Wild Hog Shot

I'm glad my partner took care of one ravaging wild hog. Local gardens and fields, orchards and landscape are endangered when wild hogs become too numerous.


This wild hog is just a youngster. She was shot with a .223 caliber Mini 14 rifle. Another hog, presumably the mother, escaped.

Wild hogs are destructive. Overnight they can root up an entire hill side, trail and campsite. Years ago, a man in these parts, let loose some domesticated pigs so they could run wild and he could hunt them. Hogs are known for their ability to eat anything. Acorns, seeds, forage and even Styrofoam plates used for target practice are among common foodstuffs.

This short video attempts to document the damage over a wide area done overnight.

It doesn't do it justice, but think of a rotter tiller buzzing over the entire valley.

Hogs are heavily muscled and good eating for the survivalist. Always process meat immediately and wear rubber gloves to protect yourself from bacteria or parasites. Raw or undercooked pork may contain serious health hazards, so research the proper way to handle butchering. It is beyond the scope of this blog to take on that project.

Dandelions are Edible!

I've heard about dandelions for a long time. Supposedly full of iron, wine makers love the yellow flowers.

I harvested quite a handful of greens. The stems are too bitter for my taste, so I took just the leaves.
History buffs teach us this plant was actually brought over from England by the first settlers as a spring crop. Its very early bloomer and grows even in gravel. I should know, that's where I got mine.
Check out wikipedia for more information : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion


Anyways, back on the "farm", after harvesting a goodly handful, I washed them, sprayed them with the typical vegetable sanitizer (one drop of bleach in a quart of water), and rinsed them.

Heating a couple tablespoons of canola oil in a cast iron pan, I sauteed them, and served them with rice, red beans, onions and corn tortillas. Salsa on the side, it made a nice green garnish.

I admit, raw is not near as flavorful as sauteed.
I love finding organic edibles that grow wild.

What About the Drugs?

Pharmaceuticals are important in daily life.
Its really nice to take some benydryl or ibuprofen when needed.

But, what happens when TEOTWAWKI or SHTF comes? How does a person amass all the drugs they may be currently taking, to last for X number of months or years?
I haven't read many ideas on this and my plan is pretty radical. I am not a health professional, so the ideas here are strictly from a lay person with observation and research skills. Consult your doctor, the writer of this blog is not liable for any decisions you may make after reading this blog.

I read Americans watch 30 hours of commercials each year for prescription drugs. Many of these commercials peddle remedies for weight control, depression, erectile disfunction, female issues, anxiety, high blood pressure, diabetics, cholestrol control. The law does not require drug companies to tell us what the success rate of these drugs are or if we can avoid them all together by life style change. The possible side effects are rattled off so quickly, the visual of happy couples and people regaining health after taking said drugs are very potent.

How strange that we're also bombarded with commercials from lawyers pleading with us to call them if we've had any adverse effects from these drugs.
What if we could get away from drugs, completely? In preparation for survival and emergency situations, we're advised to have all medications on hand. There are shelf lives to this stuff, and so people on drugs are at a disadvantage in the long haul.

Studies show that if we adopt a healthy life style and a seriously responsible approach to our own well being, many drugs can be eliminated.

Next time you go to the doctor, ask how you can get off the high blood pressure meds. Loose weight? Exercise? Get rid of that competitive stress? Eat some fruits and veggies, avoid red meat and pastries?

Quit smoking is the first and best economical move for a survivalist.
Get in shape by loosing weight, and exercising. Fresh air is your friend.
Drink lots of water, good old tap water. Dehydration is a killer, chemicals in processed drinks can be avoided all together.

I'm pretty radical, I know. Last time I was at the doctor, the nurse was amazed I didn't take any meds or herbal rememdies. When my blood work is done, I request a copy and take serious inventory of its contents. With so many great online sites, a person can research any medical concerns and get information that your health provider may not even be aware of.
http://labtestonline.org/ has a wealth of information, http://mayoclinic.com/
and even just doing a google search.

Bottom line is to take control of your health, reduce and rethink medications with your doctors help, by choosing natural healthy life style.

Eliminating obesity and smoking are necessary steps, the sooner the better.

A Confession of Lost Addict

Hi, my name is Brawny, and I'm an addict.
I had heard about this series, but only watched one, years ago, at a friends. Season three I think. There were commercials. I wasn't into it. Too weird.


Now we got NetFlicks. You can watch all 100 episodes back to back if you like, no commercials.

Commercials are for taking a pee break, grabbing a cup of coffee, shutting windows. Never watch a commercial unless its super cute. Loving those Gieco kids. I watch those every time.

Back to Lost.

Who knew? We got hooked in the first season. You can't help loving the main characters. Their back stories are interspersed with the current drama. Series of disasters keep the 43 minutes of each episode flying. Of course, with netflicks, you can pause it, back wind it (did he say he hated his father?)
and play it over again.

Yeah, well, I keep reading the next episodes description, and can't go to bed. So far we've watched 51 out of the hundred. All other programing must wait.

Not to give too much away, but between Sawyer and Jack, if I were Kate, not sure which one I'd base a future on. Right now she's sitting on the fence and enjoying the best of both worlds, but this is a family show.

No swearing, no nudity, some nice kisses, some fighting and murder, but that would probably be rated PG.

It's got twists and turns and I admit I find myself yelling at the screen"No! don't turn your back on that Other!" or "Why don't you split up the work load, you dunce?" and "Oh sure, you just happen to have the right antibiotics."

I think they used to call it Johnny Come Lately, or Been There Done That, but if you haven't watched Lost, try it. Interesting psychological drama, and I wonder whose dream, nightmare, or mental illness may be inducing the torture inflicted on various humans on The Island.

I'm pondering the applications as a survivalist. They seem to have an inordinate amount of tarps and medicines to make life easier. They prefer living on the beach to caves or The Amazing Survival Bunker with all the comforts of home. The weapondry, in spite of the leaders best efforts, have been spread around until you never know who will come up with a loaded glock.

People die, are buried, the good, the bad and the pretty. Doesn't matter. Some we hated anyways, they had it coming. Some we still misss. Its rumored only the good die young, but I'm not buying that line anymore.

If you've seen the end,please don't tell me.

Can You Live In 27 Cubic Feet?

Cube construction from Mike Page on Vimeo.

This video from http://treehugger.com raises some interesting questions. I know when I do seasonal work, we use less than 100 square feet per person in our dorm. But then, we are fed in the employee dinning room, do laundry in the laundry room, have a central lounge, and share a bathroom. Just goes to show there are many acceptable ways to downsize our living space. As mentioned in the page dedicated to this experiement, the psychology is being studied. Claustrophobia is a real issue. Personal areas combined with communal areas are possibilities. Independent facilities, downsized and multi purposed are others.

Plastic Melts -Moldable

Make cordage from that mountain of plastic, or boil water in a bottle.



Of course you can take these tips into new territory using heat and plastic to mold or repair, plug holes or shape fishing nets or traps.


Creativity and base knowledge are key in survival, I've found.

Repair and Recycle- Steps in Survival

I read an interesting article in Country Woman about Creative Junking-making awesome home furnishings by using "junk" or what I call found objects. I was glad to see the author recommend looking in your own stash of junk first, and cautioning people not to pick up stuff randomly. After all, have we not seen hoarders, or Buried Alive?

The mission I'm on is downsizing, minimalizing my collection of personal belongings. I did several films on http://youtube.com/user/brawny03 showing simple hand sewing techniques for repairing gear. Replacing buttons, adding drawcords, modifying exisiting stuff to prolong its life are all important skills.

Then I did a whole series of hobo gear ideas, from backpacking wood stoves, making cordage from plastic bags, survival in a can systems, and more. The idea here is to practice recycling otherwise useless items into things I need. Not that I need them now. These projects provide skills and useful knowledge about how raw materials behave under heat, cold, and stress.

For instance, I tested the idea of bringing water to a boil in a soda bottle over a camp fire, using cordage made entirely of plastic bags. This could become a survival tool in a SHTF scenario.

I tested the idea of various lamps using motor oil, cotton strips from a bandana, and tin can. This worked better than I anticipated!



As I repair stuff, or decide its not worth repairing, I look for ways it might be recycled into useful Other Items.

A lamp, a fuel starter, a stove, a boiling water apparatus, all made out of typical landfill, side of the road junk are items that a person would need if the world no longer functioned as we're used to.

Words of Encouragement for the Downsizer

Any half awake materialist knows that which you hold, holds you.--Tom Robbins, 1936 wrote this interestingly enough, just as the Great Depression was getting resolved.

There are two ways to be rich: one is by acquiring much, and the other is by desiring little.--Jackie French Koller wrote this in 1948, right after World War II.

Both quotes are good reminders that downsizing is a path to freedom. I'm working on reduction, not only in the larger sence of material belongings, but also in daily tasks. Its good to be effecient time wise so there's more time for play.

A final quote from E.F Schumacher, written in 1911, before World War I: Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius-and a lot of courage- to move in the opposite direction.

Reduce and Downsize for Survival

I wrote about reusing containers on the 12 of April. This is not to encourage saving of all kinds of plastic and glass ware. If we can reuse something instead of buying something new, we reduce the impact on earth resources, especially oil needed for manufacturing and shipping all this stuff around the globe.

But that's almost too big to get our heads around.

If we reduce our square footage of living space, and reduce the quantity of goods we fill it up with, then we'll make faster progress as a nation.
The more compact the housing, the less it takes to heat and cool it.

What if there's so much stuff in that square footage you start to feel claustrophobic? I know I do. I took an inventory on the amount of hair care products I have right now, on my shelves, in my home.Eight different things, not including combs or brushes. Just liquids. There are two kinds of shampoo, two kinds of conditioner, some various styling products, and some coloring agents.

Now, basically what happened is none of it seemed to be working for me. Finally I realized I expected product to solve mechanical issues: bad haircuts, brushing while wet, sun damage, etc. Instead of throwing it out, I'm going to use up what I have and not replace it, thereby getting this inventory cut in half.

I can take that approach to my closet as well. Why do I have twenty pairs of pants? Which ones haven't I worn in over a year? There's a reason I never use this jacket. In those cases, the sooner I get rid of it, the better.

I read about the 100 Items Challenge. This project can be interpreted in two ways: either each item ( one pair of shoes, one pair of pants) is counted, or each category is counted ( the jewelry is one, the shoes is another). You can see that with 100 categories a person could still end up with a ton of stuff. Yet, 100 individual items would be difficult to achieve. I probably have that in wardrobe alone.

A recent post at http://thesurvivalistblog.net/ suggests that its important to be in the right location, and be mobile when necessary. Being able to move out, and leave it all behind is a mindset. I'm constantly watching out for Stuff Overload. It can creep up on you, one item at a time.

Is Reducing Our Carbon Foot Print Rediculous?

I wanted to talk about the first R in Five Survival Strategies today: reuse. The photo below was taken yesterday. You can see a variety of containers that I bought food in. After using up the food, they were washed, and continue to be used. Glass jars, large plastic jugs, soda bottles (excellent water bottles and ice packs for the cooler), and stackable cocoa powder containers are all sturdy and saveable.



Seems sort of pointless to do this to "save the planet". This morning I read an article about

Japan Upgrades Nuclear Disaster to Chernobyl
and I'm scared, pissed and discouraged.

Not that we didn't know they were spoon feeding us information all along. With so many world wide crisis,its easy to loose interest, get distracted, and forget the monster across the ocean.

Forgetting there are many of these here in America.
Forgetting there is a nuclear reactor sitting on the coast in California, earthquake belt, tsunami in waiting.

But, here I am recycling, reusing containers to limit my carbon footprint cause I love the earth. I love the green forests, the clear running streams, the living breathing planet.

I'll keep on reusing stuff cause I can't help it. I'll reuse zip lock bags, aluminum foil, candle stubs to make fuel sticks, wash clothes instead of one use disposable "Handi Wipes".

Leonardo daVinci wrote in 1452, Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I think that qualifies for sustainable survival skills.

Polident's Good Bye, a Guest Post

My friend from http://Coolworks.com
posted this, and with his permission, I share it with you.

The journey ahead , I am about to be Dead . I am petrified . The pictures of Death are frightening .
The handbooks are very subjective ( Bible , Quoran , etc ) and I feel are antiquated . This is the premier journey but there is a noted absence of relevant information .

For instance, the timetable of departure is ambiguous. Yesterday , I begged to be taken immediately . This evening I am chipper , with a bit of color , a stroll to the pub may be ahead .
How to prepare ? I revert to my old standard - take on the challenge with vigor . Therefore the practical arrangements are complete . I have ordered cremation . Scatter the ashes in the garden . I see no real glory in tying up a sliver of our precious Earth in order to store a bit of tissue .

My real questions . Will the pain be gone ? Do I see my dear Mum ? And what of my mates ? Will our bodies be torn and abused , or will we be whole ? If I am whole , then the pain must be gone .


Oh so many questions . I am petrified .

I have prepared as much as possible in order to free my mind for the present . Living Here Now . The journey of light will come . My affairs are arranged and all the wags at the pub are lining up for pints at the wake .
I am petrified of height . Walking out of a perfectly stable in-flight craft is an outrageous example of stupidity . I am puny , the frame of an underfed pullet . The big lads did enjoy a toss now and again . I do admit a joy as I toss the big lads . Judo created equality among the brawny .

I absolutely deplore spiders and snakes . I became an Instructor at the jungle warfare school . I say all not to be a braggart . I say all as a message . The real great fear of life , is death, because it is unknown unseen . All other fear can be overcome or dealt with . I'll not visit again . This site is about the future . I am a part of the past . Oh yes , the drugs . The hashish brownies are splendid and helped so much with my appetite . Although a biscuit at tea is more preferable .


And yes,Go Now - Tomorrow May Never Arrive .

Goodbye All , please delete as needed .

Thank you, Polident/Scarface for this moving reminder of our mortality, and fierce love of life.

Five R Survival Strategy

The Five Rs I've identified for the Survivalist are:

Reduce the clutter, the obligations, the amount of stuff you own.

Reuse the things you have until they are worn completely out.

Repair the things you have to prolong their use.

Recycle everything you can by remaking it into personal use items, donating them to a thrift store, or to a recycle center.

Redefine the things you need in life for comfort, safety and emotional well being.

Redefining your needs is a long term project if you've been raised in a middle or upper class environment. I take it one day at a time. It doesn't mean buying cheap stuff. Maybe it means buying one good thing, and spending more on it.

These skills are earth friendly and reduces your carbon footprint.
In a true survival situation that wouldn't be the primary concern. Right now I can afford to care about the planet. I also love the idea that it lowers my consumerism.


Each of these Rs will have a day of its own to be really explored. Please stay tuned, share and comment.

Low Cost Housing-A Survivalists Dream

Five years ago I bought this 12 x 16 metal building and had it delievered to my home in the woods.
It has a pressure treated wood floor, regular mobile home door, 4 windows, steel stud construction in walls and ceiling. The roof is not as strong as I'd like. A branch fell during a storm and punctured it, causing a leak. I repaired the leak, recoated the roof, and its been fine ever sence.
I had hurricane anchors installed when it was delievered, after they backed it in, leveled it and checked to be sure everything was working.




I bought 13 R insulation, panelling, some wood stripping and carpet.
The entire package and interior finishing cost under $4,000.
The bed has storage under it. The chest doubles as storage and seating. There is electricity and internet. My heat is either electric space heater in spring and fall, or the Mr. Buddy Propane Heater in winter or brutal cold snaps.

I create my artwork outside mostly, because of the fumes and messy mica and paint work. Additional found objects are added over a period of time. The folding table is portable and used outside.

I'm working on a passive water collection system. If and when the power goes out, I can filter and treat the water collected in these buckets. I can use untreated water for the garden, filtered water for washing, and filtered-treated water for cooking and drinking. By using several buckets instead of one large holding tank, I can carry the buckets to the garden, or inside the main house as needed.

I purposely chose a metal building with the roof overhanging on the door side so that a portch can be easily added.

There is no indoor plumbing in this studio. I have potable water used for coffee in jugs under the desk. An outhouse could be built.

This building is easy to set up. In retrospect, wood wall studs would have been easier to work with while installing paneling and hanging shelving and artwork.
However, the steel studs are stronger, and once everything was installed, gave me peace of mind. With Steel studs, its less flamable, fewer worries about termites and warping due to moisture.

This housing system is totally sustainable and doesn't require any electricity. Because of the insulation, windows, and solid floor, it heats quickly. Opening the windows provides excellent air flow for cooling.

While shopping for this building, I was able to choose color, size, window placement, type of door, wood or steel studs. I chose to have one side of the building with no windows or doors, and three sides to have openings for air flow. I chose 4 windows instead of the customary two vents and two window combination.

As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me-Movie Review

This 2003 German film has English subtitles.
Since we subscribed to Netflicks, I've been venturing into movies I wouldn't necessarily rent.
Most of the time, a person wants to just lay back and enjoy, not read, throughout the movie.

But this one is well worth it. Besides, how often do you get the other side of the story?
A German soldier promises his little girl he'll be home by Christmas. Unfortuantely, or from the allied point of view, fortunately, he is captured, and sentenced to work camp in Siberia.
World War II was a horendous event for all, and of course its natural to blame the instigators of all this bloodshed and distruction.

For three years, our central figure, Clemens Forell, works in barbaric conditions so brutal he tries to escape. His first attempt is foiled, and his comrades were forced to beat him as punishment. The doctor comes to his rescue, makes them quit, and gives him all his stashed escape treasure trove because the doctor found out he had terminal cancer and can not make it.

Of course, all this planning is done hidden from the Soviet guards.
Finally, Clemens escapes, completing over 8,000 miles to complete the journey from a place so devoid of anything, so remote there never were any fences.

Watch if you get a chance, check out all the special survival techniques, the cut throats he meets along the way, the loving natives who help him, and the relentless pursuit of his guards.

Not The Critic Who Counts

Self Portrait by Hawkeye, a trail friend




It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
who strives valiantly,

who errs and comes up short again and again...

who spends himself in a worthy cause; who
at the best, knows in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst,
if he fails,
at least he fails while daring greatly.--Teddy Rosevelt



Self Portrait-Woman Who Runs With Wolves-Brawny