SCP Survival

Best Survival Gear and Supplies

Tater Tot Hamburger Casserole [Recipe]

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Tater Tot Hamburger Casserole

Sometimes everyday preparedness is having a meal that is easy to prepare. And if you have the standard preparedness pantry, you have ample cans of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup on hand – staples for building any hot dish, I believe it is casserole for the rest of the world.

You Will Need:

  • A bag of tater tots
  • A can of cream of mushroom or chicken
  • A can of green beans or ?
  • Hamburger, or a pound or whatever.

Optional:

  • Onion if available.
  • Cheese to sprinkle on top.
  • Salt, pepper, or season to taste – garlic salt, etc.

Directions:

  1. Brown hamburger, mix with soup of choice and vegetable.
  2. Put tater tots on bottom and top.
  3. Bake for 45 minutes or so.

This is easy to make, even when the electric is out. I’ve done it on a cast iron pot on a Deadwood Stove. Or a regular camp stove. Or after browning the meat, bank your coals and put the pot in the coals.

There is nothing like a hot meal to make life look better!

20 Question Quiz: How Prepared Are You?

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Below You will find a quiz to see how well you would fair in a survival situation.

Although I did try and cover all scenario’s some of the quiz will not apply to everyone. Have fun with this!

1) Does each person in your family have a Bug-Out Bag which can sustain basic needs for 72 hours?

2) Do you and your family have a plan detailing where to meet after a disaster (if your home becomes unsafe)?

3) Do you have a basic first aid kit in your home and in your vehicle?

4) Do you have one gallon of water per person per day stored in the event of an emergency?

5) Do you know how to treat contaminated water to make it safe to drink?

6) Do you have an alternative water source? Or, if you get your water from a well, do you have means to operate this well if the power is out?

7) Do you have a plan for dealing with waste if the water is cut off and the toilet can’t be flushed?

8) Do you have a plan and supplies for what to do for personal hygiene?

9) Do you have a battery-operated or wind-up radio to use for information and updates if the electricity goes out?

10) Do you have back up-batteries for powered devices (tools, cell phone, flashlight, radio, etc.) in the case of a power outage?

11) If the electricity is out, do you have an alternate way to cook food and heat water?

12) Do you keep cash, or other valuables for bartering?

13) Do you have basic fire starting skills? Do you have the tools to start a fire?

14) Do you know how to stay warm without a fire, how to stay cool without air conditioning?

15) Do you know how defend yourself and your family?

16) Do you have at least 3 days of food on hand for each person in your family and for all pets/livestock?

17) After a collapse if there wasn’t a way to buy food, do you have the means to produce a garden?

18) Do you have the knowledge, supplies, and skills to plant a garden?

19) Do you have the knowledge and ability to hunt, dress, and prepare wild game or fish?

20) Do you keep your gas tank at least half full at all times?

What Does Your Score Mean

Each question is worth 5 points.

Survivor (18+ answers): If you scored 90% or more, you’re a Survivor. You’re pretty much prepared for any eventuality and will most likely survive and thrive. You are probably a leader and don’t mind helping others to overcome difficult situations.

Laborer (16-17 answers): If you are 80% to 89% prepared, you’re a Laborer. You’ve got a few basic preparations to make, but you’re well on your way. Keep it up.

Beginner (15 or fewer answers): If you score 79% or less, you are a Beginner In the event of a disaster, meeting your basic needs is going to be very difficult. Thankfully, you’re already thinking about these things and can begin to prepare now.

9 Ways That Predators Victimize Women (and How to Stay Safe!)

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WRITTEN BY A COP: Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or a loved one’s life. In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation…

This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, & everyone you know. After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

  1. Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,
    DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you… Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
  2. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.. The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
  3. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..
  4. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, Repeat:
    DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
    1. Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor ,
      and in the back seat.
    2. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door.
      Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women
      are attempting to get into their cars.
    3. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side.. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
  5. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)
  6. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN!
    The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then,
    it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!
  7. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked ‘for help’ into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
  8. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her ‘Whatever you do, DO NOT
    open the door..’ The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, ‘We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.’ He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby’s cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby’s cries outside their doors when they’re home alone at night.
  9. Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.

One final tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors! Please pass this on. This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on America ‘s Most Wanted when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana.

I’d like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle..
I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or a loved one’s life.

How Food Storage Can Get You Out of Debt

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We have to have money to survive. Period.

As much as we wish that that could change, it won’t. Money is a necessity for all of us to maintain or improve our current lifestyles. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to come across an abundance of greenbacks, nowadays. A lot of the cause for the dollar difficulty, is debt.

With the economy being the way it is, surviving in this financial nightmare has become increasingly difficult. Making any monetary progress has seemed nigh unto impossible. With debt eating up hundreds, sometimes even thousands of dollars on your monthly budget, is it even possible to save money, anymore?

Fear not, my friends, for there are plenty of ways to save your bank account. One of them isn’t a very common one, however.

Although the idea of food storage is popular, rarely do we see the thought carried out into action. It can end up saving you a lot of money, too.

Some people don’t know how to start a food storage. Some people don’t have the desire. Other people don’t think it’s necessary. But what if there’s a natural disaster that hits your area? What if the economy drops, again? In the unlucky case that one of those things happens, you’ll be ready, and you’ll have a full belly, as well.

In the event that a huge disaster strikes, food can, and probably will be exchanged almost like it were currency. It’s very important to have a food storage, not only for the betterment of your finances, but for your emergency preparedness, as well.

Getting a food storage started isn’t as difficult as many people think it is, either. Every time you go to the store, you can grab a can of imperishable food, or two, and by the time you know it you’re going to be needing a huge pantry for your loads of food. You can also go a little more aggressive while you’re building up your food storage, too. Get three or four cans of food at a time, beans, etc. and you’re going to have the best food storage on the block. If you need help getting going, check out our complete survival food list for ideas.

Part of how a food storage will save you money, though, is by using it. Instead of going to get fast food every night (Which could cost somewhere between $7-$42 normally, depending on the size of your family), you can use a can of beans, which costs less than a dollar, and some type of dehydrated fruit or meat to feed your family. You’re saving a lot of dough, by buying and using your food storage.

By building and using your food storage, you’re going to be financially able to do so many other things. Instead of spending the big bucks on dining out, save it, build a food storage, and use the money you’ve saved to pay off your debts. It’s simple, easy, and it’s fun to be creative with the dishes you can create with your food storage. It’ll help you and your family get on the right financial track, again, too.

Shaping Up for Preparedness: Using 5K Races

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I’m fat, but I was fatter. Bug out? – yea right, I doubt I could have walked one mile with a bug out bag. Bug in? OK, but I’m not sure I could haul water from the basement to the living quarters.

I’m still not where I want to be with my weight, endurance and mental toughness, but I’m getting better each week.  Check this out:

March – purchased a garage-sale treadmill.  15 minutes at 2MPH was the best I could do on my first walk. Went shopping for new tennis shoes.  Shopping is fun!

April – I walked (scratch that, I strolled) my first public 5K walk/run race.  That’s a little over 3 miles.  My goal was to finish and I did but I came in last – and I do mean dead last.  They had already torn down the finish line by the time I got there. I soaked in the tub for an hour when I got home and went to bed two hours earlier than normal.

There was a sign at the half-way mark that I will never forget. It said:

Did-not-win is still better than did-not-finish. Did-not-finish is still better than did-not-show-up. You’re already a winner.

May – Put myself on a self-directed program of walking in preparation for the next 5K.  I got online and found all of the 5Ks in my area and scheduled myself for a race every-other month.  Found a walking partner to train/practice/play with.  She was a big help in getting my butt on the treadmill regularly. My motto became, “if I’m watching TV, I’m doing it from the treadmill.”

June 5K – My goal was only NOT to be in last place. I averaged 20-minute miles so the whole thing took about one hour.  New mothers pushing baby strollers whizzed past me early on the course but I finished 100 from last. I got to experience the finish line, the announcers over the P.A. and the loud music.  What a rush!  I had enough energy remaining, I went back to walk with the last-place girl. I could tell she was struggling and I wanted to support her. It made me feel strong.

August 5K – My goal was to carry a 20 lb backpack.  I filled it with small water bottles and shared water towards the end.  It’s hot in August in KY and it was more of an endurance test in discomfort than anything else. It was a large race with a mob of 5,000 participants. It was at night but it was still 98-degrees and 98 percent humidity. Night put a whole new perspective on things, I started to think about what it would really be like to bug out at night.  This freaked me out. It seemed so real being around so many strangers, at night, and carrying the backpack.  I really scared myself.  Must work on mental discipline.  Finished 400 from last but moms pushing strollers still past me. Dang it!

I couldn’t find a good race for October so my next is September 23.  Close enough. Most 5Ks have courses on level pavement.  This one is through the woods, in the mud, and with obstacles.  It’s shear physical punishment and mental toughness. As it turns out, this is very popular with the extreme sports people.   It’s not a Tough Mudder, (look for YouTube videos if you are not familiar) it’s more of a mini-muddy for fat, middle aged women but it will push me a little further outside of my comfort zone.  Ahhh, over the hills and thru the mud – I think my goal is back to “just finish.”  Wish me luck!

For me, the concept of using the 5K was motivation to train with a goal date attached.  In my area there is a 5K almost every weekend.   Committing to completing a set of 5Ks put me in a position of thinking, and strategizing how I want to change my training to improve for the next one – something that I hope will have lasting overall general health benefits.  I have a new set of “friends” now, the perennials near my walking speed, that I nod and smile to.  People with familiar faces that I can walk up to and say, “How did you do?”  or “Which race are you doing next?”  It’s nice to have peeps to inspire each other to keep going when the finish line feels too far away.

If getting into shape is part of your preparedness plan then lace up the Nike’s and get out there.  Most cost between $20 and $50 to enter.  Most are fund-raisers for good causes.  You usually get a T-Shirt.  You could get muddy. You will feel good about doing it. Yes, there are the hard-core racers, running for a trophy but never mind them.  Toward the rear of the crowd – where you’ll find me – you’ll find comfort in a large group of middle-aged, recovering couch-potatoes doing something fun and healthy.  Just show up and you’re a winner.

See ya at the finish line.

What’s The Best SHTF Gun for Preppers?

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SHTF Gun

I’ve been spending a lot of time at my BOL  thinking about a one-gun solution for defending the family in time of SHTF. After much discussion with my survival family and colleagues, we collectively concluded that there is no such thing as a one-gun solution to address the plethora of variations of circumstances involved in a SHTF scenario.

Because times are tough and getting tougher, I decided that I would attempt to create a simple, cheap, and versatile weapon system, consisting of just one gun. The accompanying photos should give you an idea of what I have put together in hopes that many will see the attributes and limitations to this problem.

Let’s be clear. I don’t have all the answers. But I do have a background that that should legitimize my conclusions. So, just consider these words from a guy that wants to share an idea, based on a lifetime of firearms use, study and instructing.

You’ll immediately see that I have chosen a shotgun for my “one-gun option” or (OGO). The gun is a 12 gauge Mossberg/Maverick HS-12 , over/under, 18.5 inch improved cylinder barrel chokes(size of opening at end of barrel or “muzzle”). The gun is equipped with two picatinny rails, one fixed under the bottom barrel and the other on the top rear of the receiver. This is a clever rail on the receiver. The rail is cut thru with a “V”, allowing a sighted picture thru the rail to the front sight, which is  fiber optic, thereby creating a very bright, clear, accurate sight picture!

My general premise here is that a shotgun is the most versatile type of firearm produced. Let me tell you why:

  • a wide range and type of ammo available to shotguns make it capable of taking game from birds/rabbits/squirrels(with birdshot), to coyotes/2-4 legged(buckshot), to larger mammals as elk/ moose/bear (slugs, either solid or hollow point). (author’s note- I once killed a Corvette with a shotgun using a slug. What a surprise to the driver dirtbag and unfortunate for the owner).
  • ease of use- simple design, break open action, slide safety, manually activated triggers
  • shotguns can be used as less than lethal devices (bean bag or rubber rounds)
  • less expensive than assault rifles and many handguns.
  • reliability+
  • ammo available in every store and every farmhouse
  • accuracy is very good to excellent with sabot slugs
  • extreme foot pounds of energy at close distance and with slugs at distance
  • most terminal firearm made- some restrictions (I know, how terminal does a firearm need to be)
  • can launch line, signal device, fire starter, club, water portage!

Now for building this gun, I enhanced it considering my thoughts for its use as a SHTF weapon:

I immediately test fired the gun for reliability, accuracy (where it printed with shot and slugs). Then, I applied camo colors using wide shoelaces to break up the paint and outline. A 200 lumen tac light was attached to the forward rail. I felt this gun should remain simple and effective.

The light gives the operator surprise to the target and a very quick sight picture for same. A side saddle type of ammo carrier was affixed the the stock (L or R side) for backup reloading and as important, the ammo is a mix of #4 buck, 00 buck and slugs. The gun is rugged and reliable.

A sling could be attached easily but is not necessary on this 6.5 pound weapon. The butt stock is hollow reducing weight and allowing for emergency storage.

You could even put a bayonet on the muzzle using the fixed bottom rail! You might note from the photo that I keep two rounds secured by rubber band at the muzzle end of the barrels. Those two rounds are bird shot that I keep for quail egg eating crows in the area.

All in all–the gun is fast to action, easy to lash down, safe, simple and powerful.