Sam Nailed It

If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."  --  Samuel Adams 

Home-made Cleansers and Toiletries

I've been getting into home-made cleansers and toiletries. Here are some good reasons to bother with this:

1) CHEAP

2) EASY

3) EFFECTIVE

4) known ingredients, fewer chemicals

5) insurance against bare grocery shelves

I should have started doing this 20 years ago. Here's the first recipe:

FRUIT & VEGETABLE WASH

Combine equal parts white vinegar and water. That's it.

Keep in a spray bottle, and dedicate a nylon scrubbing pad for cleaning hard-skinned fruits and veggies.

More recipes forthcoming.

Survival Messenger on SiriusXM 106

I had the honor of being Tim Ridley's guest today on the Road Dog Trucking show. Professional drivers are some of the most prepared, self-reliant people around, and I get the feeling that I'll be learning a lot about survival from a trucker's point of view. Looking forward to more dialogue with Tim and his listeners when I return on September 5 at 05:30 CT!

If you're a trucker or an otherwise early riser, catch Tim's show on weekdays beginning at 04:00 CT, SiriusXM 106.

Olive Oil Lamp from Lehman's

As promised, here is a brief, narration-less demo of an olive oil lamp in operation. I've assembled some components and accoutrements: olive oil (the cheap kind will do), a package of wicks, a lighter, and a pair of hemostat forceps-pliers. Those pliers, which may be found with the fishing tackle in most any sporting goods store, are great for positioning the wick.

This lamp is relatively safe, but the glass does get hot, so it's best placed on a trivet. (Lehman's sells a jar with a handle which I like even better.) The jar is stable and functions as a hurricane glass. Unlike more volatile fuels, the olive oil, if spilled, will not spread the flame. You can purchase the complete lamp or elect to buy only the nickel element and wick--and come up with your own jar. Either way, the goods are here.

Advice & Beans

I recently ordered some long-term food storage supplies from a source called Advice & Beans, located here in the Nashville area. The mylar bags I bought were of superb quality, and my transaction experience was excellent. I've now become a fan of their blog, as well. I highly recommend checking them out:
www.adviceandbeans.com.

Survival Messenger

--Been Busy, But I'm Back!

I LOVE the olive oil lamps from Lehman's which you can see here. I will post a demonstration video as soon as I can. Check back soon, won't you?

TTFN.
Survival Messenger

More Beauty...

The Great Bill Evans.

With Larry Bunker and Chuck Israels.