Wilderness Ready Aids

Learning about wild edibles.

2012-03-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

YOU CAN LEARN TO FORAGE FOR WILD EDIBLES

With a little specialized knowledge and a "guidance" system you can learn to spot wild edible plants where you live, even in a city. You can do it on your own but it's better to learn from someone showing you the way. I'm confident you can do it. You only need to learn about a few plants, not every plant you see. And I'll also tell you where you can learn from a teacher, usually for free. So let's get started. You need to know something about foraging, and something about wild edibles. Plants are really easy to tell apart. In this article you'll read about how to think like a forager. Remember, you're not trying to learn all of botany or name every plant you see, just the tasty wild edibles and a few for remedies in your area. Let's start with the main rule: Never, ever eat or use a wild plant without checking with a local expert. Where do you find a local expert, and is there a cost? You can locate a local expert through your local Native Plant Society online or in the phone book. There are chapters in most major cities. You'll find them throughout the United States and Canada. Plant people are always happy to share knowledge and it's usually free. They're passionate about plants, particularly native local ones. You can go on "field trips" or "herb walks" and learn from someone who knows what they are talking about.

It's hard to build confidence unless you are studying with someone who is willing to eat the wild edible plant in front of you. It is not impossible to learn foraging from books and websites, but it is more difficult and more dangerous. If there isn't a Native Plant Society near you ask your local librarian: They usually know the main plant person in your area.

A Few Wild Herbs For Remedies
Burdock
Chickweed
Dandelion
Mullein
Plantain

The second rule is even after you have the right wild edible plant - the expert agrees - and it is edible and you have "itemized" it, only try a little. You may like it but it may not like you. Most edible wild plants never made it into the mainstream vegetable market in the United States for a reason (though many of them may be common fare in other countries. Purslane is a prime example.) You don't know if you'll have a reaction to a particular plant. I am definitely not a person who has allergies, but there are one or two wild plants that just don't agree with me even though I like them. So, take it easy first. In fact, it is good advice to never eat a wild plant in the first week you find it. Even among experienced forages there is a strong temptation to make the plant fit the description. I had a friend do that with illness consequences. It's best to separate the identification and the consumption by a good amount of time. And of course, try only a little the first few times. And learn from an expert. As for a system.... Every time you or anyone is looking at a plant that might be edible, you need to "itemize" it, put it through four major steps (even the experienced should do it.) I use the word I.T.E.M. to remember what needs to be check out. It's handy reference and is used in profiling most of the plants on my site.

So, let's look at the word I.T.E.M.
First, it means (I)dentify the plant beyond doubt. Next, make sure it is growing or fruiting or otherwise available at the right (T)ime of year. Third is checking out the (E)nvironment. This involves two things. One is making sure it is growing in the right place. The other is making sure the wild edible plant is getting clean water and is not in polluted soil. And then, what is the proper (M)ethod of preparation. I'm sure you can do that. I.T.E.M. You can rearrange the letters to spell T.I.M.E. if you like as long as you always remember to apply the four steps. You'll learn more about I.T.E.M in a moment, but think of it as four obstacles you must eliminate. And you can't eat a plant until you have gotten rid of those four obstacles. If at any time one or more of them are in the way, that's a warning sign. If you can't resolve even one of the warning signs the plant is not eaten. A warning sign does not automatically mean the plant is inedible. But, it does mean you have to do more investigating and get rid of that obstacle before you can consider the plant consumable. First is "I" identification. You absolutely must identify the plant correctly, and that involves more than just comparing pictures. This site (or the author's) is NOT to be used for identification. This site (or the author's) is a guide to familiarize you with a particular wild edible plant or herbal remedy plant. Identification is a botanical specialty and requires more specific information than appears in these pages. It is learning the physical characteristics of that plant. The best and quickest way is with a local expert and a good identification book used in tandem. There are several reasons for this. Pictures often don't tell the entire story, one reason why illustrations of key points are still used. Also, in some areas of the country a plant will look exactly like the picture or illustration in the guide book but in other areas it will not but some other plant might - a non-edible. It is one thing to know a plant in your area is edible. What's more important is to know what it usually looks like in your area and to identify it absolutely. I forage in Florida, Maine, and Greece, which are all very different climates. In temperate Maine, the plants are usually identification book perfect. Foraging where there is an actual winter is very easy because the plants consistently look the way they are suppose to look. The closer you get to the equator the more difficult it becomes. In Florida wild edible plants are often very different because the extreme environmental changes can make plants look far removed from their published examples. Periods of excess water and periods of excess heat change their shape and often where they grow. There can be a lot of subspecies. And in Greece the plants are just different altogether. They look familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Often your local plant can be a bad brother of the one in the guide book, or a close cousin, so it may look only a little different or have different characteristics, such as not being edible. Each plant is a little chemical factory, and one tiny change can make a big difference in the chemicals it makes and affect its edibility. Getting the identification right is crucial. I had a friend, who did not study with me, who call one day about a plant he had been eating - identified via a picture. He wanted to know about its berries. The plant he named didn't have berries, and I knew immediately what he had done and which plants he had mixed up. He had misidentified a plant and was eating one that had some toxicity because he was not preparing it the right way. He had been wondering why his family had been experiencing bad headaches after eating the plant. There is actually a little more to that incident. The plant he misidentified is one that experts are split on, some report it is edible if prepared correctly others saying it is not edible at all. On the other hand, I now know that plant can be prepared incorrectly, eaten and survived with just a headache. That suggests with proper preparation it is edible. Identification is important when you know what you're doing, and even more important when you don't. That said, don't be intimidated by the idea of identifying wild edible plants. Humans were passing along the knowledge of wild edibles long before writing or botany was invented. You'll come to recognize plants and trust your judgment. Regardless of how you know a plant is edible you must know it with errorless certainty. That means you have found it many times, prepared it many times, eaten it many times and every time you see it anew you make sure it is the right plant. It is one thing to be wrong and endure all that entails by yourself, it is another to be wrong and have people get sick over it. It is wise always to cross reference what you read. There is a plant in central Florida which only takes one pea-size seed to kill you, though it will take several painful days to do so and there is no antidote. Two reports, however, say that it is edible after cooking. That brings me to the advice of a forager named Dick Deuerling. When told a plant he thought was not edible was edible he would say this: "Invite me over, let me watch you harvest it, let me watch you prepare it, let me watch you cook it and let me watch you eat it. I'll come back the next day and if you're still alive I might try it." My point is you can't be wrong, so work hard at making it right. Next in the word in I.T.E.M is "T" time of year. If your wild edible is supposed to be flowering in September and you see it flowering in June, you might have the wrong plant, and a good look alike. That of course depends upon where you live. Some plants that bloom or fruit once a year in a northern climate may do so twice in a warmer climate. As an example, my pyracantha fruits twice. If a plant is not doing what it is supposed to be doing at the right time of year, you need to answer why, which is another reasons to study with a local expert. And let me add that studying is fun. You usually just join in with a group of plant people as they visit a field or forest. Sometimes those field trips are only a few hundred feet long because there's a world of plants to look at and the experts are more than happy to share what they know with you. They are pleasant people. The point is, if you ask around you will find someone who knows about wild edibles in your area who is willing to share. I've even been the botany lesson of the month for several home schoolers. With the help of local experts you can learn the local plants and how they (usually) differ from the text books. The next step in the general approach has two parts: "E" Environment.

The first part is to make sure the plant is growing in the right environment. If the plant likes its feet wet and it is growing in a sand trap you might have the wrong plant. Some plants can tolerate extreme changes in their environment but usually they have a significant preference. Another possible answer is the sand trap may flood often enough to have a bog plant growing there. Or, it might be an overwatered lawn. Here in Florida we have seasonal lakes with cactus. When the plant is in the wrong environment, you have to answer why. It could be you have the wrong plant, or a varying environmental condition. Again, learning from a local expert will get you that specialized knowledge because they have seen it before. The second part of the environment is checking the area for pollution of the water, soil or air. You don't want to eat an aquatic plant in a pond that has parking lot run off - a very common issue here in Florida. You don't want a plant that is growing in the cracked tar of a parking lot. Plants growing down hill from a major highway are suspect, or on a golf course where pesticides are used, or your neighbor's lawn for that matter or an inner city park. It's a matter of common sense, but in reality deciding whether a plant is in good soil and getting clean water it is the greatest challenge facing a forager especially in an urban area. Compared to that, identifying plants is relatively easy. (Incidentally, the most common accidental plant poisoning is kids eating landscape plants in your yard, next is eating landscape plants in your neighbor's yard.) The next word in the I.T.E.M. system is "M" Method of preparation.

Many wild edibles require particular methods of preparation to make them edible. Sometimes those methods kept that plant from entering the mainstream food supply. Pokeweed is a good example. It must be boiled at least twice, if not three times. If you boil it once like many other greens you might get ill from it. Despite several efforts in the United States to get that plant into the food supply the need to boil pokeweed more than once kept it out. Another plant may need to be soaked in salty water, or peeled. Some tubers have to be cooked twice. Method of preparation for wild edibles is important. Know it. I.T.E.M. is the word to always keep in mind whenever you are foraging for wild edibles. You should use it always no matter how much you know about edible wild plants. It's a system to keep you healthy and happy as a forager. You can easily and safely learn to forage, and there is a world of plants to explore and enjoy. Visiting sites like this and the author's of this article, and identification books, and visiting other sites, is a way to get started. But the greatest peace of mind and the quickest success is to study with an expert. It is one thing to read a plant is edible. It is another to see the person in front of you identify it AND eat it. Watching someone put something in their mouth where their words were builds trust, trust and knowledge builds your personal confidence. It allows you to say with certainty that you know this plant IS a wild edible and you don't know if that one is.

The same system of identifying wild edibles for eating can be used for identifying plants and harvesting herbs for herbal remedies!

This Wild Edibles article is written by Green Deane, author of Eat The Weeds

Prepping with a purpose

2012-02-29T14:08:00.000-08:00

I have been absent for sometime, I apologize for that! Be glad and rejoice, I am back! I am changing some of this blog to also incorporate Jesus and His teachings. As I believe that is my purpose for doing this blog. I hope you enjoy it.
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
The message of the Good News comes to focus in this verse. Gods love is not static or self centered; it reaches out and draws others in. Here God sets the pattern of true love, the basis for all love relationships- when you love someone dearly, you are willing to give freely to the point of self-sacrafice. Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and then offered us the new life that He had bought for us. Some people are repulsed by the idea of eternal life because their lives are miserable. But eternal life is not an extension of a persons miserable, mortal life; eternal life is Gods life embodied in Christ given to all believers now as a guarantee that they will live forever. In eternal life there is no death, sickness, enemy, evil or sin. How awesome will this be, to live with our brothers and sisters in Christ, with no sin? Have you packed an extra Bible in your storage stuff?

10 invaluable skills that will likely sustain yourself

2012-02-29T13:48:00.000-08:00

10 invaluable skills that will likely help you sustain yourself in a hand-made local world

Posted by Transition Now 

Here are 10 invaluable skills that will likely help you sustain yourself in a hand-made local 

By carolyn, on November 30th, 2010

1. Organic Gardening and Seed Saving: Skills involving food production will be the most valuable in a post-collapse society. Learning to grow your own food is a must.  Obviously, it is necessary to feed your family, but you will also be able to trade your abundance for other items. Additionally, learning to save seeds will also provide another excellent means of trade.

2. Food Processing and Preservation: Learning to process and preserve foods will be another huge skill in a post-collapse world. Taking seasonal abundance and preserving it for future consumption or trade will be vital.  Remember, learning to do this with limited electricity is a must. This can also include learning to brew beer, mead, vinegar, or other alcoholic beverages from meager ingredients.

3. Hunting, Fishing, and Gathering: Learning to fish and hunt is essential to survival. Having the proper gear and training will be priceless after the collapse of modern civilization.  Having reference guides for edible plants in your region, repairing weapons, trapping wild game, and fishing are great tools to have if you haven’t the time to learn them now. In regards to weapons, your ability to use them also gives you the skill of working security.

4. Animal Husbandry: Notice the first four categories are related to food production.  It’s that important.  Just gaining knowledge of one of these categories will give you an invaluable skill to thrive in a post-apocalyptic world.  Knowledge of animal husbandry can provide endless amounts of sustainable meat, eggs, and milk to you and your tribe.

5. Construction: Construction skills will be very important in a shattered civilization.  These skills, especially without power tools, are not something you learn overnight.  If you have some basic skills it may be worth learning a few techniques for building small structures with crude hand tools.  There are many books teaching anyone how to build basic cabins, sheds, and composting outhouses.

6. Alternative Energy and Fuels: Having the knowledge to implement alternative energy systems will make you a wealthy survivor in a “dark” world. You can learn to build your own alternative energy systems, or you can purchase back up solar generators in preparation for emergencies. There are also small fuel refinery systems available like the biodiesel Fuelmeister, and the new invention from Japan that turns plastic into oil.  Knowledge of how to create energy would be invaluable when oil is scarce.

7. Water Purification: Since it’s difficult to pump well water without electricity and with surface water likely to be contaminated, clean water will be in very limited supply.  Learning to purify water will allow you thrive during this time. You can also purchase water filters for your go-bag that will last weeks, and you can have back-up tablets should you need them.  However, the skill and knowledge to purify water should be the goal as that can never run out.

8. Basic First Aid and Natural Medicine: This is another skill that can take years to develop and learn, but that will be crucial when supply lines of pharmaceuticals are cut off and hospitals are over-run. Knowledge of growing herbal gardens for making medicine at home will prove to be very important.  Learning basic procedures for stitching wounds, CPR, and more will also be of great assistance.  Being the tribe’s shaman with a natural medicine chest is a prestigious position

9. Mechanics: Mechanics for cars, motorcycles, tractors and other machinery will likely be in high demand.  In addition, bicycle mechanics will also fair well in world where fuel is very expensive or hard to come by.  These are also skills that are not learned over night, but it will be wise to at least have access to books or how-to videos.

10. Soap and Candle Making: With long supply lines decimated and electricity on the fritz, soap and candle makers will provide a valuable product. Clearly some preparation of storing raw materials may be needed to achieve trade-able levels of these goods.  Even if you just had the knowledge to make soap or candles just for your immediate tribe, you will be much better off for it.

You’ll notice that many of these skills also fall into the category of what you would need to be self-sufficient. Again, learning all of these skills will be virtually impossible, especially if the collapse isn’t that far off as many predict.  Determine which skills that most appeal to you and focus on them by studying and acquiring the tools needed. Since you can’t become an expert in everything it may be wise to recruit tribe members with various survival skills.  It will also be beneficial to build up your library of “how to” books and videos for tasks that you are not proficient in.  You can download any video from Youtube by using Keepvid.com and build your library into an external hard drive.

Remember, knowledge of and skills to produce human necessities will be the only form of wealth creation in a hand-made world. Knowledge is something that no one can take from you. It’s the eternal wealth that will help you thrive in a Post-Collapse world. Get Prepared Now!

A page full of Docs done by Dan Peters

2011-06-27T11:51:00.001-07:00

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B55YJuc7bbexNDIwZjU4MDktNThjMi00MWIzLWJmMGYtMjVhYjY0ZjdjY2Uy&hl=en

Deception or Trust? What a great question in todays times. Is preparing for anything a good idea or bad?

2011-04-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

A wonderful article written By Denis Korn from: http://learntoprepare.com/2011/03/deception-or-trust-buying-emergency-foods/

He talks about the stuff people dont really want to talk about like deception, false advertising and misleading advertising of products and claims of how great the stuff is. My motto is, put up what you will eat and what is good for you. Dont store stuff that you will not eat right now or you find not nutritional. I know when it gets down to it...food is food. But if you arent starving right now and you can afford quality stuff without all the crap ingredients, then dont store it. The article is a good article to teach you to read labels and make wise purchases. So even if you feel you are behind everyone else, take your time and learn as you go. It will be a rewarding journey.

PREPARING FOR THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH

2011-04-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

By Pastor Richard Wurmbrand

http://members.cox.net/wurmbrand/prepare.html

For those of us who will be raptured, we will want a place for our family and friends to go to, so that they may be saved as well.

Some of our favorites...Dr Bones and Nurse Amy

2011-04-17T21:08:00.001-07:00

http://www.drbonesandnurseamyshow.prepperpodcast.com/2011/04/what-if-you-know-what-doesnt-hit-fan.html

My Survival Binder

2011-04-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

My survival Binder

Section 1. survival skills and kit items
Section 2. fire how-to's and what to do's
Section 3. Shelter how to's
Section 4. Water how to's
Section 5. Food, includes basic storage recipes
Section 6. First aid and clothing, what to do and how
Section 7. Navigation and signaling for self extraction and rescue

Section 1.
Survival skills mean knowing the rules of seven. These rules are basic problems survivors face. These rules will help you successfully overcome obstacles to wilderness survival.
The rules of seven are: cold/heat, thirst, hunger, fatigue, boredom/loneliness, fear/anxiety, pain/injury.
The seven skills to overcome the problems: fire starting, shelter building, water procurement, foraging for food, signaling, first aid, self defense.

Section 2.
You will want to learn and practice all you can to build a fire in any situation. Its not always easy, and in most circumstances, it is difficult in survival situations. Being able to build a fire is a life saving and morale boosting skill. Learn with and have on you, at least three means of starting a fire. I carry in my pack, waterproof matches, lighters, and magnesium fire starters. Also carry in your pack at least three aids to help get a fire started. I start with petroleum jelly fire starters, homemade fire sticks and candles.
Practice making fires with these items so you become very good.

Section 3.
A properly made shelter will go along way toward protecting you from the elements and keeping your morale up. It will also help you survive when your clothes and equipment are not up to the job. Shelter allows for protection from the elements like cold, sun, heat, wind, wetness, insects, animals, hidden from man, protects gear and you can use a shelter as a blind to ambush animals. Because shelter is so important you should always carry at least 50ft of 550 paracord and a 5x7 tarp or mylar blanket.

Section 4.
Water procurement. Having clean water to drink is most important, but may be the hardest to obtain. How long you can live without water depends on your physical condition and the environment youre in. Even in ideal situations you cannot last more than a few days. When you become dehydrated you that leads to mental and physical deterioration. Something you cannot afford in a survival situation. You must do what you can to produce enough water to keep you in top condition. Always consider untested water as contaminated water. Boiling water to make it safe to drink is always the preferred method. Other methods are poor in comparison as they do not eliminate 100% of disease causing organisms from the water or are subject to misuse or failure. These include water filters and chemicals such as bleach and hypochlorite. Your kit should contain the means to boil water, including fire starting materials and vessels in which to hold enough water for at least one day. Having enough water to drink will guard against cold, heat, thirst, fatigue, pain and injury.

Section 5.
Foraging for food. In most short term situations food is of lesser importance. You can survive weeks or even months with little or no food. The ability to obtain food from wild resources can help you survive by giving you added calories and nutrients necessary for peak performance. If you have knowledge of local wild edible plants, animals, fish, insects and how to collect them, you have a definite advantage in any situation. But in any situation you will want to carry a good knife, fire making materials, a metal pot or cup to cook in, fishing hooks, line and sinkers. Snare wire and the knowledge of how to use it. Plus wire is a great tool for repairing other things. The ability to successfully forage will help you withstand all seven threats to survival.

Section 6.
First aid and clothing. Often situations come about because of injury. Sometimes even a small injury can become a major significance. For example: a sprained ankle in the wilderness can be a life threatening situation. A problem with major injuries in the wilderness is lack of adequate resources to fully deal with the injury. Usually the best that can be done is an effort at stabilization in preparation for evacuation. All kits should contain basic first aid for wounds, cuts, scrapes and to prevent shock. As for clothing, we have a complete change of clothes, some under clothes made from poly (not cotton), an extra pair of boots, a water proof jacket, three pairs of wool or poly socks a wool sweater. And we have several large trash bags, a sleeping bag each and several bandanas.

Section 7.
Good survivalists carry several means of signal items. A whistle is a must. It can be heard farther than a voice. A signal mirror can be seen from great distances as well as smoky fires. Plus you can lay rocks or vegitation out to spell SOS or an arrow to show a direction for rescuers.

Now that is the first few sections in my book. I have other pages too! They pertain to items and their uses (basically a list of what I need and use). Plus I copied some knots from the net (http://www.animatedknots.com/knotlist.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com). Some basic knot tying is very important, especially if you have to traverse water or a crevice, or to tie your food up high to keep the animals out. A section on traps, what kinds and how to use them. How to make a Dakota fire hole, a fire pit chamber and how to use them to the best advantages. A section on shelters, how to make them and several different types. How to make a firebed, fuel for it and how to safely use it (http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/how-to-make-a-firebed/). Several recipes from very simple items like flour, baking powder, salt, lard and milk powder. Its called Bannock and other simple recipes. Plus a section on hypothermia, convection, radiation, evaporation, reducing heat loss. The symptons and treatments. And how to layer clothing for surviving any condition.
Plus I have a check list of things I would/should add. And we go through the bags a few times a year to make sure they are always ready.
I also have a sheet on sanitation and whats needed there. Its important for the prevention of disease to plan for this as well.
And I also have a bag on wheels that is full of books. It has reference books to: medical treatments, homemade cures and tips, misc plants, trees, berries and other edible treats, animal tracks and recipes. All the books we have for this are pre 1980's as we felt the new stuff didnt have much info for less ingredients and basic stuff.

Canned Food Storage Safety

2011-04-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Some canned foods can last almost indefinitely if they are stored in the right conditions and are not dented or bulging. Make sure to exercise discretion when using old canned foods. And keep these safety tips in mind when storing canned foods for long periods of time:

* Always remember to label your cans as you buy them. I would recommend simply writing the month and year they were purchased on the top of the can with permanent marker. For most items, you should be quite safe to eat these items within two years of this date. After two years, make sure to inspect the cans carefully before you eat the food inside.
* For the longest shelf-life, store canned foods in controlled, cool and dry locations, with temperatures varying between approximately 68 to 78 degrees. This should be a storage location inside your home, and not in the garage or a storage facility with a wide temperature range.
* Periodically check your stored cans to look for cans that are badly dented, bulging, rusty, leaky, or that have broken seals. Large dents can break a seal in a can, even if the seal still looks intact. Bulging cans must be thrown out, even a slight bulge is a very bad sign. You should not see the top of your cans dome up even in the slightest. To test for this, push the can lid and see if it pushes in and pops back. If it does, throw it out.
* Never eat canned food that has a strange odor, color, or flavor, or that spurts when it is opened.
Proper rotation of your food storage will keep you from having your canned food go bad. As the old saying goes, when in doubt, throw it out! It is not worth risking your family's safety to be this frugal.

The first day of many to start our journey into preparing for the future to come.

2011-04-17T19:31:00.001-07:00

It almost takes a college education to do this stuff. Put me in charge of packing a bug out bag, Im better at that!