Heirloom Gardens

Although I've put in tomatoes by seed, today I picked up a small flat of heirloom tomato plants. Nearly all of the plants sold now days are hybrid.

I had a marvelous garden back in Illinois. Every spring, the farmer we rented from would plow and I would rake it smooth and plant. Without fail, every year, "volunteer" tomato plants would spring up, growing where the parent plant from the previous year had dropped rotten tomato, forgotten tomatoes, or some seeds from somewhere. The volunteer plants were always the strongest, most productive.

Mostly, these were cherry tomato plants and I would make katsup, juice, and serve them in salads endlessly. I'd wash a bowl full of cherry tomatoes and leave them out for the kids to munch.

Hybrid plants can not reseed themselves. Heirlooms can. When buying seed, look for the old fashioned strains.

You can keep the seed from pumpkins and squash, provided they do not cross pollinate. Plant them fart apart to keep squash varieties pure. Butternut, acorn, yellow neck, and zucchini are all great for low maintenance, big rewards.

First Circumnavigation With Human Muscle Power

I'm impressed. Not often do you find a person so committed to their adventure that they will press on, despite broken legs-recovery, family emergencies, and loss of partnerships. But, Jason Lewis, whom I read about first in a tiny photo and clip in a men's magazine, has a story to inspire every survivalist.

Read about him at: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/10/first_muscle_journey.php

The Tree Hugger site has many links to photos and details. Good reading.

Part of the point here is sustainability. Part is facing the human condition: fear, poverty, loneliness, pain, logistics.

Some survivalists urge a homesteading model whereby we stock up on foodstuffs, ammunition, buy some land, and create a shelter of permanence. This is good, and I hope it works, but for this to work we must have faith in the continuance of breathable air and usable water in our location.

I'm kinda loving Jason's approach. I know he had support and many modern things we wouldn't have in a true breakdown of civilization. Yet, if a person can dare a world wide, or even state wide adventure, motored by human muscle, over the course of weeks, months and years, survival skills of a most important nature must occur.

Self reliance, mobility, interaction with various cultures, while solving logistics and coming to terms with mortality seems to be a journey into the deeper realms of survival, honing instincts for survival and the positive mental attitude.

Firing an Assault Rifle

Each cardboard target is hung on a dead tree, with a paper plate for the ideal shot. The rifles are sighted in, which is a long process at 100 yards!





I was in the woods yesterday with my partner and filmed him doing some target practice. Then, he asked me if I'd like to fire the Mini 14 ( .223 cal.) assualt rifle. I know it kicks!

He's been instructing me on fire arms safety. One thing that is key, excellent hearing protection. In this short film you can see I have ear plugs in addition to heavy duty head set.

Cirro Jacket-Brooks Range Gear Review

I tested and did a review on this excellent but somewhat pricey jacket over at my other blog:
http://brawnyview.blogspot.com


The actual product page with the company's own specs can be found at:
http://brooks-range.com/cirro-jacket.html




I love this jacket and plan to take it with me on my drive out west. I'll be gone for six months and put over 5,000 miles on behind the wheel.

This jacket will be my mainstay because of the warmth to weight ratio, how sharp it looks, and the generous pockets. It really packs down small, feels luxurious, and never binds. That's very important on road trips. I believe it will look great with jeans.

I have the small jacket. For my personal thoughts on the sizing, check out my other blog. Basically, when in doubt, take the next larger size. I have a small, it weighs 10.6 ounces.

What Will the Future Look Like?

I have been reading several survival web blogs and web sites lately.

We seem to have various views of what our future, as a world, a country, a communtiy, an indivigual may be.

The acronym : TEOTWAWKI is fun to pronounce. Try it Tee-oh-Twaw-Key. Thats how I'm saying it.
I found it at : http://thesurvivalistblog.net/

He's got some great links, too, and the Winterizing a Travel Trailer was a good read. This couple went up to Stevens County in Washington State, lived in a modified 18 foot travel trailer with temps getting down to minus 3. Thats serious stuff.

Anyways, in a discourse on future urban survival, the scenario mentions eating cats and dogs.
The End of The World As We Know It (Teotwawki) will bring out all our survival instincts, and its uncertain what humans will resort to.

In the book and movie by the same title, The Road, Cormac MaCarthy shows the cannibalism and farming of human which includes maintaining life while slowing harvesting food. Pretty gross, but profound thoughts here.

We all know about the Donner's Pass Party, and reduction to cannibalism. This is not unusual historically. And if we can eat humans, we can sure eat cats, dogs, rats, insects.
Its a disasociation, I believe, that evolution has allowed for us to move forward as a species.

If I am ever reduced to eating non typical food sources, the first step is bringing that item into a generic form: killing, skinning, and cutting into pieces of standard shapes. I don't want to spend any time looking at eyes and taste buds, at fingers or fur.
Thats just me, from a point of plenty, without necessity or hunger.

Watching the distruction in Japan, first massive earthquakes and after shocks, then devastating tsunami, and worst of all nuclear disaster with long term impact, we're prompted to ask ourselves questions on survival.
How secure is my water? How are my adapting skills being developed? How long will civility hold out while people are living in cramped conditions?

I noticed families building cardboard homes inside the building for mass housing. I loved it. They found ways to feel privacy, create polite boundaries, re establish family life.

What will our future look like? Will we be able to recognize ourselves?
Interestingly, on the survivalistblog website, the question is constantly posed: What did you do to prepare today?

Interesting food for thought.

Eureka Casper Sleeping Bag Review

I love this sleeping bag. It is 100% synthetic, with extra fill for feet and chest area, a true woman's bag.
It is the first bag that's ever fit me just right. That means as soon as I get in it, the warmth is felt because I'm not heating up that extra foot at the bottom or that extra width at the shoulders.
My bag and the specs can be seen at :Women's Casper Sleeping Bag

I've modified a lot of other sleeping bags, and they've been good, but if you want one that fits from the start, check it out.

Eureka
makes a lot of gear. I have a Spitfire I tent, and it is very well made too.






The three-quarters zipper is two way, with a substancial draft tube, triple stitched in a fabric which feels luxurious. I slept in shorts and sleeveless t-shirt, no socks needed.




The zipper can open all the way, without any stress on its componants because of the triangular web in place and seperation feature. This allows you to use it as a quilt on warm nights.







A specially designed hood gives comfort and warmth. This 15 degree bag weighs 2 pounds 15 ounces, and came in a serious compression sack. I'm using a silnylon stuff sack however, and keeping the compression sack for clothing.






I love the color, a deep gray, mint green top tone. The bottom has a circular footbed, which kept my feet toasty, yet not feeling claustrophobic. I appreciate that.

I keep it hung up using the two loops sewn into the bottom when not in use. Other features include an inside chest pocket for those nighttime things.
I found turning over was easy, not getting twisted up in a too large bag.

Of course, if you're a taller woman, they have those too, as well as men's bags.I'm so happy with this one it's the one I'll bring to the Grand Tetons this summer. I'll be able to test it in high elevations from May to October, the length of my seasonal job.

Gear Testing-the Woman's Bag

I have a new Eureka Women's Sleeping Bag to test this weekend.
My initial thoughts and report upon recieving it can be read on March 14th, at
http://brawnyview.blogspot.com
This weekend I'm heading out on a river trail to test it.

Photo and specs can be read at:
http://store.eurekatent.com/products/364834/Casper_15

Apparently the full moon will be closer to the earth than its been in 18 years. Some folks feel this portends disaster. I'm not that worried, whatever happens we'll deal.

Perhaps as American's we've become so complacent with past prosperity that anything new or threatening is cause for upset.
I finished reading an article in Money, August 2010, an interview with Bill Gross. He keeps mentioning the "new normal".

Will Rogers said "I'm not so much concerned about the return on my money as the return of my money".
Well spoken, and sad, because its become so normal for our investments to evaporate in the bubbles we've lived through, that just not loosing principle keeps us happy.

My strategy? Buy one quality item, learn how to fix anything that can go wrong with it (sewing, gluing, hammering, whatever) and wear it out.
Avoid any tendency to reward myself with material goods. Instead, reward myself with free time, adventure, and companionship.

Responsible consumership is the new normal.

Survivalistblog.net A Great Resourse

I came across this link while searching for tips on dealing with nuclear disasters.


http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/

This is a huge issue right now, even enough for the President to do a complete review of our current emergency systems and who would do what.

The links page on this survival blog has many places to read about guns, gardening, trailer living, hand to hand fighting and self defense, food and water with calculators, trapping wild game, raising animals. Some links are for videos, some for books, some are websites.

I've become interested in skills which involve improvisation. Using only what is at hand, easily obtainable, or can be hand made are the true skills for coming disasters.

Admittedly, this type of thinking will not endure you to governments and authority figures. They want you to think things are under control, just get in the line for assistance.

Others know and have seen that only self reliant thinking will get you through when there is a true disaster. Food, water, shelter and self defense are critical elements in a catastrophe.

Pictures, Graphics, Real Information

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366308/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-Meltdown-3rd-reactor-blast-hits-nuclear-plant.html

This link has many photos, graphics, explanations and is incredibly well done.

The charts show how the one through seven level disaster number is accredited to nuclear events.

Before and after shots of the facilities, along with maps showing what it means for our west coast.

Life Post Japan-Get Ready

We're still testing gear here. I did an initial review of the

Eureka Woman's Casper Sleeping Bag at http://brawnyview.blogspot.com/

Plan to take it this weekend for a trail- real trip event.Then we'll post photos here.

I'm all about hands on testing. Just thinking about stuff, reading, and book knowledge works for starters. Then, a person has to get out and try it. Like my hobo stove, hobo lamp, survival shelters, acorn and wild food experiments.

The horrible catastrophe which befell Japan, starting with the massive 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami is causing some people to look at survivalism again.

Who knew iodine tablets taken just before exposure could assist in preventing radiation poisoning?
Not like "they" are giving us real numbers. Sorta like getting your complete cholesterol profile done only to have the doctor say, "its fine, let us worry about the actual numbers". Anybody knows that's dangerous ground. A lipid profile can vary so much, the HDL and triglycerides telling much more than a LDL reading alone.

So, I went searching for real numbers.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=400+milliseverts+per+hour+Japan+radiation&ei=utf-8&fr=b1ie7

by putting 400 millisivents per hour Japan radiation into the yahoo search engine.
I had heard yesterday the term "400 millisievents" which put me onto real information. According to experts, the sun gives us just 3 millisivents Per Year. If we get a cat scan we get 8. I've been reading warnings about that, so the number 400 sure caught my attention.

Some experts claim we lay people can't understand the "numbers". We are computer literate. I take exception to that theory.

Not to be a fear monger here. Just wondering why we are told such pacifying things when in reality we should be thinking about our own survival kits at home. Our skills in water management, food storage while people in Japan go hungry for days on end should be sending us messages about preparedness.

Japan is the third largest economy in the world, an industrialized nation. A natural disaster has brought untold suffering. Time to look at our own readiness. If they are going hungry, it could happen here as well.

What is the Optimal Living Space ?

I've been thinking about energy lately.
Prices of oil because of Middle East unrest, nuclear meltdown scares post earthquake Japan, mining disasters all point to a need to find solutions.

Seems the only real solution is minimalism. Downsizing living space with all the corresponding consumer clutter would go a long ways to diminishing energy needs.
This link gave me the average square footage of living space around the world.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2007/08/How-Poor-Are-Americas-Poor-Examining-the-Plague-of-Poverty-in-America


U.S= 721
U.s. Poor= 438
U.S. Poor, apartment =320
UK-France, Germany, Japan = 376
Hungary, Greece, Korea, Spain= 236
Turkey, Chili, Poland, Mexico = 162
Egypt, Philippines, Morocco, Colombia= 94.7
India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan= 65.5

Obviously, there is a point below which society breaks down. People need space for learning, sleeping, and privacy.

On a long distance back packing trip, our tents may only be 30 square feet. The outdoors provides space for enjoyment, but its not something we must contain, heat, cool, or maintain.

Evolution of the housing industry in America is swinging back to a more efficient design I believe. We will need to become more efficient in our choice of goods as well, space being a premium.

A Close Racoon Encounter-Rabies?

Yesterday while hiking I crossed paths with a very healthy looking raccoon. It was 10 a.m, and he was fat, but slow, and not very scared. He climbed a tree, and watched me pass. I had my hiking poles, prepared to fend off any attacks.

I immediately thought of rabies. We always think of aggression and erratic behavior associated with rabies.

I visited my "cabin" then returned the same path. The raccoon surprised me because he was just sitting off the trail, in the leaves. He appeared to be very drowsy.

My partner hiked that same path around 3 p.m and the raccoon was in the same place, looking sleepy. Because of his lack of aggression, we figured old age just made him sluggish.


Research at:

http://www.ehow.com/list_6054798_symptoms-distemper-rabies-raccoons.html

"
Rabies affects raccoons in two different ways. The first way is to slowly bring them into a stupor. They move less, become slower, and seem to grow depressed. Although they're nocturnal animals, they may remain outside during the daytime. They also lose their fear of humans and other animals, and although they aren't overtly aggressive, they may attack if provoked, spreading the disease. These unusual behaviors are the surest way to spot a rabid raccoon
Read more: Symptoms of Distemper & Rabies in Raccoons | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6054798_symptoms-distemper-rabies-raccoons.html#ixzz1GRNMPHoP"


Happily the raccoon was not there this morning. I was dreading a broken bloody body. Perhaps buzzards or coyotes got him. No signs.

Beware of animals with slow sluggish behavior. Never provoke or try to pet anything wild. These are my takeaway thoughts.

The Stoning of Soraya-Movie Review

I watched The Stoning of Soraya with some apprehension, knowing it would be disturbing and provocative. It's challenging to remain objective while watching tribal brutalism and suspicion in the name of religion. Any religion.

And of course, the violence aimed at women and intimidation of any man who would assist a wrongfully accused person doesn't help. The aftermath of the 2008 movie, based on the true story and book written by traveling journalist in 1986 Iran, leaves one angry, sad and appalled that such things still happen in our "modern world".

The film runs 1 hour 54 minutes and is worth watching. It will be one of those classics that rank right along with Amistad and Gettysburg. Not everyone likes a taste of history. Our barbaric human natures are tough stuff to admit.

The story is told by the aunt of a man who tires of his present wife, has picked out a new young virgin. Unable to support two wives,he demands a divorce. Even though abused, she declines. With four children this devout woman has no desire to raise her children alone in poverty.
The crafty husband finds another way, accusations of adultery which lead to her stoning.
But, I haven't told the whole story and will leave the details a mystery.

Cultural literacy is a journey worth taking.

Head Shot With BB Gun

This gray squirrel was shot from a distance of 25 feet with a Daisy Pump Action BB Gun.
It also shoots .177 caliber pellets. This head shot was done with a regular BB and the gun was only pumped twice.





I was really surprised that this wound could kill a squirrel.
This lesson shows that with a proper head shot, even a small weapon would be useful in survival situations.
Generally, I am a vegetarian. When I cook at resorts, I will taste whatever I cook.

In a survival situation, I would eat whatever my hand could catch.

Search And Rescue Conversation-Who Pays

A controversial topic always surrounds the Payment Question:
when someone is out "there" and gets into trouble, who should pay for the search and rescue of those people?

Check out this link for an ongoing commentary, leave your view, follow the feeds:


http://outside-blog.away.com/blog/2009/01/search-rescue-who-foots-the-bill.html

There are other links there too.

When we parked a car at Table Rock State Park to hike the Foothills Trail, the front desk required the parking permit (free) to state our return date. We posted one day past our intended return date to prevent a Search and Rescue being performed without merit. What if we wanted to take it a little slower? Its the first time I've ever felt threatened by a search and rescue.

Some worry that imposing the cost upon the receivers of a Search and Rescue would cause those in danger not to call for help in time. How many actually have a cell phone with them, and does it even get a signal? You can call home from Mt.Everest, but not from these hills in North East Georgia. If you think you'll get a signal anywhere on the Pacific Crest Trail, you'll be surprised.

Some interesting stats I found:
Oregon S&R in 2005
Activity/Percent of Missions

1)Motor Vehicles/20.5%
2)Hiking/13.8%
3)Wandering (without specific destination)/10.1%
4)Hunting/9.4%
5)Boating/6.4%
6)Suicide/5.5%
7)Swimming/4.2%
8)Fixed-wing Aircraft/3.7%
9)Combing/3.4%
10)Mushroom Picking/3.0%

Source: Office of Emergency Management

I ask myself, If I was in danger of dying, or loosing a couple limbs, would I be willing to pay $10,00 for my own life? Hell ya.
If I'm not willing to pay it, why would I expect anyone else to be willing to foot the bill?

There are many extenuating circumstances in scenarios like this. I don't have the answers.
Comments welcome.
Stay safe.

Men's Journal Magazine Review

I may have mentioned before, but there's this thrift store in town that gives away magazines. Early on they realized people will not pay a quarter for a magazine that is 4 years old.

But, rather than just throw them in the landfill garbage connection, they put all the magazines, willy nilly, on a shelf. Its on a help yourself basis.

The Frugal in me loves this concept dearly.

I choose about 5 magazines, bring them home, read and recycle them. The paper is bought by a local animal company, who shreds it and uses it for bedding.

Wonderful.
This last group included a large glossy edition of Men's Journal.
I like men's magazines. Helps me know what the other half of the species is up to.
There was an article on 60 adventures, and true stories of crazy happenings. One
guy wrote about finding a brick of cocaine on the beach. He shared the moral and economic delima with the readership. Bottom line, he put it in his room, his wife spilled the beans to fellow tourists, the hotel manager resuced his butt.

Another guy wrote about his desert hike with a girl, chosing a day hike not meant for "trail pussies". His bottom line, near death experience from lack of water. Still, he achieved his goal. No pussy here.

I took the "What kind of Adventurer Are you?" self test. A series of questions, multiple choices of what to do, who did what to whom, and are these Star Wars characters or Extreme Sports moves.
I ended up in the next to highest category with the points that correlated to " You probably have gorp in your pocket right now, don't you?".

I guess that makes me a winner?

Anyways, the online link to this magazine is
http://www.mensjournal.com

Mr. Heater Portable Buddy-Gear Review

I bought this heater for my 12 x 16 studio which is a metal building with R13 insulation and panneling installed. It has a pressure treated floor and carpeting. During the winter I needed some form of heat which did not require electrical hook ups. I wanted something that would not be dependent on a power source.

This heater cost $84 bucks at Walmart. It uses one pound propane cannisters which can be screwed into the system quite easily. There are two settings, high and low, and is designed to shut off if it tips over.

A person can buy a hose and hook it up to a 20 pound propane cannister. I've decided to keep the portability feature to enable instant heat in the corner of the studio I'm working. A one pound cannister will burn about 6 hours on the low setting.

A great feature is it could also be taken on camping trips, used during power outtages inside our home, or lent to someone in need. Little ventilation is needed. I simply open the window a tiny bit when using the heater for any length of time.

I am quite happy with the heat it generates. It can melt fabric if set too closely to curtains. Once my jogging pants began to melt while I was standing too close enjoying the first heat.

The propane cannisters can be recyled. They can not be refilled, a disadvantage to fuel supply. This Portable Buddy-Mr Heater is a great buy.