Colorado Preppers Network

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2012-02-26T02:21:00.001-08:00

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BOL Driveways

2012-01-12T21:15:00.001-08:00

Bug Out Land Driveways
by Carborendum

OK. You've finally got your Bug Out Land (BOL). And you have chosen the site for the primary home or other structure. Now you want to access it via a vehicle? Your vacant land came with no driveway. Being native soil it will probably get really muddy during the rainy/snowy seasons. So what can you do?

The first inclination is to place gravel on the driveway. Keep in mind that not all gravels are equal. To the layman, any bunch of dirt with some marble sized rocks is gravel. But the combination of particle sizes is what really makes a big difference.

If you have only gravel (no sand, silt, or clay mixed in) all you will have after a wet season is a dirt road with some pieces of gravel peeking through. The clay gets so soft, that the gravel just sinks in. Pour more gravel on, it just keeps sinking in.

If you did all your construction publicly and applied for permits, most building departments will require that you have an "all weather surface" driveway. This is so fire trucks can get in and out of there no matter the weather conditions. Many a fire truck has gotten mired in unprepped roads.

The cheapest way to satisfy the building dept. is to use proper dirt to pave the roadway. Here in Colorado, it's called Class 6 road base. Each state department of transportation will have its own soil classification. You might want to check with your local building department to see what road base can be brought in to satisfy this requirement. Many soil companies will have this stuff on hand for this very purpose.

The next cheapest way (and my favorite) is to bring in recycled asphalt (sometimes called crushed asphalt). You have to be careful here that you require it to be crushed small enough. I once had a roadway paved with "recycled asphalt" and I found huge clumps in my driveway that would cause the struts in my car to shriek in horror. Since I'd never given any size specification on the asphalt, I was unable to find redress. So, I had to pay someone with more integrity to remove the bulk of it and refill with smaller sized asphalt.

Others will tell you to do something similar with crushed/recycled concrete. I'd advise against this. If we're just talking about a driveway it will not give you any benefit,yet it costs a lot more. If you have a major farm where giant tractors are driving along every week, that's a different story.

Some jurisdictions will also allow the following less common techniques. First, apply a sprinkling of lime all along the trail designed to be your driveway. This can be done on a small scale (for short driveways) with a lawn fertilizer. It can be done on a larger scale with bigger equipment. But you'll probably have to hire someone for that.

Then you'll want to mix in the lime to the soil. It would be best if you can get a good 5% by volume mixed into the top 6". There are a variety of ways you can do this. If you can't get the full 6", anything over 2" will help somewhat.

Another technique is to mix sand and oil into the top layer. If using oil, make sure you satisfy any EPA regs and so forth.

The reason recycled asphalt is my favorite is that it is SO much better than plain roadbase. It is only marginally more expensive than road base. You can require recycled asphalt to satisfy the specifications of class 6 road base (or whatever your state's equivalent is). And it is very forgiving.

Many people will tell you that you can only place it when it is hot. That is simply not true. These are people who think of it as hot asphalt. If you place hot asphalt in the winter, it will have a greater propensity to crack. But this is not hot asphalt. In fact, I would recommend that you place it when it is cold and dry. i.e.--no snow or wetness on the ground.

The cold will make the particles shrink. Since the material is not hot, they are making no efforts to bond together. Smaller particles means better compaction. It will continue to compact throughout the winter and spring. By the time the hot season comes around, you will have compacted it simply by driving over it. Then the heat will soften the bitumen in the material, binding all the particles together.

Make sure all the dirt around the soil is sloped at a maximum of 2:1 (2 ft horizontal to 1ft vertical). This will allow for the greatest stability.

Since the bitumen is naturally hydrophobic (repels water) you won't have as much erosion of the R.A. as you would with plain old road base. Once the layer is bound together after your first heatwave, water will have difficulty penetrating it to erode the soil below.

If this is truly a BOL only, you might want to limit the width of the roadway to about 8 ft wide (maybe even 7 ft). This is minimum for most vehicles. For a regular driveway you'll need to satisfy the requirements of the local jurisdiction (usually 10 ft to 20 ft for various conditions). But with BOL only, you can try to hide this road with some vegetation that obscures vision, but will still allow vehicles to pass through.

Once the road is complete, you'll want to maintain it. The best way is to throw ice-melt on the road every snow. The chemicals in the ice-melt will invariably be some type of salt. Salts in those quantities will do two things. 1) It will make it too salty for plants to want to uproot the road. 2) It will tend to have a binding characteristic on all soil in the area--including the asphalt.

Now you can use this driveway to bring in all the construction materials for your BO retreat. Be prepared

Build a solid grape support and grow wonderful grapes

2011-08-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

By Paul & Liz Stevens

Like many we wanted to produce grapes, and like many that dream seemed to always end up in disappointment, as the grapes would come on and seem to just dry up before they matured. We did the typical 4 x4 post with wire strung between them, but after the first few years when the grapes were really starting to take off the post were crooked, the wire was sagging and no matter what we did the vines always ended up touching the ground.

In touring the Amish country we began noticing one more step they use in supporting their grapes. They use the post and wire, but they take one additional step. At about 54” high they run a solid pipe through the post and drill through and bolt it at each post.
When we moved to Texas we decided to take that next step and built our new support using three post set so that we could run a 20’ 1-1/2” galvanized chain link fence top rail through the post. This meant we had to subtract 4” off each end of the 20’ so that the pole would go from end to end, with one post in the center. Before we set the post we wedged them plum and used a string level on our chalk line and snapped a line level at 54” high, then another line where we wanted the top to be. We numbered the post took each one back out and drilled strait through the center of each post on our drill press using the chalk line as our horizontal center point. We used the next size up forstner bit from the actual pole size to give a bit of wiggle room. We then drilled a series of 3/8” holes in each post space 16” apart starting at 12” from the ground. This is where we ran our wire through to attach the vines as they grow up to the main pole. We cut the post to length and set the post back into the ground. With some extra hands we went ahead and slid the pole through the tops, drilled through the end post and bolted them, after we had the end post plumb, we plumbed the center post and drilled and bolted it.

We set the post with just a little bit of concrete just to fill the post hole, plus we only needed to go down around 2’. With this system all the tension is held by the pipe at the top, so we didn’t need to attack it with a 3’ deep hole and several bags of concrete. That was our first clue that we were really going to really like this approach, a lot less work! To add a bit of fancy to the project we purchased the ball tops and screwed them into the top of each post. After the post cured we ran our wire through the holes having the pole across the top keeps the post solid, thus we were able to really stretch the wire without worry of pulling the post inward.

We started our grapes and carefully nurtured them as they grew to the top. We choose Muscadine Grapes as we know someone living in the Florida panhandle suggested them. They have much of the same climate as we do in central coastal Texas, and have tried several of the varieties from up North with no success, except for the Muscadine, with that said where you live will have a lot to do with the varieties that do well in your climate.

Well with all this work we thought we were ready to cash in on a great grape crop, nope after they started to really mature about five years ago, the same old story, they came on strong and then just shriveled up like a pea and dropped off. We have them in the irrigation system so we knew they were getting plenty of water. We did notice that we were getting a fungus on the leaves and would spray but that didn’t really help either.

As we drove through Texas we would always admire the wonderful grape vineyards and wondered just what the secret was that we were missing. As we began to look closer we noticed there were no leaves up to around 4’ from the ground. At first we thought this was just because the plants were more mature. We went home and peeled off all our leaves that were close to the ground and kept new growth from coming out at that level. We also fertilized the plants and to our surprise the fungus went away the plants filled out the grapes came on stayed and we had a great crop that year. This year will mark our 3rd year with a strong crop of grapes. Last year off four plants spreading across that 20’ section we were able to harvest enough grapes to make jelly and nearly five gallons of wine.

In total it has been eight years since we planted our grapes, the support is still as plumb and straight as the day we installed it, and it appears it will be that way for some time. We are really sold on this system, as for what made the grapes finally take off, we are not sure which has more benefit the removal of the leaves or the fertilizer but we plan to keep a good thing going. Hope this helps someone else having the same problems with their grapes.

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http://www.cottagecraftworks.com

Five Things Every American Should Do, But Won’t.

2011-03-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

Five Things Every American Should Do, But Won’t.
From: Dennis "Bones" Evers

We’ve all seen him on the news. The guy buying plywood, beer, chips and other survival essentials as the approaching hurricane can be seen over his shoulder in the distance.

Unfortunately, the majority of Americans aren’t much better when it comes to being prepared for emergencies. However, recent disasters have proven that the sheer magnitude of an event can overwhelm relief efforts, coupled with cutbacks in personnel, budgets and equipment, place the onus squarely on our shoulders.

Many citizens don’t see the need for preparedness, and that’s their prerogative, however a relatively small investment now for someone who is concerned about the possibility of a disruption due to a natural disaster, pandemic, terrorism, civil unrest or countless other possible scenarios, might mean the difference between a week or so of hungry terror or a week of edgy survival. Most people think of some wild eyed mountain man when the word “survival” is mentioned, but that’s no longer the case. When the Government strongly suggests preparing, there’s a reason behind it.

The ever increasing list of disasters and emergencies that can put you on your own is a long and often dangerous one. The violence and mayhem associated with black Friday will look like a minor scuffle when food shortages or any one of a hundred scenarios spark riots. Food flew off the shelf and stores were emptied in hours before the big snow hit the East coast this winter. With municipalities cutting essential services like law enforcement, the chances of having to “hunker down” increases exponentially.

Now the caveat. Being prepared doesn’t guarantee survivability, but it does greatly enhance your chances if the event is survivable. The following list is by no means inclusive as there are hundreds of variables, i.e., suburban vs. rural, gated community vs. projects, the type of disaster, number of persons being prepared for and on and on.

Given the countless variables, there are some basic necessities that are essential regardless of location or emergency. The following items are simply a starting point that will assist you in thinking about establishing some sort of basic preparedness. They will greatly improve not only your survivability, but your level of comfort in terribly uncertain times.

While FEMA recommends three days of emergency provisions, and it is a start, given the current climate, a week’s supply should be a good starting point, a one month stash would be better. Keep in mind that these items cannot be placed in order because of the countless variables.

You’ve made your decision, so now you need to get down to the business of survival.

1. Water. Absolutely essential for drinking, hygiene and cooking. Remember all of the people (who had ample warning) sitting on their roofs during Katrina? Imagine how much comfort a measly couple of bucks worth of bottled water would have done to reduce the misery factory. While one gallon per person per day is recommended, enough to drink would certainly be better than nothing at all. Even a few hours of thirst can cost you your edge. Several cases of bottled water would go a long way during an emergency and you can replace it as you use it.

2. Food. Another essential. You can go days or even weeks without food, but who wants to? Something you wouldn’t even consider eating under normal circumstances could look mighty good if you’re starved. Granola bars, canned food and crackers could mean the difference between a clear head or one thinking about a cheeseburger. Every time you go shopping, put in an extra few items that you normally eat. Check the expiration dates and get items with a long shelf life if possible. If something happens, you have food you’re used to and you can use it up as part of your regular food supply. Make sure you rotate it in and out to maintain freshness.

3. Shelter. You have to stay alive to ride out an event. For most of us, staying at home would be the ideal situation. However, any number of situations can require “bugging out” to a shelter or other safe location. Most of us have relatives within driving distance or know someone who might put up with us for awhile. If not, as a last resort the government or the Red Cross will usually provide emergency shelter. Have a plan nonetheless. If you have to stay and shelter in place at your home, business or apartment, or hit the road to get away from civil unrest, a chemical spill, fire or hurricane, you need to have a plan and be prepared to implement it.

4. Emergency Equipment. In addition to food, water and shelter, there are several essential items that will be required in the event you are on your own. Extra medicines are top of the list, particularly if they are required daily. A good first aid kit is another must have. An LED flashlight and lantern with extra batteries are essential. Warm clothes, sleeping gear, a camp stove and emergency sanitation gear are also essential. Last but certainly not least is some sort of self defense. You can easily find out what you need with a little online surfing of various websites, starting with ready.gov..

5. Time Killers. Even if the emergency is only a 48 or 72 hour event, you will want to have some playing cards, books, a Bible and board games on hand to help kill the time. You might even include some candies or other treats as well as coloring books and crayons for the younger ones.

Factors preventing many people from preparing are the “it can’t happen here” mentality, and plain old fear or a sense of being overwhelmed. People with the former attitude won’t see a need to prepare, and that’s their choice. (Until something happens and they expect the government to take care of all of their needs.) As for the latter, there is nothing wrong with fear, particularly the “where does one start” quandary, if it is turned into positive action. Instead of worrying about the future, prepare for it and get on with life. We’re talking about simple and subtle changes in your lifestyle, mostly relating to shopping and food storage habits. No one is advocating that you become a mountain man and live off roots and bark. Simply realize the need for a minimal amount of preparation, formulate a plan and get started working toward your goal, and pray that you never need to use it.

Dennis Evers is a former police chief and best selling author. His newest book, "How to Handle a Crisis" will be available shortly at howtohandleacrisis.com

Colorado Preppers Roll Call - All Preppers Please Check In.

2011-03-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

The American Preppers Network is conducting a network-wide roll call. Whether you are a member or not please check in and let us know what you are doing to prepare.

This is a good opportunity to network with other preppers near you.

Colorado Preppers, to respond to the roll call please follow this link:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=252&t=9249

Reply to the Roll Call and let us know what you have been doing to prepare.

If you are not yet a member of the forum you can register here for free:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

The ‘Die Off’ Will Start Immediately After a Complete Collapse

2011-02-26T19:22:00.000-08:00

In his book One Second After, William Forstchen, paints a grim picture of a post-apocalyptic world in which an electro-magnetic pulse has wiped out the entire power-grid infrastructure of the United States. Utilities like water and electric, transportation systems, cell phones, and even vehicles are disabled by the blast. The book focuses on one particular town and the challenges they face going forward.

One of the key issues becomes what is commonly referred to in the preparedness and survival community as “the golden horde,” a term introduced by James Rawles of Survival Blog:

As the comfort level in the cities rapidly drops to nil, there will be a massive involuntary outpouring from the big cities and suburbs into the hinterboonies. This is the phenomenon that my late father, Donald Robert Rawles–a career particle physics research administrator at Lawrence Livermore Laboratories–half-jokingly called “The Golden Horde.” He was of course referring to the Mongol Horde of the 13th Century, but in a modern context. (The Mongol rulers were chosen from the ‘Golden Family’ of Temujin. Hence the term “The Golden Horde.”) I can remember as a child, my father pointing to the hills at the west end of the Livermore Valley, where we then lived. He opined: “If The Bomb ever drops, we’ll see a Golden Horde come swarming over those hills [from Oakland and beyond] of the like that the world has never seen. And they’ll be very unpleasant, believe you me!”

As the fictional, but quite realistic, crisis in Forstchen’s book grows deeper, and city dwellers spread throughout the countryside looking for essential resources, the people were forced to make hard decisions. They could either share their food and resources with the horde, thereby decreasing their own survival rate, or, they would have to aggressively defend their land. Like most would do in that situation, the town chose to keep what they had to themselves, and send all others packing, by force if necessary.

If the worst were to ever happen – and we’re not talking about a short-term disaster – but, rather, an all out collapse of the world as we know it, including a complete grid-down scenario and a breakdown in food production and emergency services, the majority of the population in the regions(s) affected would likely perish. In a recent report the Center for Security Policy suggested that in such a scenario 9 Out of 10 Americans Would Be Dead Within One Year – a terrifying thought, indeed.

Considering that most people have less than a week’s worth of food in their pantries, no medical supplies, and absolutely no idea how to operate without electricity, one can guesstimate that the die-off would begin almost immediately after the grid goes down. Within several weeks, tens of thousands would succumb to starvation and/or disease. In many cases, dehydration and the elements would also become a key factor. Patriot Nurse recently put together a commentary discussing Who Will Die First, in which she breaks down the highest risk groups into sub-categories, which we’ll discuss, in part, below:

Physically Disabled
Those with medical conditions requiring daily drug dosing, as well as those who depend on third party medical care, would likely be the first to go. During Hurricane Katrina hundreds of elderly people were left to die in hospitals and care facilities. They had no food, no clean water and no medicine. Their caregivers, in some cases acting immorally, but in other cases simply acting out of fear, left them without assistance. Those who are dependent on others to stay alive in modern society should consider who their caretakers are, because when the SHTF, chances are that an employee working at a nursing home will choose to go home and be with their family, or flee the area altogether.
Individuals With Drug Dependent Healthcare Needs
In One Second After, the daughter of the main character is a diabetic requiring insulin. Within hours of the grid going down, pharmacies are overwhelmed with patrons attempting to get their prescription medicines. The electronic systems are inoperable, further complicating matters. Even for those who were able to acquire their meds, the supplies were only temporary, because within a week the shelves were empty and no resupply was coming. There are roughly 1.5 million insulin dependent diabetics in the United States. Because this particular drug requires cold storage, in a grid down situation, effective supplies would be depleted within a matter of weeks. In this particular instance, the fatality rate would be nearly 100%. The same can be said for many other types of medications, including oxygen. We urge those with drug dependent medical conditions to treat this aspect of preparedness like water and food. If you will require medicine, try to create a reserve by stocking up some extra medication. For those requiring cooled medicines, do you have an alternative energy plan to keep a compact refrigerator going?
Physical Handicaps
When faced with a survival situation, in general, the old adage “survival of the fittest,” applies. Those with physical handicaps, especially those requiring external locomotion, like those little scooters we see people riding at Walmart, will be at a disadvantage. They’ll be easy targets for looters, and will likely be incapable of foraging for food and resources. For some, the handicap is self-manifested, such as in the case of excessive obesity. In these cases, an emergency preparedness plan should include getting physically fit. For others, however, conditions can not be treated easily. Physically handicapped individuals should take steps now to determine their action plan in the event of SHTF. Do you have a caregiver who you trust to get you out of a bind? Perhaps looking to relocate to an area where extensive travel post-SHTF will not be required is a good idea.
The Government Dependent Welfare Class
Patriot Nurse refers to the individuals in this group as those with a “stereotypical” cradle-to-grave mentality. Of course, not everyone in this category is stereotypical, but we can certainly understand what she’s getting at. The majority of these people live on government subsistence, therefore they likely have no ability to procure resources before a disaster. At the onset of crisis, they will likely be looking for help from the same organizations that have provided it in the past. But those organizations will be unable to assist. Many of those within this category will die-off from lack of food, clean water, disease and violence. Given that, in general, within this category is the highest violent crime rate in the country, it will be from within this group of people that we’ll get our first taste of looters, gangs, and violent thieves. Some criminal elements will certainly survive, but violence begets violence, especially in a battle for resources, thus a good portion will be killed off by those defending themselves.
Yuppies and Neo-Hippies
Another name we can give this category is the urban and suburban city dwellers. Though they may be different politically, and possess different skill sets, the majority of those within this category simply do not have the necessary survival tools to make it. Neo-hippies, as defined by Patriot Nurse are those who may be capable of small-scale agriculture and raising micro-livestock, but their ‘peaceful’ nature has not prepared them to handle aggressive and violent behavior aimed at taking the resources they produce. The Yuppies, generally defined as those who live in suburban McMansion style homes are simply ill-prepared. Rather than preparing for a crisis, they spent their hard earned money on new cars, TV’s, fashion and dinners out. When the SHTF, they will simply not be ready and their pantries will be empty within a week’s time, at which point they, like the looters from the welfare class, will be left with no choice but to head into the streets looking for supplies.

There are, of course, other sub categories, but the above covers the majority of the populace. A good portion of those with the capability to travel, be it on foot or in a vehicle, will eventually head out of the cities. The realization that the system has broken down will not take long – perhaps a week or two – before they hit the highways.

Their destination of choice will likely become National or State parks, lakes and coastal regions, or small towns, where they expect to find food. Most will have no more than a tank of gas, giving them a range of roughly 300 miles from their home city. If you are located near an interstate highway, or even a state highway, within 300 miles of a major city, then you may very well see a golden horde of cars. Those without cars will go on foot. As they get further out of the cities, they will begin to perish due to lack of food and potable water. On foot, their range while lacking in resources will be maybe 50 – 150 miles.

Safety in the Country?

For those living in exurbia or rural surroundings the situation will certainly not be as dire as for those bunched in the cities. However, it will likely be just as dangerous. Eventually, elements from the cities with both, good intentions and bad, will reach you. If you are in a small town, and the town fails to implement defense strategies, then it can be easily overrun by organized and heavily armed gangs.

You’ll also have to deal with those of your neighbors who failed to prepare. Even though people may have gardens or livestock, their ability to maintain these will be threatened as traditional feed stores and tools will no longer be readily available. In One Second After, the story revolved around a small town in the middle of nowhere, yet a large portion of the population died off simply because there was a lack of resources. Even hunting became difficult, as game ran thin because everyone in the area was looking to have squirrel for dinner. The additional threat in the country is that, generally, people in the country are well armed with long range hunting rifles, a situation that presents quite a bit of peril if that person is aware you have resources and they are lacking.

The Die Off is a worst case consideration, and one you should be familiar with before any such event occurs. It will occur only in a complete collapse of the world as we know it and would include a complete breakdown of our electrical and utility grids, communications infrastructure and food transportation systems.

Yes, it’s unlikely. But given that our entire way of life is dependent on modern day technology, such a disruption would have severe consequences for all involved.

Author: Mac Slavo
Date: February 23rd, 2011
Visit the Author's Website: http://www.SHTFplan.com/

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Belt-fed .22 caliber full-auto pellet gun…..cool!

2011-01-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

I came across this product on Facebook. Looks like it would be very fun to have. Years ago I had a full-auto BB sub-machine gun that ran on canned Freon. It was made by Larc International and cost $39.95. This full-auto pellet gun shoots at over 600 fps……and cost over $500.

Not cheap – but still cool.

Product information is available at http://air-ordnance.com.

Those poor squirrels!!

Rourke

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2011-01-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

Well winter finally arrived, it's about time! I know that for those of you in the high mountains you've been getting snow for awhile, but for the rest of us this last storm was pretty much the first. Up untill the weekend before Christmas I was still out flying my R/C airplanes! This storm got me thinking again though about 72 hour bags and how vital they are, but it also brought up something that saved my life in a blizzard 2 years ago. Remember back 2 years when in the spring (for those of us on the eastern slope) we had a series of 5 major storms one week after the other. At the beginning of the first storm we decided to call it a day and head home before the "predicted" storm got worse (it didn't but you'd expect that too from NOAA) On my way home the blowing snow from the pine trees was the most dense I'd ever seen, I literaly could not see the hood, only the wipers on the windshield. I was going maybe 5-10 mph and remember seeing 2 cars come up the two lane mountain road, just then another high wind blew the snow and once again I couldn't see! I remember thinking "gentle left or straight?" Just as I thought straight my right front wheel dipped off the road and down my beautiful lifted Chilli Pepper red Cherokee went, first on the right side, then with a big thump the top smashed in front of my head and glass was smashing around me. I still had no idea which way was up because of the blowing snow, untill I realised water from the creek I was in was now running through the Jeep's headliner and out the windows. My first thought was to reach up and find the ignition switch, the engine was strangly still running while upside down. Here's where things got interesting, I reached for the seatbelt buckle, did you know that around 90% of vehicles on the road will not release the seatbelts if they are under tension? Try as I might the buckle held me prisoner, I thought I smelled gas and knew I had to get out! The knife in the glove box was no use, as the contents had gone up into the dash and the door would not open. The center consol had barfed it's contents into the roof which was now running ice cold water. I reached for my Victorinox multitool and opened the first thing my numb fingers could open, the saw! It went through the seatbelt (won't need that anymore I thought) and I was free! Ok so here's the moral, how many of you have a tool within easy reach in ALL of your vehicles in case you have to cut the belts or break the glass? GET THEM NOW!

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Bug out land electricity

2011-01-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

Posted by Crusis

This will apply to any state, really, but with the cost of extending electricity to your bug out land here in Colorado, it's best to find alternatives to the electric grid. Here in our local area to have electricity extended to your house is $3600 a pole, and the poles cannot be more than 300 feet apart. You can see that half a mile of electric line will cost you $30,000 or more. You can buy a lot of non-electric appliances and solar panels with that! Best of all, you'll probably get a lot of tax credits too. Actually best of: To read the rest of and reply to this post follow the link below:

http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=254&t=7300

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Purifying water in a survival situation in Colorado

2010-12-30T23:29:00.000-08:00

Post by Crusis

First of all:

If you go to Mexico, don't drink the water!

If you come to Colorado or live here, don't drink the water that isn't treated.

The water here can contain disease causing organisms, parasites, or chemicals. Possibly toxins from mines. Giardia lamblia is an intestinal parasite that is common to Colorado waterways.

There are different ways to purify the water you drink from a stream, lake, pond, or surface spring though.

Boiling:

Boil water for 5 minutes + 1 minute for every 1000 feet above sea level. This is because the pressure is less the higher you go, which reduces the boiling temperature of water. Since it is boiling at a lower temp, you have to add time to the boiling process to get it sufficiently hot enough for long enough to kill any living organisms in it. You might just toss a few more minutes on the total anyway because safe is far better than sorry.

Still:

If you have plastic and a container, you can make a solar still. I am not going into details here, but we have a lot of Sun in Colorado so this is a really good way to accomplish your goal of clean water. Do your research, and if you're heading out into the mountains or high desert you should consider having the supplies for this especially if you're in a vehicle and don't have to carry the weight.

Water Tabs:

Drop one in, wait the time indicated on the instructions, drink. Simple, easy to carry, and convenient for short trips. You may want to learn other methods, though, as your short trip could always become a long trip.

Filter:

Katadyn makes filters that will purify water. While not a permanent solution like boiling and a still, it will certainly give you water quickly if you're traveling.

http://www.katadyn.com/usen/katadyn-pro ... r-filters/

Don't forget to consider the unconventional methods of getting water.

Plants, either by squeezing out their moisture or by a 'tree still', which is just a plastic bag over a section of leaves. Heat will make the leaves expire moisture into the bag which will then collect in the bottom.

Dew. Take rag. Soak up dew. Wring out in container or mouth.

Snow. Never eat snow straight. You must heat it to keep from lowering your internal body temperature. You can pack a container and store it under your coat until it's heated or use a fire, but your core temp must stay as close to 98.6 as possible. If it goes lower you are heading toward trouble. If you're in snow you're probably already in a situation where hypothermia is a concern, so don't aggravate the situation by eating cold snow.

Digging. You may find water digging in the lower areas or in washes. Particularly in the high desert. Look for green plants in numbers, and dig at a lower point in that area.

Urine. As a last resort, don't forget the supply you carry. It makes me want to gag to think about it, but you can consume your own urine at least once. Don't forget to share with your friends!

Herbivore feces. I saw Bear Grillz do it, if I'm desperate I'll try it myself. Grab a big cow pie, wring it out, and boil the water. Good luck!

That's all I have. What did I forget? Coming from Indiana where water was often abundant enough to be a problem in overabundance instead of a serious concern as a missing necessity, it took me a little while to realize I should probably know how to get water here. In Indiana you go to the nearest stream, probably within a few hills, and get what you want. You still treat it, of course, but I can think of a lot of times as a stupid kid that I drank straight out of a stream while mushroom hunting or just messing around in the woods. Here, you might not find a stream easily. Get water where you find it. It's worth taking time out to make sure your supply is topped off if you find it while traveling.

Your survival without food is likely measured in weeks. Your survival without water is likely a couple of days, especially if you're exerting yourself. Keep your eyes open and drink safe! One thing of note: Only the still method will remove metal and chemical toxins. Never drink water running out of a mine unless you distill it.:

To respond to this post, please follow this link
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=254&t=7166

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2010-12-29T21:38:00.000-08:00

I've posted this before but it is always good to bring it up again.

APN Scores Best Deal Ever!...Or at least the best deal ever offered by Rich Fleetwood at SurvivalCD.com (SurvivalRing.org)SurvivalCD's Emergency Preparedness Digital Library contains over 80,000 printable pages of life saving, scientifically proven, and in many cases, rare information that could be of used in times of national emergency or natural disaster. The areas of emphasis cover the entire range of disaster preparedness information, from simple first aid, to locating natural hazard threats where you live, to stocking food and tools, to mitigation (lessening) of disaster events, all the way to recovering from the full force of nature, technology, or terror, when things have turned out for the worst.This CD set contains the largest collection of digitized fallout shelter information ever put into one place, with shelter plans, shelter management guides, technical data books, regulations, and more. Also contained is disaster preparedness and recovery information for every possible disaster, from tornadoes to volcanic eruption, as well as planning lists, federal documents for nuclear and terrorist preparedness, and even several documents on dealing with pandemics and other survival needs.Our two 4 CD/1 DVD set contains over 80,000 printable pages of preparedness and survival information from sources all over the world. Our data covers over 67 years of United States civil defense research and publications, as well as information from many other nation’s preparedness projects.The CD and DVD navigation uses simple web browser technology (Internet Explorer 5.5, Firefox, and other similar browsers) to find and read each file on the disk. The disk data can be read by both PC and MAC systems, although on PC systems, there is an AUTORUN program to load the homepage of the CD for your ease of use.Nearly all the documents on both CDs are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, and any version of Acrobat Reader (or open source programs that can also be used to open and read PDF files) that is version 5 or higher can access the files. Once the documents are viewed, they can be printed via your PDF reader in high quality output, to any standard printer connected to your computer. Click below to see what each CD contains.To read more about the packages go to http://www.SurvivalCD.comNow for the Deal...Rich has offered an exclusive discount of 30% off only to APN Gold Members! This is the deepest discount he's ever offered to anyone.Gold Membership at APN is very affordable at only $5 a month (no obligation) and Rich's discount can easily cover 2 - 6 months worth of the cost of your membership just from his offer alone, not to mention the many other benefits that are either available now or in the works.If you are not a member, follow these steps to get your discountStep one, register to the forum here:ucp.php?mode=registerStep two, sign up for gold membership here:http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/ ... c54dd55127Step three, within 24 hours of your sign up we will send you a password to access the APN Gold members club. Once you recieve your password follow this link to get your discount on the SurvivalCD set.viewtopic.php?f=612&t=4380Other Gold Member forums can be found here:viewforum.php?f=611

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2010-12-28T20:38:00.000-08:00

Looking for asimple but versitile gun? Check this out!
http://www.oldjimbo.com/survival/v-shrake/m6.html

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Sing the health praises of parsley and sage

2010-12-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

Those of us who go back a few years likely remember the line about parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme in the huge Simon and Garfunkel hit song about two ill-fated lovers, "Are You Going to Scarborough Fair". Many have speculated that the reference to the four popular herbs was due to their use in Medieval Europe to help cleanse the air and ward off the infamous black plague. Others have thought that the reference to the four herbs was because the combination may have been used as a love potion. Whatever the reason for their inclusion in the popular song, the many health benefits of parsley and sage are worth loving and singing praises about in their own rights.

PARSLEY

Parsley is an amazing medicinal herb with a world of health benefits. The root contains calcium, B-complex vitamins, and iron, which nourish the glands that help regulate the uptake of calcium. It is a source of magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin K.

Among the many benefits reported for parsley are:

*It is a diuretic which helps the body produce more urine to keep the urinary system operating smoothly and which helps prevent problems such as kidney stones and bladder infections.

*It is wonderful for removing toxins from the body, such as heavy metals.

*It is an effective breath freshener. It is believed that the practice of including parsley on a dinner plate began due to its breath freshening abilities and not merely for its decorative effect.

*The root and leaves are good for the liver and spleen.

*It helps relieve bloating during menstruation.

*It provides relief for edema, often helping when other remedies have failed

*Parsley root and seeds help relax stiff joints, often making stiff and unmanageable fingers work again.

*It helps remove gallstones when used properly by taking a pint of the tea daily.

*It is beneficial for the adrenal glands.

*It is a powerful therapeutic aid for the optic nerves, brain and sympathetic nervous system.

*Parsley juice is an excellent tonic for the blood vessels.

Note: It is best to avoid large amounts of parsley if you are pregnant, especially the use of the volatile essential oil.

SAGE

Like rosemary, its sister herb in the mint (Labiatae) family, sage contains a variety of volatile oils, flavonoids and phenolic acids, including rosmarinic acid. The oils found in sage are both antiseptic and antibiotic, helping it fight infections.

Besides the antioxidant and other properties shared with Rosemary, sage`s other health benefits include:

*It is effective for symptoms of menopause, night sweats and hot flashes because of its estrogenic action and because its tannins help dry up perspiration.

*Sage helps provide better brain function and has been used in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease for over a thousand years. It helps provide better recall and research has suggested that it may be an effective option to help treat Alzheimer`s.

*There`s also compelling evidence that sage may be of value to people with diabetes for whom the hormone insulin does not work as efficiently as it should. Lab studies indicate that sage may boost insulin`s action.

* The ability of sage to protect oils from oxidation has also led some companies to experiment with sage as a natural antioxidant additive for cooking oils that can extend shelf life and help avoid rancidity.

In an upcoming article, we will also sing the praises of the other two herbs mentioned in the popular song - rosemary and thyme.

Sources included:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarbo...
http://www.healthy-holistic-living....
http://www.greenmuze.com/blogs/natu...
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pars...

About the author

Tony Isaacs, is a natural health author, advocate and researcher who hosts The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Mr. Isaacs is the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and is working on a major book project due to be published later this year.
Mr. Isaacs is currently residing in scenic East Texas and frequently commutes to the even more scenic Texas hill country near San Antonio and Austin to give lectures in health seminars. He also hosts the CureZone "Ask Tony Isaacs - featuring Luella May" forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group "Oleander Soup" and he serves as a consultant to the "Utopia Silver Supplement Company".

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2010-12-23T19:33:00.000-08:00

With permission from Crusis I'd like to repost this, it's some VERY good advise!

We all have insurance for our cars, either our houses or renters insurance. At least we should. But what about proving the value of your preps to an insurance company?I'm taking pictures. Why? Because that is accurate proof of not only what you owned, but quantity and condition. It will be hard for an insurance agent to dispute a photograph. Things to take pictures off.1. Guns.2. Survival equipment like tents, tools, stocked non-food goods.3. Food in crates, cans, pails, buckets, on shelves, in storage boxes. Get it all. I think we would all be surprised how much money we have wrapped up in our emergency food supply.4. Household goods - Kitchen utensils, pans, etc. You're going to need those post-SHTF, right?5. Electronics - GPSs, radio equipment, your computer(s), cameras (you'll have to prove that by taking a picture in a mirror), solar panels, inverters, batteries, etc.6. Clothing and bedding7. Stocked medical goods including anything you have for specific health issues. 8. Storage media, such as shelving, and storage containers.9. Water storage. Whether it be in drums, jugs, or 24oz containers, stored water is expensive! Get photos your storage.10. I like a nice round number, so I will include #10 as while you're taking pictures of your preps, you might as well get pictures of your household items that aren't prep related too. Just in case you get a jerk for an adjuster.11. Oh well, so much for round numbers. If you have any valuables, such as silver, gold, jewelry, or any other material trade commodity, get photos of that too. Once you have the photos, make sure you burn the pix to disk or you store it in a flash drive away from home. Whatever storage method you choose for the photos, you'll need to secure it. Safety deposit box or at a friends house (you should store his/hers) will do fine. Protect your investment.

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2010-12-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Well folks here it comes! They said food prices were going up and they are, over the last two weeks rice has gone up a little over $8.00 per 50 pound sack. That may not seem like a lot but remember that's wholesale. Other foods are following suit and you don't want to get caught having to prep at a higher cost. I suggest everyone scrape it together somewhere to put together the basics and soon.
On another note it has been suggested by a CO member that we do a "bug out" practice weekend, more to hone or learn outdoor skills. The folks that have proposed this are pretty much self sufficient and would be able to teach a lot. Feedback for this can be found here
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=254&t=6444, please stop by and add your comments.
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Colorado Preppers Roll Call

2010-11-27T09:46:00.001-08:00

The Colorado Preppers Network is conducting a Roll Call on our forum. If you are a prepper please check in.

* Here is a link to the Roll Call:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=252&t=6211

You have to be registered to check in. If you aren't registered please join here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/ucp.php?mode=register

* If you are a HAM Radio Operator check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=143&t=6219

* If you are an A.N.T.S. member please check in here:
http://americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=618&t=6220

New Colorado Member

2010-11-26T10:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome New Member:

ramack

Hey,

Just checking in as requested. I'm near Denver, so I'll be hooking up with the Colorado Preppers Network for local stuff.

Rich

To welcome our new member please click on the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=6148&p=5814

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2010-11-24T22:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today lets remember why we celebrate this day, it is not to celebrate turkey or great sales, but to thank God for the blessings he has given us. Even in these dark times we can be thankful for anything and everything, we have so much that we really don't even know it. Slow down today and really give it a think, what are you thankful for?

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2010-11-18T07:37:00.001-08:00

Good morning everyone! Just wanted to throw this out there that Glenn Beck wil be talking about food storage tonight on his show on Fox TV, it should be interesting. Also NIP, the forum owner has thrown out an off that just can't be passed up! http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=612&t=5972

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2010-11-07T16:47:00.001-08:00

It's been a few weeks since I've done a post, but just wanted to throw out that their is a big buzz in the finacial world that a bank holiday may be fast approaching. A bank holiday is where the entire banking system is shut down to allow for a reset in as spiraling economy, or so they say. How will you know this will happen? The morning after is all the notice you will get, in other words none. A BH can last anywhere from one day to weeks, the last was in 1933, and did not have the desired intent. My family will be drawing out all cash from our bank on Monday except that which is required to keep the accounts open. It's a good idea to operate on a cash system anyway, this gives you a good reason. I wouldn't worry about your savings accounts as they are probably only paying 1/2% these days anyway, so removing the cash shouldn't do much to hurt earnings. You should deposit funds when needed to cover auto withdrawls and online billing, other than that pay for gas, food, and eating out with cash. Those of you that have the means, buy junk silver coins. Junk silver is easily bought because the collector value is very low, but in a SHTF situation the silver coins will be able to hold face value when paper or copper plated steel has lots its value.

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2010-10-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

It happened again! My son checked his bank acount on ine yesterday morning and discovered that at the same time he was on line, someone was making purchases with his debit card! He quickly call his bank and they stopped all charges plus canceled his card. He never gives his card to waiters or anyone else, so how did this happen? We tracked it down to a pump at the gas station he goes to every week. What happened is someone during the night sometime installed a devise to read cards being used at that pump. You scan your card to pay at the pump and this scum is stealing your card info! I guess it's back to using cash. Another way your card can be stolen is by someone using a portable scanner and simply walking by you, no joke this is very real. I bought these products http://www.idstronghold.com/ and I sttrongly urge you to do the same. They block scanners from taking info from your credit/debit cards, license or passports.

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2010-10-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Not to beat a dead horse, but here's a great link for all of you to pass on to those friends and laughing relatives.
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/10/welcome_to_the_promised_land_b.html

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2010-10-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

Everyone, please take a few minutes and watch these two video's, they are about 16 min together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMokBM6caRE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIblxSOOOok&feature=related

I think this is a good representation of why we are prepping. Get to work.
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2010-10-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd pass on a quote from another blog that was also posted to APN today:

"It has always been recommended that activities associated with emergency preparedness and off-grid living are best kept under the radar so as not to alert neighbors and friends who could present a threat to your safety and stockpile in an aftermath. This advice takes on a much greater significance as the government seeks to target individuals who appear to want to act as independent “sovereign citizens” and who are considered as extremists based on the government’s glossary. The resounding cry of “loose lips sinks ships” now applies to your emergency preparedness plan."

I can't agree more. We need to build good relations with other preppers, but be ever so careful with who know's what you are doing. As for myself I keep complete anonymity on all boards and with people in my neighborhood. Paranoid? Maybe but I feel it's all part of being prepared.
For the full story as it was posted follow this link.
http://offthegridnews.com/2010/10/04/planning-an-off-grid-existence-the-feds-may-be-watching-you/
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Welcome New Members

2010-10-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome our new members:

Springer45

Hi all, lookin' forward to chatting with everyone. Great to be here...

To welcome our new member click on the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=6003&p=56860

YerMom

Hey everyone!
I've been prepping for about a year now. I love the independent feelings it breeds! I have a decent amount of food stored away, continually adding to it. I'm currently learning how to home preserve and constantly learning new skills. I don't consider myself a novice, but maybe just a notch above. My husband thinks I'm a bit nuts, and my mom and sister think I've just lost it. Well, I know they'll find me sane if ever we really do need my stores and skills! I'm excited to find a group of like minded people- and to know I'm not alone in having the uneasy feeling in my gut. I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it!
Sincerely,
YerMom

To welcome our new member click on the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5504

Awake

Hi ~ I'm "Awake" - I just joined as a new member.

To welcome our new member click on the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5253

Dreygon

Hi All,

I'm a newbie to this group but not to prepping. We are three years into prepping and sustainability.

R.

To welcome our new member click on the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5255

Dozer
Hey everybody,
My name is Dozer and I'm new. Hoping to get together with like minded people. Thanks.

To welcome our new member click on the link below:
http://www.americanpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=563&t=5127

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