Welcome to this week’s Survival Buzz with an update on my own preps and announcements from the Backdoor Survival blog.
I whine about my lack of organization which is a bit of a conundrum since in my non-prepping life, I am extremely organized. Having jumped on the paperless wagon almost ten years ago, most documents and receipts have been scanned and are all neatly filed electronically and totally searchable on multiple devices including those that can be powered by solar if need be.
That being said, my preps are still in disarray and my inventory system is in my head. I feel like the cobbler’s kid with worn out shoes.
Anyway, this week I decided to do something about it. First up, I printed out the Preparedness Planner that was developed by my blogging colleague Jennifer Osuch. But printing is not good enough. I am committed to using it and Shelly has volunteered to help keep me on track.
The second thing is that I organized my heirloom seeds. They were stuck in envelopes here and there around my office as well as in my freezer. I pulled them all together, separated the veggies from the herbs, then alphabetized them and put them in a storage box.
What amazes me is that many prepper types I know do not have any seeds set aside for long term storage. You know what that means!; if the SHTF I will have seeds that will be as good or better than gold for barter. I can hook up with the seedless and even though I do not have land, I can contribute labor and help grow food.
Most of my seeds came from Mike the Gardener via his Seeds of the Month Club. In laying them out, I realized what a good job he does in sending a variety of vegetables, leafy greens, herbs and even melons. There was not a single duplicate. I also have some precious seeds that were sent to me from readers who have saved seeds from their own recent crops. For that I am blessed.
Along the same theme of becoming better organized, early in the week I ordered an Ammo Can thinking I would try one type and if I did not like it, keep looking until I found something suitable. (Remember, we do not have big box stores where I live so Amazon delivers almost daily.)
I lucked out because the first ammo can I ordered worked out great. This particular model holds 1000 rounds of 9mms with room for an additional 300 rounds. I plan to order four more of these cans.
It is pretty exciting to see some organizing going on around here. Let us hope that it lasts! That about covers it for me this week. Now for some announcements.
BACKDOOR SURVIVAL MAIL BAG & READER TIPS
Back in September, a reader wrote asking what I would recommend for a nail fungus. I responded:
I would mix a bit of Oregano oil and Melaleuca (Tea Tree) with coconut oil. And rub it on the affected area three times a day.
FYI my husband got a fungus infection on his backside and has been using some oregano and melaleuca in my salve instead of the meds the doctor ordered (we did not even fill the prescription). After 2 weeks it is all but gone. Nail fungus, though, is a bit tougher. It might take few months, even with the meds.
I recently received some follow-up from Joyce:
This ‘potion’ seems to be helping the nail fungus. I’ve basically halted it – now to get my nails to grow, You are right, no quick fixes.
I wanted to share this coconut oil use with you.
One of my cats has severe allergies. She’s on antigen shots, but there are still flare-up where she has itch/scratchy rashes on her stomach and the backs of her legs. She’s an Abyssinian with short hair so her skin is exposed. Just recently I used coconut oil on her rash. it worked great and must have soothed it because she had less licking.
The plus side was that any she ingested just helped from the inside. I’m always concerned when I put meds on that just get licked off.
In reading the comments to the current giveaway (see below), I am learning that there still is a pent up interest in using herbs and oils to solve everyday ailments. I will continue to share solutions in the weekly Survival Buzz.
CURRENT GIVEAWAYS
The following article includes a giveaway for a copy of Urban Emergency Survival Plan by Jim Cobb. Note that the deadline for entries is 6:00 PM Pacific next Tuesday.
Book Festival 7: Urban Emergency Survival Plan
As a reminder, all winners are notified by email and have 48 hours to claim their prize or an alternate will be selected. Once selected, the names of winners are also displayed in the Rafflecopter on the original giveaway article.
Speaking of winners, last week I could not verify the entries of two of the three winners so alternates were selected. If you say you left a comment and that is the winning entry, trust me, I will check!!!
Return of the “Almost Free” Page
A couple of months ago I took down the “almost free page”. I finally had some time to update it (added some items, deleted others) so if you are interested in some survival gear, dirt cheap, for less than $5, this is the place to start. Have some fun with this!
Almost Free Survival Gear for Under $5
ESSENTIAL OILS: ITEM OF THE WEEK
Free Ground Shipping
This is the one you have been waiting for!
Use code BACKDOORSURVIVAL for an additional 10% off your order.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Have you downloaded your free copy of the newest edition of The Preparedness Review? TPR5 is 100% free and includes the best of the best in terms of resources to help you survival in the world goes to heck.
Here are the download links or you can visit The Preparedness Review here.
For Computers/Laptops – Click Here
For Tablets/Phones – Click Here
Not 100% free (sorry) but worthy none the less is the new canning book written by my friend Daisy Luther. This summer Daisy is going to teach me to can and with luck, we will have a video done so you can learn too. In the meantime, check out her new book, The Organic Canner.
THE FINAL WORD
In addition to everything else, this week I spent some time thinking about the editorial calendar for next year. You are telling me what I need to hear: more articles on basic prepping (water, food storage, defense, first aid) but also a call to bring back some giveaways and to continue offering books and author interviews via the Book Festivals. Okay, I can do all of that.
In addition, I plan to continue to share some very select articles from my blogging colleagues who can bring to you first hand knowledge in areas where I lack experience. Sort of a win-win the way I see it. As always, keep the ideas coming because as you know, I do read every single comment and email.
So what about you – what did you do to prep this week?
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
If you enjoyed this article, consider voting for me daily at Top Prepper Websites! In addition, SUBSCRIBE to email updates and receive a free, downloadable copy of my e-book The Emergency Food Buyer’s Guide.
Related Articles:
16 Tips for Coping Without Running Water
101 Low Cost Items to Barter When the SHTF
Disaster Preps: When the Storm Hits the Fan
Bargain Bin: Included today are a couple of items I purchased to promote organizing my preps. I have a long way to go but this is a good start.
MTM Ammo Can (Forest Green): I am pretty excited about these ammo cans. They are very sturdy and even when filled, do not bend or bow when carried by the handle. They hold a lot more than I thought and the price ($13.99) was reasonable. I set the can outside in the rain and it did not leak; always a good sign.
The Preparedness Planner: I printed out all 84 pages and put them in a binder. The nice thing about this planner is that if I mess up a page, all I need to do is print out a new one. This is one of the better deals out there for an item of this type; so much better than a Kindle eBook that can not be printed. Been there, done that.
Seeds of the Month Club: Having heirloom seeds will never be a coulda woulda shoulda since new packets arrive monthly, right on schedule. As I mentioned in the article, I have yet to receive a duplicate seed packet. Not only that, the seeds are regionalized to my geographical area here in Washington State.
Oregano and Melaleuca (Tea Tree) Essential Oils: By now you know the drill. I get my essential oils at Spark Naturals. They are well priced and no enrollment, starter kit, or membership fee is required to get the very best price. All you need to do is use discount code BACKDOORSURVIVAL at checkout to get 10% off, even on sale items.
FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer: As part of my overall organization strategy, I store things in food saver bags and mason jars. As long as the unit has an accessory port (and this one does), an in expensive FoodSaver will work just as well as the fancier models. That is my two cents, at least.
FoodSaver Wide Mouth Jar Sealer: Check out this jar sealer which can be used to vacuum seal your Mason jars. This is a great option for short to mid term storage of items such as beans, rice, sugar and salt. Store your jars in a cool, dark place and you are set with the added advantage of removing a small amount for current use without having to disrupt your large Mylar bag or bucket of food. There is also a version for regular sized jars. See Fast Track Tip #4: How to Use a FoodSaver for Vacuum Canning.
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Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials: The monthly specials at Emergency Essentials feature discounts of up to 40% off sometimes a bit more. Emergency Essentials has introduced a new line of food buckets including breakfast, lunch, and dinner buckets.
Through the month of December they are featuring a buy one get one 50% off on Lunch, Breakfast, Dinner Buckets.
Buy one get one 50% off Lunch, Breakfast, Dinner Buckets
This is just one of the many special this month. You will find deals not only on food storage but on equipment, kits, emergency candles and a whole lot more. Whether for yourself of as a gift, there is something for everyone at Emergency Essentials.
Shop the Emergency Essentials Monthly Specials
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Need something from Amazon (and who doesn’t)? I earn a small commission from purchases made when you begin your Amazon shopping experience here. You still get great Amazon service and the price is the same, no matter what.
Amazon has feature called Shop Amazon – Most Wished For Items. This is an easy tool for finding products that people are ‘wishing” for and in this way you know what the top products are. All you need to do is select the category from the left hand side of the screen.
The Amazon Top Most Wished For and Best Selling Outdoor Items
Emergency Preparedness Items from Amazon.com
Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!
The Survival Buzz #147 by Gaye Levy first appeared on Backdoor Survival.