrong by learning to shoot a bow and arrow. I think that a quality bow and arrow set should be a part of your preps. Like the air rifle, it is silent, can be used to kill a variety of game and is fairly inexpensive to shoot if you stay with the base models. It is also a great family activity as many men, women and children that I know seem to like shooting the bow

A distinct advantage of the bow and arrow over the air gun is distance, power and the fact that you can make bows and arrows out of resources readily available in the woods. I have several friends that regularly kill deer with their bows, thus putting meat on their table every year. In this pre-WROL period, bow hunting as a sport is popular and can be very expensive. But, if this is what you like then great, keep at it! But, the same thing can be done with the cheaper options, such as recurve bows, or even home-made ones.

The distance and power are limited with many recurve and home-made bows but they are still a good option. Making your own bow and arrows is an art form that does take years to do well consistently but I think that it is an awesome skill to have should you choose to learn it.

Bow and arrows are also a self-defense option. Men have used this platform to kill other men for centuries. It is not my primary means of self-defense but I like having this silent option as well. Also, arrows can have a variety of tips, based on what you are hunting for. Blunt tips can be used for practice and bird hunting; field, or target tips, can be used for practice and small game; multi-prong tips for fishing; and broadhead tips for hunting large game and self-defense.

The next part of the survival battery is the sling. Now, there are 3 primary slings that we will talk about; the sling shot, the old fashioned-style sling and the sling bow.

The sling shot is familiar to many people and is also known as the wrist rocket. It is essentially a forked device with some sort of elastic band that is used to launch a projectile. This is a very effective platform for taking small game and can be fairly accurate. I think that each of us should consider having at least one quality sling shot as well as some round steel shot in your bugout bag as well as your vehicle.

The old fashioned sling is similar to the one David used to slay Goliath. There are a couple of ways that you can make this type of sling. The most common way,which dates back to Biblical times, is a piece of leather or similar material that is about 1-2” wide (or something more simple like para-cord) and 2-3 feet long with a wider piece in the middle. You seat a rock or other hard object, such as a bolt, large hexnuts that screw on to a bolt or a large ball bearing, in the wider piece and fold the sling over it.

Now, you twirl your sling to build momentum and at the right moment, let go of one end of the sling and the projectile rockets at the target. In a survival situation, this can also be done with a bandana. It’s just that with a bandana, the projectile may not be moving as fast or have the same distance. Either way, it does take practice to get good with either set-up.

The third type of sling is the sling bow made popular by Dave Canterbury. Essentially, you use alarge key ring and two bands made from pieces of bicycle tire to turn your run-of-the-mill wrist rocket sling into an effective bow that does shoot arrows instead of round projectiles. This is not as powerful as your average bow and arrow set-up, however you can use it to effectively take game within 12-15 yards as long as you practice.

There are some other things that you can add to your survival battery that some people find useful. One such thing is the blow gun. You simply blow air into a tube with your mouth, which sends a pointed projectile at the target. Usually, this only effective on small game as well as rodents.

The final option that I will discuss at this time is weapons that you can throw. Various spears and the atlatl have been effective weapons for hundreds of years. There are a plethora of videos and websites available to learn about both platforms.

Other throwing options are knives, hatchets, stars and the rabbit stick. Various videos instructing the proper way (and sometimes the not-so-proper way) to use each of these can be found on YouTube. I urge you to thoroughly research and practice each option that you are considering.

All of the options mentioned in this article do take a significant amount of practice to get proficient at. One of the things I like about the options in this survival battery is that, usually,you can practice all of them in your suburban backyard. Some neighbors might look at you a little funny, but who cares. The other advantage is that you can practice as a family. Most kids love to do these kinds of things, especially if mom and dad are having fun with it too.

This is an entry in our non-fiction writing contest where you could win:

First Prize) Winner will receive a Nomad – 1 Person Standard Survival Package courtesy of Shepherd Survival Supply, a One Month Food Pack courtesy of Augason Farms, a $150 gift certificate for Remington Ammo courtesy of LuckyGunner.com and a EcoZoom’s Versa Stove courtesy of EcoZoom stoves. A total prize value of over $875.

Second Prize) Winner will receive two (2) Rothco Sure Paks With Heater courtesy of Camping Survival, a Wise Food Vegetable bucket courtesy of LPC Survival and a Wonder Junior hand grain mill courtesy of Kitchen Kneads. A total prize value of over $509.

Third Prize) Winner will receive 3 – 27 Variety of Non Hybrid, Heirloom Non GMO Survival Seeds, 2 – Fruit Pack of Non Hybrid, Heirloom Non GMO Survival Seeds and 2- First Aid Kit with Sutures in a Waterproof Resealable Bag courtesy of  Be Prepared Now. A total prize value of over $215.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved

Our readers have a variety of skills and backgrounds and our non-fiction writing contest gives each a chance to share their skills and unique knowledge with other members of The Wolf Pack, The survivalist Blog and the world.

This contest will end on March 30 2012 – prizes include:

First Prize) Winner will receive a Nomad – 1 Person Standard Survival Package courtesy of Shepherd Survival Supply, a One Month Food Pack courtesy of Augason Farms, a $150 gift certificate for Remington Ammo courtesy of LuckyGunner.com and a EcoZoom’s Versa Stove courtesy of EcoZoom stoves. A total prize value of over $875.

Second Prize) Winner will receive two (2) Rothco Sure Paks With Heater courtesy of Camping Survival, a Wise Food Vegetable bucket courtesy of LPC Survival and a Wonder Junior hand grain mill courtesy of Kitchen Kneads. A total prize value of over $509.

Third Prize) Winner will receive 3 – 27 Variety of Non Hybrid, Heirloom Non GMO Survival Seeds, 2 – Fruit Pack of Non Hybrid, Heirloom Non GMO Survival Seeds and 2- First Aid Kit with Sutures in a Waterproof Resealable Bag courtesy of  Be Prepared Now. A total prize value of over $215.

The more original and helpful your article is, the more deep and less basic it is, the better the chance, that I will publish it and you will win. Only non-fiction how to do it type articles please. Include photos when possible and appropriate…

Some ideas about the what topics we’re looking for:

• Saving Money
• Gardening
• Preserving Foods
• Cooking with Basic Foods
• Food Storage Ideas
• Raising Chickens
• Raising Rabbits
• Raising Goats
• Keeping Bees
• Butchering Livestock and Game
• Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping
• Building Projects
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and other related topics…

Remember that I can only publish original and unique content. Your article can not be published anywhere else and be at least 500 words (1,000 + is prefered) in length.

Copyright of all articles submitted will become the property of The Survivalist Blog dot Net.

If your post is accepted, please be patient as it can be several weeks before I am able to fit your post into my posting schedule. There is no limit to the number of articles you can submit for this contest.

Please send your entry via email. Thank you and good luck…

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved

The following are the winners of our most recent non-fiction writing contest.

First Place : “The firearm primer: answers to the questions you are afraid to ask” by Lloyd P – he will receive a gift certificate for $170 worth of Winchester Ammo donated by Lucky Gunner. A Smith & Wesson Heat Treated Collapsible 21″ Baton and a copy of my book Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat.

Second Place : “The only good zombie is a dead zombie… not necessarily” by Dan S – he will receive a Wise Food Storage meat bucket and 3 dozen Tattler Reusable Canning Lids donated by LPC Survival.

Third Place : “How to dramatically increase your food storage” by Garden Mom – she will receive a LifeStraw water filter system donated by Eartheasy and a copy of the Wolf Pack Cookbook.

Congratulations to each of you and to everyone entering the contest … you are all winners in my book and I wish I had a prize for each of you…

Prizes for our next contest will be announced on Monday…

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved

Before we start with this weeks “What did you do to prep this week” segment, I would like to thank Kenny H and Mark L for their generous donations this week via paypal. Thank you both, it is very much appreciated. I’m going to use the money to buy this book and this one.

The winners of our most recent non-fiction writing contest will be announced tomorrow morning 1-29-2012. Sorry for the delay, but the way things happened (I was flooded with entries right before the deadline) it could not be avoided.

If there was an entry posted that helped you personally, please let us know about it in the comments below… How did it help you? Why?

If you’ve not downloaded your copy of ”The Wolf Pack Cookbook“ now is the time to do it for only .99 cents! 

Now let me see – what did I do to prep this week…

Yesterday, I went to my local Stihl chainsaw dealer and bought a new STIHL  MS 180 C-BE chainsaw with 16 inch bar to replace my 9-year-old (but still cutting) Stihl chainsaw. The Easy2Start™ system seems to work great and would be a plus for anyone with shoulder or back problems…

Worked on my compost pile, put up a metal gate at the entrance to my property, cleared away some under brush with my new chainsaw, ordered a copy of “Health Myths Exposed 2nd Edition” and started reading “Gunfighters - True Tales of Outlaws, Lawmen and Indians on the Texas Frontier” great stories by the way…

Well that is it for me this week – what about you. What did you do to prep this week?

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved

This is a guest post and entry in our non-fiction writing contest  by Edward R

One of the common sayings in my household is, “The more technology advances the less intelligent people become.” This is not meant to be an insult to anyone in particular, but is rather an observation of fact about our society as a whole.

A few examples:

• Because we now have matches and butane lighters which provide instant fire most people cannot effectively make fire “the old fashioned way”.
• Because we can buy paper (or virtually any other product) at the store very few people remember how to make that item at home.
• Thanks to the many places which offer fast and low-cost oil changes few people know how to change the oil in their cars.

My point in mentioning this is simply to say that many people may no longer practice the old way of doing things, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those old methods failed to work. Rather, we’ve simply forgotten about them thanks to having new, convenient, faster, and better ways of conducting our duties in life.

When the “new and improved” is no longer available or they become too expensive then we naturally feel compelled to return to the old way of doing things. That is assuming we still remember them. Yes, those ways might be cumbersome, slow, and produce less attractive results, but they do work.

Now I could go in a million directions at this point, but the example I’d like to use in this article involves body armor. Combining the two topics into a related theme allows me to convey two different ideas at once.

Body armor is, technically, bullet resistant (there is no such thing as “bullet proof” armor) and it is one of those things which probably should fit into our preps at some point in time, but for most people it doesn’t due to high cost and the low expectation it will be needed.

Besides the fact some states restrict sales to civilians, body armor is just not something most people would assign higher priority over such as food supplies, medicines, water containers, fuel, etc. Besides, body armor is too bulky, heavy, and uncomfortable to wear on a daily basis; plus it draws unwanted attention to ourselves. Would we really wear it very often? Personally, I don’t think so, but some still like the idea of having this kind of protection if only it wasn’t so expensive.

Returning to my opening thought, what did people use for protection from projectiles prior to the invention of expensive modern body armor as we know it today? Of course, we know hard and heavy metals were once used by everyone from noble knights to outlaws like Ned Kelly, but we don’t have to go back in time quite that far. In the late 1800’s Japanese and Korean body armor consisted of 30 layers of silk which could stop the bullets fired from black powder firearms.

Silk is the strongest of natural fibers and has been used in the textile industry since 3500 B.C. It’s an attractive, hypoallergenic, and antibacterial fabric which feels good against the skin. Silk is comfortable to wear in hot weather due to its absorbency and breathability while its tight weave and low conductivity helps keep warm air next to the skin when in cold weather.

At one time the Romans considered silk to be worth its weight in gold and much of it was traded along the infamous Silk Road. In todays’ currency that would amount to about $3200.00 per yard, but thankfully silk prices today range between $12.00 & $30.00 per yard (36”x45” inches wide). It can be found as low as $5.00 per yard on clearance racks while affordable silk in the form of drapes and bed sheets can also be found at thrift stores and garage sales.

Considering that taking a bullet in the arm or leg was usually less serious than being shot in a major organ, bullet resistant body armor has largely centered around the concept of a vest which protects only the torso area. Since the time soft body armor vests were made with 30 layers of silk, the goal of many entrepreneurs has been to produce stronger and thinner material for use in bullet resistant vests.

After learning a special weaving process, a Chicago priest by the name of Casimir Zeglen created a four-ply, one-eighth inch thick, half-pound silk vest which could stop a .44 caliber bullet. Zeglen survived being shot from ten paces away during a public demonstration of the vest. He also offered to give one of those vests to President McKinley who was later shot in the abdomen by an assassin’s .32 caliber bullet just two weeks before he was to receive the vest.

While Zeglen’s vest might have saved President McKinley’s life, it didn’t save the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was shot in the neck while wearing it. I mention this bit of history to emphasize a few specific points. A bullet resistant vest only works if it is strong enough to resist the caliber of bullet being fired, the person is wearing it at the time they are shot, and the bullet hits the vest instead of the person.

Regardless of its composition, a bullet resistant vest can save the life of a person only when all three of these conditions are met. Even so, the protection offered by a bullet resistant vest is better than being without body armor and thousands of soldiers and police officers choose to wear one while on duty.

In 1965, the strong-as-steel synthetic fiber known as Kevlar was developed and since the 1980’s it has become the foundation of most modern body armor products made today. Modern body armor is classified according to the threat level it is designed to protect against. Type I is the weakest form of body armor which offers protection against small .22 and .380 bullets while Type II armor offers additional protection against 9mm and .357 Magnum bullets.

There are several Types of body armor but they all work to protect the user by absorbing and dispersing the energy behind a bullet in order to prevent penetration. Of course, the user can still suffer great pain and bodily injury (e.g. broken bones, bruised organs) from the force of impact, but body armor of every type has saved a great many lives. While expensive Kevlar is the fabric of choice for body armor today, the strong qualities of silk fabric shouldn’t be forgotten.

In 1999 the Rajamangala Institute of Technology tested the bullet-stopping qualities of silk fabric. They found that a vest made from 16 layers of silk was able to stop high velocity rifle and other bullets up to 9mm in caliber size (Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/379338.stm). As a result of that study Thai police officers were able to take confidence in wearing silk vests which offered a significant level of protection against armed criminals without being too expensive. When it comes to wearable protection against bullets one would be wise not to take shortcuts, but silk body armor certainly can be respected as the next-best-thing when little else is available or affordable.

Rather than do without simply because Kevlar-based body armor is too expensive, one could back away from technology a single step by taking another look at silk. This is the same material used to make bullet resistant vests prior to the invention of Kevlar, was quite common in the early 1900’s, and is still being used today by Thai police officers.

At this point I must say that I have not tried to make home-made body armor using silk fabric, but the idea intrigues me. I like the idea of having body armor to protect me from some of the bullets strangers might fire at me (especially during a post-SHTF scenario), but I cannot justify the expense for Kevlar body armor. Neither do I want to draw attention to myself when wearing body armor, for I’d like it to be discreet.

Speaking of discreet body armor, some clothing manufacturers now offer fashionable bullet resistant hoodies and jackets which are equivalent to Type II body armor. Unfortunately, they cost hundreds of dollars and, again, I cannot justify that kind of cost. Rather than take my chances without protection, making affordable home-made body armor is certainly something to consider.

To the best of my calculations, one yard of silk fabric measures 36”x45” so eight yards of material could provide sixteen layers of silk measuring 18”x22.5”. This is enough material to create a tank top-style shirt which could fit the average adult. At four ounces per yard for the highest-quality silk the finished product would weigh approximately two pounds, which is about the same as a pair of jeans.

It would cost $40 to make based on clearance prices, an 80% savings over the price of modern Type I body armor. A 16-layer tank top which protects my vital organs better than Type I body armor might be half-inch thick, yet virtually undetectable when worn under a flannel shirt or jacket. Another idea would be to add the 16 layers of silk to the insulation found within an affordable cold-weather vest purchased from a retail outlet. Although this article of clothing would not be worn during Summer months, it could enable the warm vest to discreetly serve a dual purpose.

If a person is extremely concerned about the risks of being shot then paying high prices for commercial body armor which has been fully tested might be the way to go in some cases, but for a person who can’t legally purchase or doesn’t ever intend to buy body armor this idea could provide some additional yet comfortable protection at an affordable price.

Regardless if we’re thinking about something as serious as body armor or as minor as our paper supply or oil changing skills, our survival mindset should take into consideration how we will meet our needs in the absence of modern-day conveniences (due to lack of availability or too expensive to acquire). How did our ancestors make do without the products and technology we have today and do we know how to duplicate their old and outdated efforts?

Yes, many of us are preparing for tough times through the acquisition of things, but the mind will ultimately be our greatest means of survival. Take care to learn from the “old timers” and remember their techniques, methods, and practices just in case we need to return to those ways in the future.

This is an entry in our non-fiction writing contest where you could win:

• First Prize) Winner will receive a gift certificate for $170 worth of Winchester Ammo donated by Lucky Gunner. A Smith & Wesson Heat Treated Collapsible 21″ Baton and a copy of my book Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat.
• Second Prize) Winner will receive a Wise Food Storage meat bucket and 3 dozen Tattler Reusable Canning Lids donated by LPC Survival.
• Third Prize) Winner will receive a LifeStraw water filter system donated by Eartheasy and a copy of the Wolf Pack Cookbook.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved

Just noticed that one vendor has a used copy of my book “Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat” listed at Amazon.com for just $6.88!

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved

This is a guest post and entry in our non-fiction writing contest  by Cliff C

I’ll start off by saying that I’m in west Georgia and the bulk of our state has been under drought conditions for several years. I believe it was two years ago when our local reservoirs were almost empty (it gave the county a good chance to clean out the old tires (close to 1000) that had been tossed into the water over the years and to clean out the old sunken boats, junked cars and other trash and garbage that has accumulated over the years. The reservoirs have pretty much refilled and since there is no housing boom and so many houses sitting empty they will remain pretty close to full for the foreseeable future.

The only thing that will change that is if the drought continues. Our drinking water comes from a couple of very large pumping stations and several reservoirs around the county. In grid down the pumps would work for an estimated 72 hours before the fuel for the generators will run out and the ability to keep the pumps running will become iffy. The wastewater treatment plant will be in a like situation and they return cleaned water to the Chattahoochee River which is the main source of drinking water for most of Atlanta and a large part of the state.

The river has a natural beginning and is supplemented by opening the dam on Lake Lanier almost daily to keep the river running. We share that river water with 2 other states. Currently Lake Lanier is about 15 feet below full pool and is dropping. So, public service supplied water sources will not stand up to the demand very long after a grid down or disruption.

So, with public water sources in question I have to look around to see what local sources. There are 3 wet weather streams within a mile walk or so from here. Unfortunately, they are exactly what they are named; they only run when the weather is wet. Even though we’ve had some periodic rain showers, it has not been enough to keep the streams flowing.

No public pools, no private pools around within walking distance, no easy water source so, the only option is storing water.

I have tried various methods over the years for putting up water. At one point I had 10 55 gallon drums filled and sitting in the basement. I have a hand pump and put in the chlorine bleach and that left 550 gallons of water available. It took up a lot of space, was hard to move around and when it comes down to brass tacks, 550 gallons isn’t all that much.

I got rid of those and bought a couple of king size water-bed mattresses and built a 2X6 wooden frame around the first one, put in the liner and bladder and then filled the first one (no idea of the total gallons), then put a ž inch plywood sheet over that and built another 2X6 wooden frame to go around the next one, put the liner in and then the mattress and filled it with water. I took all the usual conditioning steps.

Again, this took up a lot of room and the vinyl the mattresses were made of seemed to be reacting to normal light, not just sunlight, so I ended up emptying those and tossing them. On the interesting side, when I cut the bladders up so I could move them they were full of algae. So, another great idea didn’t work.

I bought several of the 8 gallon containers from Wal-Mart. Filled them, stacked them and left them alone. Later as I waked by I saw a small puddle forming and one had sprung a leak. The other 7 or 8 are still intact but that’s still not enough water.

I have a 275 gallon water tank in the basement that I direct the air conditioning and dehumidifier condensate too and I keep it right about the 250 gallon mark. It’s gray water, not for drinking and I don’t believe it could be purified in order to drink but I could be wrong. We have 3 adults, 2 commodes and 2 dogs so we will need a source of gray water just to flush the commodes. We are on a septic system, not sewage, and my system is a pump system so as water fills the main tank it spills over into another 1000 gallon tank and when that reaches a certain level a pump comes on and pumps that water out into the field lines. I consider all that black water.

The pump and alarm (pump failure alarm) are both tied into the mains for the house so in grid down I’m not sure how long it would be before I would have to uncap the 2nd tank and hand pump the water out. Nasty water, it would make a mess and smell but otherwise all the water would come back into the house. I’ve bough a small generator but not sure how long it would hold out or what to do if the pump in the tank goes bad.

Now, I do keep between 40 and 50 cases of bottled water on hand all the time. That’s not going to last all that long when all your food is dehydrated and has to have water to be edible. I have a dozen half-gallon bottles in the storm shelter in case we get stuck there but in the global scheme of things that’s not much water either. I have a “bathtub bob” for each of the two tubs and I think each one will hold about 60 or 70 gallons (too lazy to look it up) and sit in the tub and we will be able to pump potable water from them. That’s provided we get enough warning before the public water service goes away.

I have rain barrels at all my rain spouts but with our spotty rain most of them are sitting really close to empty right now.

So, those were my options and the steps I took. I know I could order a large bladder or series of bladders from the people who make water tanks and they could be filled from the faucet at the back of the house as long as I have a water safe hose. Again this would be time-consuming, it’s not something you want to leave in place just in case (kills the grass it sits on and looks really unsightly but given enough thought and time that would be an option. Failing to get them in or to get them filled will be a bad situation.

So, what other options are there? You can not drill a well here. Most of Georgia sits on a giant granite slab (see the pictures of Stone Mountain if you get a chance to google it) so any digging down is going to be met by rock. Also, since all the houses within the immediate 5 or 6 mile circle are all on septic tanks so black/gray water is going in to the ground water all the time. We also have no idea of how much chemicals have gone in to the ground water over the years from the asphalt manufacturing plant (ah, asphalt in the morning, it doesn’t remind me of war). There is a quarry but the “quarry lake” is pretty much dried up.

So, ideas? We are not bugging out. I have older family members and responsibilities to my neighbors so we’re going no where. I have also been told by GEMA that even though they have an evacuation plan, there is nowhere for people to evacuate to. One state is not going to take all the people from another state in, share their supplies and welcome us with open arms. So, here we sit. Also, all the routes out of here are easily blocked as we saw when we had an epic flood 3 or so years ago and there were no roads in or out of our county that weren’t underwater and if you didn’t have a boat you were going no where.

I’d love to hear what you are doing; what you consider a reasonable amount of water to put up (no way I can see to have a years worth of water on hand unless you have your own well or your own water tower), and how you store it. I believe when the SHTF there are going to be a lot of thirsty people around with no access to potable water. What do you think?

This is an entry in our non-fiction writing contest where you could win:

• First Prize) Winner will receive a gift certificate for $170 worth of Winchester Ammo donated by Lucky Gunner. A Smith & Wesson Heat Treated Collapsible 21″ Baton and a copy of my book Dirt Cheap Survival Retreat.
• Second Prize) Winner will receive a Wise Food Storage meat bucket and 3 dozen Tattler Reusable Canning Lids donated by LPC Survival.
• Third Prize) Winner will receive a LifeStraw water filter system donated by Eartheasy and a copy of the Wolf Pack Cookbook.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved

This is a guest post by Brenda E

Formal study in herbal medicine, as Donna noted recently, is expensive. As she suggested, there is good reason to select a structured training course. It forces one to be disciplined in studying. Of course, the money factor also comes into play. If we pay for something we are more inclined to stick to it in order to get our money’s worth.

She mentioned the East West School of Planetary Herbology (planetherbs.com), which is an excellent training program that covers Western, Ayurvedic, and traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. It is run by master herbalist Michael Tierra, the author of Planetary Herbology.

Even with the current discount (reduced to $1599 for a 36-lesson professional course), the school’s master course is beyond the means of many of us. It is also a very large investment for a course of study that does not lead to professional licensing. The school also offers a 12-lesson family herbalist course at a little less than half price.

As I indicated, these online courses by correspondence schools do not lead to any kind of professional status other than a “degree” or certificate of completion from the school itself. One example of this is the now-defunct Clayton School of Natural Health, an unaccredited school in Birmingham, Alabama. You may recall seeing their advertisements in the back of magazines. The school closed suddenly in summer 2010, leaving students adrift.

Unless you are committed to working for a professional degree and licensing as a health care practitioner, and spending the tens of thousands of dollars required to do so, you might think there is no way to learn about herbal medicine in a structured way and at a reasonable cost.

I do, however, have two pieces of good news for you. One is that those preparing for tougher economic times are already very committed individuals. “Sticking to it” is already in their DNA. Secondly, there are less expensive options for training available if the goal is knowledge and expertise and not a professional credential.

If your goal is gaining personal knowledge about herbal healing (or to use in a SHTF situation), the following information is for you.

One of the best family herbalist courses comes from the School of Natural Healing founded by the late, legendary Dr. John R. Christopher.

The school offers two choices: (1) a home study course, with ALL required materials shipped to your home for a one-time fee of $495; and (2) an online course – with ALL materials found only online – regularly priced at $495 but now just $295.

There are also payment plans available for the school’s Master Herbalist Correspondence Courses and other courses (Reflexology, Aromatherapy and Homeopathy). See schoolofnaturalhealing.com for details and a number of links to herbal websites.

Rosemary Gladstar is a well-known Vermont herbalist. Every year she hosts the New England Women’s Herbal Conference at the Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center & Botanical Sanctuary. This year it will be held August 24-26.

Gladstar’s Science and Art of Herbalism home study course costs $375. It is on sale through February 15 for $295. See herbsandearthawareness.com for details.

There is a section on Gladstar’s website called The Formulary. It includes free information on herbs for longevity, digestion, and natural cosmetics and skin care, as well as step-by-step directions for making a tincture and a brief Materia Medica of herbs for family health.

Gladstar also founded the California School of Herbal Studies (cshs.com) at Forestville in Sonoma County. Classes are all held on location. The website does publish a useful herb of the month profile.

Herbalist Susun Weed, founder of the Wise Woman Center in Woodstock, New York, also offers inexpensive online herbal courses. Weed’s 8-week Herbal First Aid: The Wise Woman Way course is only $175. Her full herbalism course costs $550 but can be paid for in eleven $50 installments. You will receive course installments as you pay.

Weed’s teachings can be followed in more than 110 YouTube videos under “Herbal Healing Wise Woman Way.” Her website at herbshealing.com is loaded with links leading to more information.

Blazing Star Herbal School (.typepad.com) in Western Massachusetts offers several low-cost do-it-yourself herbalism courses. “Spring Tonics and Wild Foods” includes 4 weeks of reading, assignments, and medicine making. The course starts March 21st and costs $150.

The school’s self-paced 20-module Family Health Course includes a Materia Medica of 20 herbs used for children and common childhood disorders; growing, harvesting, drying, and storing herbs; home remedies and first aid; nutritional preparations; topical preparations; and more. It can be paid for on a sliding scale of between $250 and $350.

If you want to learn about Ayurvedic medicine, Vasant Lad’s Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Ayurveda.com is the place to go. Under “Sections” click on The Online Resource. Here you will find a free page of information links that ranges from general information to food and nutrition, Ayurvedic cleansing procedures, and recipes from the Institute’s journal.

The Ayurvedic correspondence course, including audio portions on CD, costs only $225. You can view the 18-page pdf overview of the course for free, of course.

In case you might think that Ayurvedic herbs are not readily available, many of them are the same as Western and Chinese herbs and are available through Banyan Botanicals on Amazon.

Also do not rule out local health food stores and practitioners who offer classes and apprenticeships.

I did not include correspondence or online courses in Chinese medicine. To the best of my knowledge, there are no layman-level training courses available in Oriental medicine.

I speak to you as a long-time practitioner of that particular healing art. Practitioners are licensed in most states and are highly regulated – and for good reason. Oriental medicine is very complex and the use of Chinese herbs requires precise diagnostic knowledge.

The good news is, as I wrote above, many Western herbs are the same as Chinese herbs and Ayurvedic herbs. You already know several of them very well: clove, ginger, cinnamon, skullcap, dandelion, frankincense and myrrh , and so forth.

While this is by no means a complete resource list, these are resources I can personally recommend to you as reliable and safe.

Originally at: The Survivalist Blog dot Net Copyright © 2011 · All Rights Reserved