Encouraging, Empowering and Enriching Your Journey
DIY: Frugal & Effective Evacuation/Cargo Cart
Aquafaba An Amazing Egg Substitute
Misconceptions of an Off Grid Life
DIY: How to Build a Wind Refrigerator July 2015
Letter from the Managing Editor Most of us may be in the middle of the summer season, but the Preparedness Lifestyle doesn't ever take a vacation! Even in the heat and harvest time we have things that can be done that help us and our communities better prepare for events, changes and circumstances that may seem beyond our control.
The word: ‘Unconventional' is the best word to describe the articles that focus on food in this issue. Did you know you can refrigerate without electricity or any other power source? Learn "How to Build a Wind Refrigerator" enjoy the off grid freedom for your colder foods. And given the shortage of eggs produced in America now and the price increase, even those who are not on a Vegan Diet will find the article about "Aquafaba – An Amazing Egg Substitute" to be of surprising importance.
Even if they are out of our control, we can control how we prepare and train ourselves to meet those changes head-on and with hope. From history to current day – we know that preparedness is a widereaching topic. So in this issue of PREPARE Magazine we've included an eclectic range of articles that reach into many different areas of life.
Working together with family or friends means you may need to be called upon to either care for another or be cared for yourself in an emergency. Learning “How to Make a Frugal & Effective Evacuation/ Cargo Cart” could help save your life or the lives of loved ones. Caring for our neighbor seems to have become last on the list of the moral compass in many realms of modern life. Prepping is not excluded from the tendency to ‘look out for number one’, but we must remember the importance of it, even if we feel alone, as reminded in the “Devotion: A Faithful Friend.”
Laying the foundation for your well-being in a less than ‘normal' situation begins with knowing the "Survival's Base 5". Or maybe you daydream and aspire to live off the grid? That's great! However, there are many "Misconceptions of an Off-Grid Life" that you may want to be aware of as you ponder the possibility. Primitive skills and tools can surprisingly still be a part of our life today. The article "From Settlers to Special Forces- Over 400 Years with the Tomahawk" helps give a historical view of this versatile tool and it's modern-day applications. With the sun being at its strongest this time of year, now is a good time to learn how to use it by having some "Summer Fun with Solar Firecraft". But at times the summer heat may be a good reason to seek indoor shelter. You may want to pick up a good book that can help you brush up on your skills. Even "Using Disaster Fiction as a Learning Tool" is a good way to sharpen the mind and your awareness skills.
From Pioneers to Patriots - the spirit of Selfsufficiency marches on throughout the USA and the World. As you read this issue of PREPARE Magazine, we hope that you will encourage others to pick up the banner of prepared living so they too can enjoy the Freedom that being ready, no matter what may change, can bring. Yours in Service! Enjoy the Journey,
Donna Miller Managing Editor of PREPARE Magazine
Table of Contents PREPARE Magazine www.preparemag.com Publishing Mainline Marketing Group, LLC Advertising 828-484-4777 advertising@preparemag.com Subscriptions www.preparemag.com/subscribe subscription@preparemag.com Support Services www.preparemag.com/support support@preparemag.com Community Connections contributors@preparemag.com Chief Vision Officer Joseph Miller Managing Editor Donna Miller
➡Letter from the Editor ➡Misconceptions of An Off Grid Life ➡Using Disaster Fiction as a Learning Tool ➡DIY Frugal & Effective Evacuation/Cargo Cart ➡DIY How to Build a Wind Refrigerator ➡Survival’s Base 5 ➡From Settlers to Special Forces- Over 400 Years with the Tomahawk ➡Summer Fun With Solar Firecraft ➡Aquafaba - Amazine Egg Substitute ➡Devotion - A Faithful Friend
Legal Compliance J.S. Defner, Esq. Design and Graphics Coolbrees Studio LeverageChile.com Contributing Editors Kelly Thomas Britt M. Additional Contact: P.O. Box 934, Burnsville, NC 28714
Legal Statement: Although PREPARE Magazine works hard to present you with advertisements for quality products and services, PREPARE Magazine cannot spend the time to do the due diligence it takes to ensure that only reliable services and products are advertised with us. Therefore, you should understand that PREPARE Magazine does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the advertisements in our magazine or the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any advertisement. PREPARE Magazine encourages you to do your own due diligence before purchasing any product, whether it is offered here or anywhere else for that matter, before purchasing. Please use your own judgment and carefully check out those products that interest you. Under no Circumstances shall PREPARE Magazine, or Mainline Marketing Group, LLC., be liable for any damages, whatsoever, and in particular, shall not be liable for direct, indirect, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages, or damages of lost profits, loss of revenue, or loss of use, arising out of related to any portion of this Magazine or the content, information, or advertisements contained in it, whether such damages arise in contract, negligence, tort, under statute, in equity, at law or otherwise.
Misconceptions of An Off-Grid Life With Solar By Tammy Trayer, Trayer Wilderness Let me explain how solar power works. The sun shines on the solar panels sending DC power into our home. The power goes through a charge controller and into a battery bank. The power then goes through an inverter which converts our DC power into AC power and then sends that power into our breaker box in our home which then powers our home just like yours.
There are so many misconceptions about living off-grid with solar. We have heard all kinds of unusual comments over the last 5 years while we have been embracing a 100% off-grid solar lifestyle. Living off the grid does not mean we are poor (although we budget right there with the best of them), we do not have to go without modern day conveniences (unless by choice of course) and we do really have power all the time. A home powered by solar is wired just the same as a regular grid tied home except our power comes from the sun. The sun is a free resource and one we are very thankful that we tapped into! Our lives have been forever changed and in a way that we never want to go back! Living off-grid with solar has given us freedoms in so many ways. We are no longer tied to the grid, we don’t have a monthly bill and when everyone is without power, we still have power! Dependent on your desires, it does require a different mindset if you want to live a frugal life with solar.
Now when the sun goes down our power is only coming from our battery bank. If the batteries get low in power and there is no sun, it is necessary to use a generator to recharge our batteries. We live very frugally and choose as much as possible to not have that expense so we are very careful how we use our power. We choose to do such things as wash, big projects that require a lot of power tools, mill flour, anything requiring a lot of power when the sun is shining. It is also a normal practice to shut the lights out when leaving a room, communing in the living room at night as a family under one light (imagine the concept of spending time as a family) and sometimes even using lantern light just because we can. There are certain appliances we gave up, but it wasn’t because they were too powerful for our system, it was in an effort to live more traditionally by choice. We use a cast iron skillet instead of the microwave and a percolator coffee pot and tea kettle instead of the electric counterpart. There are certain appliances and items that pull a great deal of power in the average household such as a refrigerator, freezer and well pump. There are workarounds for nearly everything though. There are many ways to replace a refrigerator such as a cold cellar or root cellar, springs and other forms of powered appliances. We chose the latter and use a propane refrigerator and freezer. If for whatever reason we were to be without propane, we have an electric backup and will also have a root cellar. We would also
be ok stepping back one step further into our traditional lifestyle. You could use an electric refrigerator and freezer no problem;you just may need to include the added expense for fuel for your generator. We also found a unique way to bring water into our home without having our well pump directly tied into our water lines. Our well pump is wired into our breaker box and we have it setup so that we can manually fill a 275 gallon tank in our utility room when the sun is shining. We also utilized a ShurFlo DC RV pump connected to a marine battery which is wired into a small solar panel separate from our main system to provide power to the pump. Our home is plumbed with pex piping and we utilize a very efficient on-demand water heater that uses very little propane and the only power running to the unit is for the monitoring unit to which we have control over the temperature of the water.
This may help you think a little differently about solar power, how it works, what it can provide for you and the freedoms that it can offer you. My solar e-book will be published in July of 2015 which will give you a full look at solar, the ins and outs, varying workarounds, how to be better prepared for a life with solar power, appliances you may wish to consider, generator options and additional things you can do to supplement your solar power. Once you embrace such a lifestyle you will never want to look back.
It is a sweet setup and provides our home with the same amenities that all of you on the grid have. The only difference is that we are totally self-sufficient! Another misconception is cost. We paid roughly $15,000.00 for a $21,000.00 system. When we were building our home, just out of curiosity, we inquired with the local electric company to see what they would have charged. We were quoted a price of $65,000.00 and that did not include all the easements we would have needed to cross many other parcels. Not to mention we would have needed the approval of the varying individuals or state and would have been gifted with a monthly electrical bill. So honestly, it is not all that expensive AND this is our 5th year here and when figuring what we would have paid for electric all this time and what we paid for our system, our system is already paid for! It is definitely something to consider and check into. I would highly recommend checking into your local county regulations and pricing and comparing your options.
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Using Disaster Fiction as a Learning Tool By LeAnn Edmondson, Homestead Dreamer One of the first things I discovered when diving into the world of homesteading (and by default, prepping) was you need more knowledge than you do stuff. Those people who buy copious amounts of gear, buckets of freeze dried food, and invest thousands of dollars into ‘being prepared,’ (but never practice skills or test the food) have a much higher chance of failure. You could have the perfect getaway car but if you don’t know how to drive, it won’t do you much good. Chances are pretty good that you like to read. As preppers, we tend to gobble up incredible amounts of information because we realize that knowledge is power and when you have nothing left, you will always have your skills. Many people go through stages of preparedness and after a few years, usually feel they have a good handle on things. They have their plans, their stored supplies, and have taken steps they felt would give them the best chances for surviving a disaster. They may have taught themselves and practiced skills such as fire building, shelter making, and foraging. There is one area that is much harder to ‘train’ for: the mind. Unless you have military or law enforcement training, the ability to calmly assess the situation you may find yourself in will be an enormous challenge for most people; implementing the plan accordingly, even more so. Those who have never been exposed to large explosions, panicked people running to or from something, and the overwhelming noise of chaos are more likely to react with the ‘fight or flight’ mentality. It takes training to be able to be the ‘eye of the storm’ amidst the proverbial tornado that is blowing around. It takes great mental aptitude, and practice, to be able to take a step back and assess the situation. But how do you get said training? Not many of us can afford to hire someone to train us or attend classes or seminars on the topic. The internet has some resources on ways you can help yourself and exercises or role play situations that will provide some of the muscle
memory needed to be able to assess in a calm and rational manner. One of the things I have personally found to be extremely helpful is to read ‘disaster fiction.’ The genre is called dystopian fiction (opposite of utopian). It is also called “apocalypse” fiction and is a special niche in the fiction world. A lot of these stories cover the events that lead up to the disaster and may include the initial first steps people take to get to safety. Others start with the disaster and talk about how people deal with the aftermath. The ones I personally enjoy are the series
that really dive in and present the reader (via the characters) with multiple decisions that have to be made under duress. These decisions and situations the characters find themselves in is where the prepper can glean the most benefit. Like I said above, most preppers are voracious readers. I know I ripped through the five book series “Going Home” by A. American in about 10 days. I lost plenty of sleep because I couldn’t put it down and even after I did, my mind was racing with ways I would have dealt with the situations versus how the characters did. Many of these books will absolutely grip your imagination and can work you into a paranoid tizzy. I’m guilty of letting my imagination get away with me! It was during one of these moments where I realized how valuable it can be to a prepper to read this genre. Let me explain. You are in the middle of a particularly good scene in your book. Your heart is pumping, you may be holding your breath, and you want to curse your eyes for not moving fast enough to read what happens next! This is the moment where the value to your preparedness journey becomes apparent. Because you are already caught up in the story and have a mental picture of what the scene looks like and what the characters are going through, it is much easier to put yourself in those shoes. This is one of the safest ways to allow yourself to feel all the emotions such as terror, panic, and helplessness. The adrenaline pumps through your body just like it would in the real situation (albeit perhaps not as much), your heart rate accelerates, and your breathing comes faster. In the real situation, it would be much worse. It would be much harder to be able to calm yourself down and react logically. Here is an example along the same lines: We were about a year into our homesteading/preparedness journey and I was reading everything I could get my hands on. The husband was working on learning about reloading ammo and our first garden was planted. I was feeling pretty good about how things were progressing and then, the power went out. Six months prior, I wouldn’t have blinked an eye or thought twice about it other than being inconvenienced. This time when it happened, I got panicked! My brain kicked into overdrive and I worried that maybe it wouldn’t come back on. I wasn’t ready for it! There was so much I felt I should be doing that I was paralyzed with fear.
Once I calmed down, with the help of my husband laughing at me (not unkindly but looking back, it was pretty funny) it was then I realized I needed a plan. The panic stemmed from not feeling in control more than being worried we would starve. I never wanted to be like that again so I made a plan with my husband and implemented it. It is a way to recognize there is the potential for something to go wrong (like the power not coming back on) and take steps to ensure you have a fighting chance. In case you are wondering, our plan is to check the water storage. Whenever the power goes out, we refill the animal’s watering bowl and top off any stored water in various containers. We have a Water BOB (check Amazon) that will be filled in the tub should the power be out for longer than a predetermined amount of time. While we are being proactive and making sure we have the water topped off, this set of actions does so much more. It helps us stay calm, assess the situation, and take action. We practice it every single time it happens and it has now become ‘muscle memory’ of sorts. It is a procedure. So, though it is unlikely that a virus will wipe out the world’s communications or a comet slams into the planet, reading about it and considering what you would do in those situations can help spur you on to making and practicing a plan so you can take action instead of just reacting instinctually. You may find that the steps you would take to respond to a particular disaster also apply to many others. Practice them!
Frugal & Effective DIY Evacuation/Cargo Cart By David Felker Scenario: Stranded Background:" At my place of employment, three of us old codgers have teamed up as an informal Mutual Assistance group (MAG). We’re all older than we’d like to admit, have an encyclopedia of various ailments and reside in the same bedroom community approximately 38 miles from work. One of the scenarios we have all discussed was the “Stranded” scenario which examined what we would do if, for whatever reason, we couldn’t drive home. Whether it be an EMP, evac routes clogged, roads closed by martial law, the scenario says our only plan would be travel by foot. Even though it may be a low probability scenario, the effects of it happening would be catastrophic on our families. Details:"" Three old guys on a 38 mile hike is not a trivial exercise. There are very limited routes that we could follow due to military bases, swamps, low rent areas, and other concerns. We assume that there will be about 10,000 other travelers making the same journey, but without any preplanning or resources, thus security will be a prime concern. We also assume that every open water source along the route will be contaminated by some idiot taking a leak or an idiot trying to wash out the only diaper they have. We’re assuming that we would truck convoy the route as far as possible then switch to foot travel. But the worst case scenario is on-foot the entire way. If the route were unimpeded, three days travel may be adequate. But given the number of people we expect to be clogging the route, four days may be a more reasonable estimate. Planning: " The basic planning for a trek as is described herein is fairly straight forward and has been discussed a thousand times on a thousand different forums. Food, water, medical, defense, these are all old issues that I won’t bore anyone with in this document. But there is
one issue that I have not seen discussed before that I think is important to discuss. Expecting our three old guys to carry all the resources necessary for a four day trek is frankly unreasonable. Anyone that has to carry a week’s worth of daily meds needs to rethink this option very carefully. Our initial estimate is that each of us needs 40-50 pounds of supplies and we haven’t calculated water requirements. In total, we are estimating a cargo weight of between 175 and 200 pounds. The other issue that came up was the possibility of injury. Old guys break very easily. Carrying an injured team member almost 40 miles is not an option. We have our employer’s permission to store emergency supplies onsite, no firearms. Our solution:" One aspect to our solution to these issues is called a game cart. I found an acceptable model on-line for $69. Solid tires, welded steel tube frame and wheels with an advertised capacity of 300 pounds. Note that we tried to keep our solution as inexpensive as possible. Some modifications were necessary to meet our objectives. The model purchased folds flat and requires no tools to prep for use. My first modification was to add some fence wire to provide a better platform. It also gave my Grandson a chance to practice his wire-work.
We also reversed the grab handle to put it at a much more comfortable level. For use as a “Get Home Cart” we felt that it needed a solid, drop in cargo floor, particularly when used for casualty transportation. Using some scrap plywood, we sculpted some drop in panels and then tested them using the fat, old man criteria (190 lbs). An average 10 year old had no difficulty rolling me around, even on the loose soil in our backyard. But uphill was a challenge. Of course, plain plywood was unacceptable so the Grandson was given a chance to practice his painting skills. First with a latex primer then with three colors of Camo spray paint from Walmart. He’s very proud of his results. Only one panel is shown installed as the other one was still drying. I dug up about a dozen bungees’ to keep with the cart. You’ll also notice the slots around the perimeter of the panel. These are lacing slots sized for paracord so cargo can be secured by lacing back and forth just like lacing up a shoe. The lug notches are
matched to the welded lugs and are held in place by the snap pins that attach the brace tubes (no tools).
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So far I have about $100 in the project. Sometime in the next couple for weeks, we’ll hold a cart loading exercise to make sure we can handle all the cargo with some capacity for water. This cart will reside in the back of my truck. Our scenario planning is far from finished, but if you don’t start, you’ll never finish.
How to Build a Wind Refrigerator. By David Browne, Author of Are You Ready? When the lights go out how are you going to keep your food from spoiling? This simple plan can set Jell-O overnight. It works! " Find an old cupboard, one or two door. Take off the back. Leave the sides for strength and drill large holes on each side. Chicken wire is stapled all around the cupboard to keep any rodents out. You should have something that looks like the picture to the left when you’re done. I also cut a large section out of the front door. You want to create as much air flow as possible. Next you will need to purchase a burlap sack and a large dish to hold water. I use a rubber animal feeder found in any feed store. Place this pan of water on top of the cabinet and then slip the burlap sack over the cupboard leaving some burlap on top. Place a brick on top of the sack, forcing the sack into the pan of water. The sack will absorb the water and begin to run down the sides of the cabinet and when the wind blows through it, you have an evaporative cooler that will keep all your food nice and cool. I have used this on my ranch for over 10 years now. We don’t have any other fridge as this one works just fine. I placed it on a table under a tree to add shade and still allow lots of air flow. In addition to the water bowl on top of the fridge I often soak other burlap sacks in water and place them on top of the food. This will add to the cooling of the food and keep the flies off the food. During the day do a quick check of the water level to keep it full as possible. Most of us live in the city and this simple weekend project will save all your food from going bad when the lights might go out. Keep it in a safe place for those times you will need it. Short term or long term, this will preserve your food. I lived off the grid for over 10 years with my family of 5 children and we never had a problem with milk, cheese or meat spoiling in the summer heat of over 100 degrees.
Over the next few issues I will explain what we learned over those years and also what not to do when living off the grid. How we became self-sufficient on 20 acres on a mountain top in southern Utah. I will help you find the perfect location for a get-away place of safety and what to look for and how to develop it on a shoe string budget. I will show you how to use Bear trails to plan your escape from the city to this place of safety and the problems you might face in traveling. Riots and martial law seem imminent in our future. Know how to plan to survive them. I was on guard duty during the Watts Riots in Los Angeles and then with the 82nd Airborne I was involved with Dominican Republic Riots. It wasn’t long before I found myself working for the CIA AirAmerica out of Udorn Thailand. I lived through these events and now I will tell you how to do it too. You can also contact me at my Web site: www.preparedness-Now.com and I will answer your question the best I can in the next issue. The best preparation is spiritual..
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From Settlers to Special Forces: Over 400 Years with the Tomahawk
By Donald Alley, www.martialtacticaltrainingofmichigan.com The tactical tomahawk has seen a massive resurgence in popularity over the last decade. While Mel Gibson in The Patriot is popularly credited with awareness of this weapon in popular culture, the truth is simpler: it never lost popularity in warfare. The tomahawk has seen use in almost every single American conflict. This distinction is one that only a few select weapons can claim.
The history of the tomahawk is foggy in most areas. This is generally the case when a ‘homegrown’ tool is pressed into service as a weapon. Where the AR-15, the Colt 1911, or even the US Marine Corps ceremonial sword, have a definitive history, the tomahawk, hand ax, or hatchet have many variations that span cultures, time, and functions. We know that it was a tool used by frontiersmen and was pressed into service as a weapon when needed. We also know that different heads utilized different bills (the blade part) and beaks (the back-spike or back hammer) depending on its function.
There is some evidence the tomahawk is the descendant of the war axe and even some pole weapons. In the times of heavier armors and phalanx style warfare, heavy axes were needed to penetrate the chainmaille and plate armors of the day, which were increasingly optimized for use against the sword. As gunpowder gained functionality on the battlefield, heavy armor waned in favor of lighter weight mobility. So too, the increased penetration of the war axe was no longer needed. Of course, innovation moved at a slower pace in earlier times, and allowed for designs to evolve rather than become extinct. Pole weapons became ceremonial, the war axes became much smaller and quicker, and the proficiencies behind using axes in combat were handed down to newer generations who were able to employ lighter weapons.
Eventually, those weapons ended up in North America. The British and the French both had their versions of axes and hatchets. When the Native American population traded with the European settlers, they naturally found the superior steel quality advantageous. The Algonquin word for any type of striking weapon was the ‘tamahakan’, and European settles made a great deal of money upgrading the Native American peoples’ tools. The word ‘tomahawk’ became the word the settlers used for their light hand axes.
Forward to World War 2, several Native American soldiers used tomahawks in their operations, both because of its effectiveness and the familiarity of the weapon for these troops. European descent soldiers would also use them, though less frequently. With resources scarce, many soldiers brought them from home so they had familiar armament. It should be noted that the Germans used a “trench axe” as well, which was remarkably similar to the tomahawk, belying the European ancestry of the axe weapon, and demonstrating that the tomahawk is not uniquely Native American.
The author, Donald Alley, demonstrates a tomahawk strike. Don is an instructor with Martial Tactical Training of Michigan, which offers a Tomahawk class exploring several striking and grappling aspects of the tactical tomahawk.
After World War 2, a Marine veteran named Peter LaGana began working on updated designs, and ground the back half into the recognizable spike we associate with modern tomahawks. He called this a “spike hawk” design, and his company, the American Tomahawk Company, sold them for several years. His design eventually became the “Vietnam Tomahawk”. It was not meant to be a tool, it was purely weapon intent. The design did see decent utility use, and some troops felt the spiked end was superior for digging than their issued entrenching tools. There are stories of teams using the spikes as picks to break ground, then using entrenching tools to clear the loosened ground. Post September 11 military action has seen a major resurgence in the tomahawk. The item is exceptionally well suited to urban warfare as a breaching and demolition tool. The penetration so desired against armor works similarly against structure. The hook created by the head works well to clear debris from breached wall or other structural material, and some newer designs have a crowbar style shape built into the haft for leveraging against sealed doors, locks, and other obstacles. One report states “an issue tomahawk ... would be the single most innovative and smart thing the Army has done for the soldier in years in terms of such a piece of equipment.” Our modern culture borrows a lot from military. We purchase military inspired firearms, gear, and clothing. The lessons learned from in-field use innovate the next generation of design and manufacture. From guns to backpacks, we want a battle tested design that won’t fail us when we need it. And if that gear didn’t fail our boys in green or tan, then it is good enough for us. That same attitude has inspired a civilian resurgence of the tactical tomahawk. While most of us will never breach a structure or deal with an insurgent, we want to know our gear will handle it. There are hundreds of tactical tomahawk designs on the market, with a civilian population eager to buy. When buying a tomahawk, it is important to know what you want out of it. Is it a throwing hawk? Is it a weapon? Is it a piece of gear for your kit? There are so many designs that the buyer can get exactly what he wants.
Once we possess these items, we want to hone our skills to be able to use them. Swordsmanship can be trained by fencing, kendo, iaido, and other styles. There is formalized training in staff, naginata, nunchaku, and many other weapons. Many of these studies have been passed down over 1000 years, with intact curriculum and rationale for even the most nuanced of movements and actions. The tomahawk enjoys no such formalized training. Fortunately, the tomahawk has many familiar aspects that can be combined into a body of study, and those aspects are quite common across cultures. First, the haft. It is a shaft of wood, steel, or now polymer, roughly 1 foot to 2.5 feet long. Every culture in the world has some sort of short stick fighting curriculum. Aside from our own body parts, it is the most rudimentary fighting implement ever devised. If the tomahawk practitioner has ever studied a classical martial art (not one developed for sport intent), there will be a basis for stick fighting within that style. Next are the blade and the spike, which are essentially the two aspects of a standard knife. The spike is a point used for thrusting to create an impaling wound. The blade is edged to create a slicing wound as well as an impalement, depending on if you invoke a slicing movement or a ‘hack’ at the target. Like the short stick, every culture on earth has utilized the knife, and every classical martial style not only practices knife application, but also protection against knife attacks.
In its total form, the tomahawk can also act as a hooking device. The head can be used to pull an enemy in for more close contact fighting, as well as thrust at an enemy to push them further away. The hook aspect is not as prevalent in many martial practices, but in any battleborn style it will be well understood. Controlling an enemy’s action or position has very clear tactical advantages.
are. It is a tool for making our shelters, to cut things we need cut, and sometimes to pry and manipulate obstacles to our objectives. It is also a weapon, which utilizes the same characteristics that make it a tool, for the dispatch of our enemies. It is one of the weapons that resonates as American, but has the same resonance with almost every culture on Earth in one form or another. It is as ancient and as modern as mankind itself.
With each aspect of the tomahawk, it is also important to understand its function from a percussive action (striking with it) and a grappling action (using it as a means of exerting force into your enemy to move, pin, trap, or even damage). Many martial arts are heavily percussive or heavily grappling based. The tomahawk lends itself well to either, but is an excellent weapon when both engagement aspects are well understood and proficiency in them is acquired. The tomahawk has been with us formally for almost 400 years. Its predecessors have been with us since before recorded history. As a species, the tomahawk is who we
The Gerber Downrange is one of the tomahawks the author has chosen. It is part of his 72 hour kit, and provides both weapon functionality and cutting, prying, and hammer utility.
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Our journey into herbs began after my wife (Amy) had suffered for over six years with chronic insomnia. As medical missionaries ourselves we had done a lot of research into sleep issues, but had failed to ascertain the cause in her case. With an average of 4 hours of sleep a night along with post partum depression and nervous exhaustion, my wife persevered with taking care of our precious new born, still hoping that someday we would find some relief. Of course at that time we never imagined that Amy’s suffering would one day become the springboard of a ministry that would touch many other lives equally needy for help. During one night of the usual insomnia she decided to get out of bed, quit trying to sleep, and investigate in a book on herbal medicine to see if there was something she had missed in the search for healing. After prayer, she was guided to read about a herb that feeds exhausted nerves. To our surprise, after using this in strong dosage she experienced immediate relief, her sleep becoming more restorative and up to 8 hours within that first three days of using it. All her symptoms including insomnia have now been restored by the use of herbs with the blessing of God. Thence began our serious journey into sharing the powerful healing properties of herbs with others. Since then we have into a full time herbal ministry and am thankful that our suffering has now become a means of blessings many others.
Our Contributors... David Browne
Author of Are You Ready? , was assigned to guard duty in the Watts Riots, the Dominican Republic Riots and then in Udorn Thailand with the CIA Air America. His experiences have given him great insight on surviving riots and war. His family lived off the grid for over 10 years in Southern Utah Mountains. His intention is to take what God sent him to learn and pass it on for you to prepare for the new millennium.
David Felker is a retired Air Force Captain, a working aerospace engineer and a custodial grandparent to his three grandchildren. His background includes growing up on a hog farm in Iowa, Systems Analyst on Titan II Nuclear missiles, teaching Math, Statistics and Physics, depot overhaul of C-130 aircraft and making lasagna. His prepper lifestyle began after the hurricane season of 1994 in Georgia when massive flooding stranded his neighborhood for over a week.
Donald Alley
is a martial practitioner with over 10 years of experience. He has practiced personal protection training methodology with broad-spectrum awareness. He is a black belt in classical Ju Jutsu, Assistant Instructor at the Martial Science Center, and an Emergency Preparedness Instructor and Program Coordinator at Martial Tactical Training of Michigan. Furthermore, he is an NRA Instructor for Basic Pistol and Personal Protection firearm training. His product line, Bu Tactical, includes items for protection, preparedness, and survival applications. www.martialtacticaltrainingofmichigan.com
Dr. Jason Hunt
is the founder of Campcraft Preparedness Ministries and Frontier Christian University. He leads an active life teaching others about Survival and Preparedness from a Biblical perspective. Jason also serves his community as a firefighter and SAR team leader, and is a Wilderness-EMT and Wilderness First Aid Instructor. He’s also an instructor at Dave Canterbury’s Pathfinder School and is a weekly host on Pathfinder TV. Visit him online at www.campcraft.us
Reverend Jeff Rowland is an Evangelist, Preacher, Author and Accomplished Songwriter. Jeff sang with his family until joining the US Army as a member of the 82nd Airborne. While in the military, Jeff surrendered into the ministry and was ordained in 1985. After leaving the Army, Jeff has served as a Pastor and Evangelist, and now travels full-time, extensively across the USA sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the message God has given him for these Last Days. JeffRowlandMinistry.com
LeAnn Edmondson
lives in beautiful Southeast Alaska with her husband, dogs and cats. The ‘dream’ is to own land and live as self-sustainably as possible. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter as well as on the main site, Homestead Dreamer. Help support her efforts and give her a like on Facebook!
Tammy Trayer is a freelance writer, soon to be author, radio show host on the Survival Mom Radio Network, web designer specializing in the outdoors, entrepreneur, pioneer, avid hunter, outdoorswoman, homesteader, homeschool mother and wife. She, her husband & Mountain Man of her dreams and family live traditionally off-grid and enjoy educating on autism, gluten free and dairy free cooking, self-reliance, wilderness survival, natural health, gardening and so much more. Find out more about Tammy and her journeys at: http://www.TrayerWilderness.com
Ken Youngquist
is the creator of Survivaltek, a website dedicated to teaching the ways and means to survive. Ken shares his experiences of performing both primitive and modern day skills. It is his desire to pass on the mantle of preparedness to others. He is also the author of the recently released e-book "Fifty ways to make survival tools from trash and household items". You can visit his website and learn more at: http:// survivaltek.com/
Vickilynn Haycraft
is the hostess of the Get Real – Get Prepared radio show on PRN. She is the author of: “Wrapping It Up!” and co-author of “Naturally Healthy Cuisine, Real Food for Real Families”. Vickilynn is a sought-after independent product tester and book reviewer delivering accurate, honest, and trustworthy reviews on products and books for the whole family. Subscribe to Vickilynn at: RealFoodLiving.com, National Product Review Examiner, National Family Preparedness Examiner.