Zal Batmanglij goes anarchist with his eco-thriller The East

Film-maker Zal Batmangli and writer/actor Brit Marling lived 'off the grid' to make their eco-rebel thriller, The East. Batmangli, whose brother Rostam plays keyboards in Vampire Weekend, talks to Donald Clarke

It’s hardly fair to expect a commercial drama about anarchist eco-rebels to be made by anarchist eco-rebels. After all, it’s difficult to get your hands on the required technology – and the required funds – if you are living off the grid in some remote commune. 

But Zal Batmanglij knows whereof he speaks. Four years ago, he and actor/writer Brit Marling spent two months living with followers of the freeganism movement. They bought nothing. They travelled by hopping on railroad freight cars. They retrieved discarded food from dumpsters.

Their experiences have now formed the basis of a highly original thriller entitled The East. Batmanglij directs Marling as a private security operative who goes undercover with (according to your political inclinations) eco-terrorists or eco-liberators. 

So were their experiments in alternative living research for the film to come?

“No. We were just fascinated by this lifestyle and wanted to look within it,” Batmanglij, a passionate 32-year-old Iranian-American, enthuses. “Brit and I were fascinated by the generational dissatisfaction around. A lot of our generation thought we’d been conned.”

Zal doesn’t pause when I ask if he would consider living that life permanently.

“Yes, big time,” he says.

So, what did he miss most when living apart from conventional society?

“Nothing, really,” he says. “It all went away. I didn’t need to shower. I didn’t miss movies. Once you disabuse yourself of all that, it becomes easier. Actually, it was harder to reacclimatise when I got back. I remember once getting caught in the rain while riding our bikes. Not having a towel was hard. But you get by. I find this life – living in hotels promoting films – much more inorganic.”

The director is part of an Iranian family that emigrated to France and then the US after the Islamic revolution of 1979. Raised in Washington DC, Batmanglij studied at that city’s Georgetown University and graduated in 1982 with a degree in anthropology. Later, he attended the American Film Institute Conservatory and teamed up with Marling (also a Georgetown graduate) for an impressive debut feature entitled Sound of My Voice.

It sounds as if the Batmanglij clan is a talented bunch. His mother, Najmieh Batmanglij, is a highly respected chef and cookery writer. His younger brother Rostam Batmanglij is probably the most famous of the bunch. He is the keyboardist with arch pop masters Vampire Weekend. 

“I didn’t expect that to happen at all,” he says of his brother’s band’s success. “It’s really fun. I’m travelling through Europe and one of the albums I’ve downloaded is Vampire Weekend.”

Has it all gone to his brother’s head?

“Oh, no. He still travels economy when he flies to gigs. But then they were successful almost from the beginning. I remember them driving in van when they were first touring. By the time they got to us in LA they were already quite famous. They offered a good example to us. They did it their way with integrity.”

Batmanglij gives the impression that politics got to him before film-making did. While still at Georgetown, he remembers having this revelation that the straight world was “a con”. The university was geared towards producing solid professionals: doctors, lawyers, engineers. But somehow or other Marling and Batmanglij saw through the tissue of conformity. That generation does seem to be impressively engaged with politics. Anybody who thinks that Generation Y is dozing its way to complacency has not been paying attention. He points to Edward Snowden, the former CIA employee who recently fed intelligence on surveillance to the Guardian newspaper. 

(Source)

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Amateur gardeners accused of fuelling national potato shortage by spreading dangerous fungal blight

* Commercial farmers have suffered wettest summer in 100 years

* Downpours left fields waterlogged and much of the crop left to rot

* It has also made potatoes particularly vulnerable to fungal infections

* So-called 'late blight' is caused by fungal spores spread on the wind

* The Potato Council says 'grow your own' gardeners make it worse

Commercial farmers across the UK have suffered amid the wettest summer in 100 years, with downpours that have left fields waterlogged. Here a farmer shows some freshly dug new potatoes

Farmers say the situation has been made worse by the army of ‘grow-your-own’ gardeners. 

The Potato Council says they are responsible for spreading the blight because they can’t identify it quickly and do not know how to control outbreaks.

To blame? 'Grow your own' gardeners, 

like this woman on an allotment in Peckham, 

south London, have been accused of 

unwittingly helping to spread a disease affecting potatoes

Farmers say the situation has been made worse by the army of ‘grow-your-own’ gardeners. 

The Potato Council says they are responsible for spreading the blight because they can’t identify it quickly and do not know how to control outbreaks.

While farmers routinely douse crops in fungicides to kill off the spores, gardeners tend to avoid using such chemicals. 

As a result, even small garden or allotment plots of infected potatoes can threaten farms across a wide area.

The Potato Council warned they were responsible for a ‘disproportionate amount of overall blight pressure’ in warm, wet seasons.

Council chairman Allan Stevenson said it would be better if amateurs left the growing of potatoes to the professionals.

The Duchess of Cambridge recently told a group 

of gardeners in Newcastle that she grew her 

own potatoes, but had suffered a poor crop this year

He told The Grocer magazine: ‘People should be encouraged to grow their own vegetables to learn about the origins of their food.

‘But the blight risk is real, and it would be preferable if people bought healthy, well-produced potatoes from their retailer, rather than grow their own.’ 

The spores can survive through the winter months on vegetation, in the soil and on any potato plants that are not properly cleared at the end of the harvest.

Tesco and Sainsbury’s have warned of shortages of UK-grown vegetables and higher prices in the run-up to Christmas. 

Stores have doubled the price of popular varieties such as Maris Piper over the past year, while further increases on all types of root vegetables are expected.

Farmers will routinely douse their crops in

 fungicides in order to kill off the spores 

but that has not helped this year

Some retailers have even put up warning notices saying that fresh produce was not up to the normal ‘beauty pageant’ standard because of the rain.

The Potato Council has contacted amateur gardening organisations to produce a special blight fact-sheet and other guidance and advice on growing potatoes.

It has also recruited hundreds of ‘blight monitors’ to check on the development of late blight both on allotments and in commercial crops.

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A Low Impact Woodland Home

You are looking at pictures of a house I built for our family in Wales. It was built by myself and my father in law with help from passers by and visiting friends. 4 months after starting we were moved in and cosy. I estimate 1000-1500 man hours and £3000 put in to this point. Not really so much in house buying terms (roughly £60/sq m excluding labour).

The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives us a unique opportunity to live close to nature. Being your own (have a go) architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land rather than, at worst, a mass produced box designed for maximum profit and convenience of the construction industry. Building from natural materials does away with producers profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings.

Some key points of the design and construction:

• Dug into hillside for low visual impact and shelter
• Stone and mud from diggings used for retaining walls, foundations etc.
• Frame of oak thinnings (spare wood) from surrounding woodland
• Reciprocal roof rafters are structurally and aesthaetically fantastic and very easy to do
• Straw bales in floor, walls and roof for super-insulation and easy building
• Plastic sheet and mud/turf roof for low impact and ease
• Lime plaster on walls is breathable and low energy to manufacture (compared to cement)
• Reclaimed (scrap) wood for floors and fittings
• Anything you could possibly want is in a rubbish pile somewhere (windows, burner, plumbing, wiring...)
• Woodburner for heating - renewable and locally plentiful
• Flue goes through big stone/plaster lump to retain and slowly release heat
• Fridge is cooled by air coming underground through foundations
• Skylight in roof lets in natural feeling light
• Solar panels for lighting, music and computing
• Water by gravity from nearby spring
• Compost toilet
• Roof water collects in pond for garden etc.

Main tools used: chainsaw, hammer and 1 inch chisel, little else really. Oh and by the way I am not a builder or carpenter, my experience is only having a go at one similar house 2yrs before and a bit of mucking around inbetween. This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverence and a mate or two to give a lift now and again.

This building is one part of a low-impact or permaculture approach to life. This sort of life is about living in harmony with both the natural world and ourselves, doing things simply and using appropriate levels of technology. These sort of low cost, natural buildings have a place not only in their own sustainability, but also in their potential to provide affordable housing which allows people access to land and the opportunity to lead more simple, sustainable lives. For example this house was made to house our family whilst we worked in the woodland surrounding the house doing ecological woodland management and setting up a forest garden, things that would have been impossible had we had to pay a regular rent or mortgage. 

To read more about why we did it and why this is an important option to meet the challenges of climate change and peak oil, click here.

Would you like to learn more about this sort of building and gain practical experience? Why not join us on another exciting building project. There will be opportunities for everyone of all abilities and areas of interest.

Click HERE to find out more.

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Your Winter Garden - Don't Waste Cash On Bags Of Salad

Don't waste cash on bags of lettuce: sow, grow and forage your way to salad self-sufficiency this autumn and winter.

Turn over a new leaf: It's so easy to grow or forage your own salad leaves, says gardening editor Jane Perrone, there's no need to splash out on expensive plastic bags of the stuff in the supermarket. Photograph: Sophia Evans for the Guardian

I confess: my veg patch is a mess. My sweetcorn is still knee-high and the brassicas are smothered in caterpillars. So much for self-sufficient living.

Last summer I opened the fridge to grab a half-used bag of lettuce only to find it had transformed into a pool of slime. I'd had enough of paying for bags of tasteless leaves – surely I could grow enough salad for my family, if nothing else? In the year since, I've managed to keep my salad bowl full with homegrown leaves, saved money and got my children piling pea shoots on to their plates with enthusiasm.

Sow leaves

You can sow several salad leaves now and, if you give them a little care and protection, enjoy regular harvests through the winter and into spring: purslane, lamb's lettuce (corn salad), winter lettuce and oriental leaves are all worth sowing, and you could be cutting your first salads within a month. All you need is a container with a depth of 10cm or more: I like to reuse wine crates, banana boxes or willow baskets, but you can use a regular pot or tray, plastic or terracotta – as long as it has drainage holes. Cut up holey old woollen jumpers or blankets as liners: they cost nothing, help to keep the compost in place and act as a sponge for moisture. Colour equals plate appeal, so think beyond plain green leaves: I plant violas and violets (whose leaves and flowers are edible) in some containers, and choose colourful mixed leaves such as Winter Mix from Suttons' Speedy Veg leaf salad range, which promises a crop in 3-4 weeks, or Thompson & Morgan's Speedy Mix. Once sown, place the container somewhere sheltered and frost-free: an insulated greenhouse, sunny windowsill, sun-trap patio or cold frame. You can sow some salads outside in a veg bed, but they'll do better protected by a cloche or swathed in horticultural fleece: start them off in modules, transplant them outside once they're young but strong and protect from slugs. My favourites for outdoor sowing are lettuce 'Merveille des Quatre Saisons' and Misticanza autumn/winter cut-and-come-again from Franchi seeds.

And don't think only lettuce – it's time to raid your herbs. Adding punchy leaves such as mint, parsley, sorrel, lemon balm, chervil and green onions to a salad makes for a more robust accompaniment to autumn and winter dishes. Pot some up and bring them inside to keep the supply going through winter.

Start shoots

Growing pea shoots takes seconds and costs pennies, and they taste delicious. Soak whole dried peas overnight in a glass of water, then sow thickly in a shallow tray of multipurpose compost (I use the plastic trays soft fruit is sold in) and keep damp. Within a couple of weeks they'll produce shoots a few centimetres tall: snip them off with a pair of scissors, leaving a leaf or two, and they will re-sprout for more harvests.

Start a mini-forest of microgreens on your windowsill: coriander, fenugreek, cress, basil, radish and beetroot seeds take only days to be ready to harvest (sow in a thin layer of compost) with a flavour kick to put the finishing touches on your salad. Get into the habit of spending five minutes a week sowing, and you'll always be able to add a touch of homegrown greens to your meals.

Eat weeds

If foraging sounds too much like hard work, fear not. You'll find plenty of greens in your garden that cost nothing in time or money. You don't have to turn into a Ray Mears: just learn to identify a couple of tasty but common weeds and garden plants.

Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is my super salad ingredient of winter. In summer, it flowers and sets seed very fast, but it slows down in colder weather so the leaves become bigger and softer – it tastes like mild watercress. Pick the whole plant before it produces its tiny white flowers, chop off the roots and rinse before eating.

And the goji berry bush that never fruits – did you know the leaves are edible too? Likewise the invasive but pretty Houttuynia cordata, a coriander-flavoured south-east Asian herb. Along with the leaves of red valerian (Centranthus ruber), and dandelions, these can bulk out a handful of winter lettuce.

With all foraged leaves, stick to the youngest specimens and pick only where it's pesticide, weedkiller and dog-free.

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Unplug: An Introduction To, And Challenge In, Self-Sufficiency

Fresh berries picked at the Fraser family farm in Collegeville, 

where the family grows and raises some of its foods. 

Homesteading involves creating and providing one’s own 

supplies, often including food.

A new television program called “Revolution” recently premiered on NBC. The premise of the show focuses on a dystopian planet 15 years after an unexplained global blackout. All electronic devices, down to the AAA batteries in the kitchen junk drawer, are rendered useless and the entire planet is forced to embrace practical and efficient ways of living.

While the notion of a global electromagnetic pulse sounds rather extreme, consider the issue it raises: if basic things you depend on for you lifestyle were taken away, would you be able to survive? Do you possess any knowledge or skills that would enable you to live solely by your own means and actions?

If you are unsure or know that your answer here is negative, please continue reading. The purpose of this piece is to encourage you to find something, even if it is small, to help change this fact.

Awareness and practice of self-sufficiency seems to be on the rise lately, with a scale of motivations and attitudes ranging from “going green” and “living a hippie lifestyle” all the way over to “extreme survivalism” and “doomsdayprepping.” With as many variations in motive towards self-sufficiency, there are also degrees of practice and involvement.

One of the more encompassing movements in self-sustainment has come to be known as “homesteading.” This movement began in the 1970s during the hippie movements and has developed into a fairly well-recognized lifestyle.

Reminiscent of life back in the 1800s, homesteading is based on small-scale farming of crops and livestock. A self-proclaimed homestead (most are on less than four acres of land) will almost always have at least one working garden and a small contingent of domesticated animals for purposes of meat, milk, fur or trade.

Homesteaders are known for producing many products on their own including food, fabric, soap and wood; excess of these products beyond the homesteaders need to live is often sold or bartered with neighbors for other goods or services. Many ‘steads utilize solar, wind and/or geothermal energy systems in order to strengthen their ability to live without dependence on others.

There is no shortage of information and testimony from homesteaders available to those interested. Many of them keep continuous blogs of their attempts, failures and successes in various endeavors.

Why care about providing for yourself? You live comfortably enough now without having to do too much work, right?

Well, for starters, it can save you money. The cost of maintaining a garden or going hunting is going to be cheaper than buying groceries every week or eating out at your favorite pizza joint.

You don’t have to be a “hippie” to want to become self-dependent. For some, it stems from a distrust of society and a feeling of inevitable government collapse (these folks are often referred to as “preppers,” and I used to live with one. They’re an interesting bunch); others simply wish to have the contentment of a simpler, more traditional lifestyle.

One does not have to brave the Oregon Trail or become a mountain man like Jeremiah Johnson (although some do) in order to provide for oneself. There are opportunities to be had within urban settings to decrease your dependence on others and save some money – and there are some simple skills that you can learn and practice to make yourself a little more free.

Take a stab at gardening, for instance. The Cedar Falls Community Gardens opened in 2010 and allows individuals to rent up to two 100-foot plots of soil for just $15 apiece per season.

A lot of food, seasonings and ingredients for herbal remedies can be grown in 200 feet of garden space, and you’ll know exactly what has gone into your food without having to pay boosted prices at the supermarket for labels that say“organic.”

There is also the possibility of hunting or trapping. There are state-required courses before being eligible for licensure, but the potential benefits go beyond simply killing an animal. In addition to general hunting aptitude with a firearm or bow, you could learn how to properly skin, butcher and harvest your catches for various products like meat, hide and fur.

Hide can be tanned and sold or used in leatherwork, which is a craft all its own. There are a variety of pelts legal to trap and sell in the state of Iowa, from raccoons to bobcats. We can’t forget the classic pastime of fishing, either.

Sadly, Cedar Falls does not allow for the ownership of “agricultural animals” within residential zones of the city. But every city has its own laws regarding animals such as chickens and rabbits in urban areas. Once you’re out of college and working a full-time job, this is a possibility depending on where you live.

Another great resource in this area is the Hartman Nature Reserve. This 300-acre wooded area is right here in Cedar Falls, and they are constantly running educational programs and events for the public.

These programs range from how to make apple cider from scratch and maintaining good hygiene while outdoors to foraging food and navigating the wild without a GPS. The folks who run these events are all knowledgeable in their fields and are overall fun people who want to help others learn. If you’ve never been there, I suggest you check it out. It’s a pretty cool place.

I challenge you to unplug yourself and pursue at least one skill, hobby or knowledge set that would somehow increase your ability to provide for yourself in more ways than simply earning additional money.

Let’s hope that we never have to find out if we’d be able to apply that skill to our survival if society or government collapses. But being able to take care of yourself, being accountable and responsible for your own prosperity, was a defining principle in the development of this country.

By living self-sufficiently, to any extent, you’re reflecting a key notion of the American Dream. Who doesn’t want that?

(Source)

Related links

* Doomsday Preppers: Is The End Truly Nigh? (TV Show)

* Labels:Survivalism

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Interview with Craig Fitzgerald (October 3, 2012 - ATS/CC Radio Interview)

Broadcast October 3, 2012 - Keith Preston Interviews Craig Fitzgerald for Attack the System on Counter-Currents Radio.

Craig Fitzgerald is one of the founders of the National Anarchist Tribal Alliance of New York.

Topics discussed:

• Why nationalists aught to consider National Anarchism.
• Chris’ progression from Left-wing Anarchism to National Anarchism
• The degree to which the State can actually be abolished in a viable society
• The degree to which National Anarchism can accomodate those who believe in a State but oppose the current State.
• Agorism and shadow economies
• Institutions local communities can form
• Homesteading and self-sufficiency
• The pervasiveness of instant gratification
• Is National Anarchism against technology and urban societies?
• National Anarchism and cultural preservation.
  
  
  Click Play Below For The Interview
  
  
  
  For other interviews with Craig Fitzgerald please click here.

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What Is A Bug Out Bag? It's Worth Having!

Whats a BOB? - A bug out bag.

A bug-out bag is a portable kit that contains the items one would require to survive for seventy-two hours when evacuating from a disaster. The focus is on evacuation, rather than long-term survival, distinguishing the bug-out bag from a survival kit, a boating or aviation emergency kit, or a fixed-site disaster supplies kit. The kits are also popular in the survivalism subculture.

The term "bug-out bag" is related to, and possibly derived from, the "bail-out bag" emergency kit many military aviators carry.In the United States, the term refers to the Korean War practice of the U.S. Army designating alternate defensive positions, in the event that the unit(s)had to displace. They were directed to "Bug-out" when being overrun was imminent. The concept passed into wide usage among other military and law enforcement personnel, though the "bail-out bag" is as likely to include emergency gear for going into an emergency situation as for escaping an emergency.

Other names for such a bag are a "72-hour kit",a "grab bag",a "battle box", a "Personal Emergency Relocation Kits" (PERK), a "go bag" or a "GOOD bag" (Get Out Of Dodge).

Bug Out Bag Concept

In the below "you’ll see Bob from PAW productions go through the four major styles of packs and the basics you need to remember when packing your survivalist Bug Out Bag or 72 hour kit, survival bag or GHB (get home bag)."

Bug Out Bag Basics pt 1 of 3

Bug Out Bag Basics pt 2 of 3

Bug Out Bag Basics pt 3 of 3

Related links

* 10 Steps to Off Grid Living…Today

* Who Is Crazier, Survivalists Or The Unprepared

* Native American Survival Skills

* Consider Basic Needs: The Things You Can't Live Without

* Survivalists get ready for meltdown

* Labels: Survivalism

* Packing for a Disaster – Pack Like You’re Leaving Today

* How "Crazy Survivalists" Make The World A Better Place

* Doomsday Preppers: Is the end truly nigh? (TV Show)

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bug-out_bag

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City of Toronto Workers Destroy Free Community Food Garden Amid Growing Food Crisis

City of Toronto Workers Destroy Free Community Food Garden Amid Growing Food Crisis

This morning workers from the City of Toronto were ordered by City of Toronto Parks Director Richard Ubbens to remove all live plants and food from the People's Peas Garden in Queens Park. They were ordered to take the plants and food to the dump and lay sod overtop of this most beautiful free comm

unity food garden, without warning, without a chance to remove the rare heirloom plant species or harvest the food. The garden was planted by Occupy Gardens and allies on May 1st, in defense of local and global food security. While the garden has been growing undisturbed for nearly 5 months, with the help of hundreds in the community, the city deliberately decided to have it removed upon the eve of the Autumn Jam: A Harvest Party and celebration of sharing, community and free local food, which is happening tomorrow from 12-6pm at the garden in Queens Park (northwest section).

EVENT PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/events/414496608609039/

The reason? The people did not have permission to grow free food on public land. I come from a city and country where one does not need permission to do the right thing. We are experiencing a "glocal" food crisis, where more and more people are lining up at food banks for kraft dinner and peanut butter, waiting lists for community gardens are growing, food prices rising, and our leaders are nowhere to be seen. Rather they are hiding behind their desk ordering the workers to destroy whatever hope we have left.

We need help sharing this story far and wide.

We will be having our Autumn Jam harvest party/vigil tomorrow as scheduled from 12noon-6pm in the northwest section of Queens Park.

As a side note - last Monday Sept 17th gardeners travelled to Ottawa on a Peas Keeping mission for national, global food security, where we planted a free heart-shaped food garden on Parliament Hill, at which point the RCMP stomped on the plants and threatened arresting people, we removed the plants and relayed the sod.

Thanks so much for your time and help,

In Peas, Lovage & SOILidarity!

Jacob Kearey-Moreland- Occupy Gardens Toronto

RCMP Stop Occupy Toronto From Planting Garden On Parliament Hill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuZdCLXc7H4

Monday, October 1st- Right to Food Rally - NO GARDEN IS ILLEGAL http://www.facebook.com/events/185270878275210/

we are bringing the garden to them and are going to plant a free food garden at city hall

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Packing for a Disaster – Pack Like You’re Leaving Today

Careful thought and preparation needs to go into any evacuation plan. Among the most important aspects of a sound plan is your supply checklist. When disaster strikes, you won’t have time to gather the essential supplies and provisions, so it’s not enough just to make a list.  Everything you will need, with consideration for all of the contingencies and alternative modes of transportation (vehicle, biking, walking) needs to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

One of the most important pieces of equipment to consider is your bug-out bag. Duffle bags and regular backpacks will fall short of your needs if you’re forced to go by foot or bike. A full-frame hiking pack is the recommended type because of its sturdiness and its multiple pockets and features.

Your bug-out bag needs to be chosen based on its features as well as its fit to your body. Carrying a heavy bag for long distances can be debilitating after awhile unless it is physiologically compatible with your body size and type. It’s important that your hips bear the bulk of the weight of a fully loaded bag so that your back is spared unnecessary stress.

It is also recommended that you choose your pack only after thoroughly trying different sizes. It’s best to load them fully when trying them on so you can get an accurate measure, and know how the belts will feel when the pack is attached to your body.

Even though you may be bugging out in your vehicle, it is recommended that you have with you a bike or pedestrian cargo carrier, or some way of towing your supplies long distance should you be forced to walk or bike. Even a wheel barrow or jogging stroller will enable you to tow a fair amount of supplies.

What to Pack

For the most part, the situation will dictate what you can and should take.  There is no way to know ahead of time the nature or extent of the disaster you will face.  It is difficult, therefore, to determine whether you should prepare your pack for a one-day hike to a shelter or a one-week excursion to get to a safe retreat. A safe bet would be to have a three-tiered packing plan that includes contingencies for bug out by vehicle, bicycle and walking.

Everything you might need for any situation ought to be organized in one place so that you can make the necessary packing adjustments within a very short period of time. Bugging out due to an anticipated weather event may allow you a little more time to adjust your packing than if your area comes under in a sudden emergency. Be prepared for either situation.

The contents of your bug-out bag are of great importance because it could be used in any contingency. I recommend your ‘stand by’ preparation be for a 3-day trip.  If, after you evaluate the situation, you find that you need more or less, adjustments can be made quickly.

The core essentials for your bug-out bag should include:

* A water filter

* A complete backpack camping kit including a butane stove

* Plastic garbage bags

* 6 high calorie MRE-type meals

* Battery powered emergency radio

* Solar battery charger

* A backpacker’s tool kit including a multi-purpose tool

* Extra thermal underwear and wool linings for shoes and gloves

* Emergency blankets

* Sleeping bag and ground cover

* A poncho

* Extra pair of hiking boots or shoes

* A complete medical kit

* Insect repellent

For biking, add the following:

* 2 extra tubes per bike

* Bike tool kit

Essential supplies for your vehicle (stored within close proximity for quick loading):

* 1 to 2 weeks of food

* Clothes

* Document safe, along with a water proof satchel that can carry the documents if walking becomes necessary

* 7 to 10 gallons of gas

* 12 to 16 gallons of water

* Full set of cooking gear, including propane stove

* Extra propane

A cargo carrier that can be used when biking or walking if the vehicle breaks down.

This three-tiered approach to packing for a bug out covers all of your contingencies while providing the most flexibility for situational adjustments. Should a quick evacuation be necessary, it would take less than 20 minutes to load the car. And, as always, I recommend that you practice!  Decide on a moment’s notice to pack up and head out the door, giving yourself just 10 minutes.  Hike down the road or around the countryside for a morning, then stop and have lunch, or maybe even camp out for the night.  I promise you that 12 hours of real-life practice will yield a number of lessons learned.

(Source)

Related links

* 10 Steps to Off Grid Living…Today

* Who Is Crazier, Survivalists Or The Unprepared

* Native American Survival Skills

* Consider Basic Needs: The Things You Can't Live Without

* Survivalists get ready for meltdown

* Labels: Survivalism

* How "Crazy Survivalists" Make The World A Better Place

* Doomsday Preppers: Is the end truly nigh? (TV Show)

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10 Steps to Off Grid Living…Today

My name is Warren, I am known as “Offgridman” on the Internet. My story is about surviving without commercial electricity, natural gas or any of the on-grid services.

In 1997 I was told I had 6 months to live. They were wrong. I did not have cancer. I did have six months of stressful worrying waiting for it to not be located. In the end it was discovered I had thyroid failure and  that I only needed a little pill a day to lead a normal life again.

In early 1998 I decided I was not going to drive myself crazy worrying any more. So I began building my retreat cabin in the woods. No power, water, electrical service or piped gas was available. Having read many years ago about a wonderful invention called a solar cell, I had dreamed of being energy independent. I made this my mission.

I studied all manner of alternative power systems available that would be effective and available in my geographical area. I decided that I would best be served by using solar panels to capture the sun’s energy. Not that I was biased—it really was the best decision.

I decided on using lead acid batteries for storing the bulk of my power in chemical form as the most cost effective solution available to me at the time. Inverters convert this stored chemical / DC power to a more typical 110 volt AC power for the cabin. The cabin is wired like a normal home with the exception of 12-volt circuits for lights, vent hood and instrumentation systems that monitor the generator, battery bank, and water tank levels.

A diesel generator was needed to power the air conditioning and water well, so I scrounged the parts and built my own. I know building a generator sounds difficult but it was really one of the easier projects. We have 500 gallons of stored diesel fuel. I have learned to make bio-diesel, but have not begun doing so yet due to time constraints.

The inverter can power the AC water well pump in a pinch, but I normally use the generator for this task.

For potable water, I drilled my own water well. It took three days to accomplish but was well worth the effort (pun intended). The water well has served us for 13 years now and I expect that it will last at least my lifetime.  I could have used rain water capture, but the storage requirements (number of tanks needed) convinced me to take the easy way out.

I intend to drill another water well that is larger than the 2″ well I have now.  I can use low voltage pumps that can be lowered down into the well and used to pump water to the holding tanks. This will eliminate the need to run a generator to obtain ground water from the well.

The water is currently being pumped from the ground with a conventional jet water pump when the generator is running and is stored in a 550-gallon holding tank or goes directly to the cabin water fixture. Clever plumbing makes this happen without intervention. When the generator is not running then 12 volt RV style  DC pumps (2ea)  pump the water and send it to the cabin water fixtures we can tell no difference in the water flow or pressure  between the 110 volt pump or the 12 volt pumps.  Regular well pump switches control the DC pumps and are set at a pressure just below the 110 volt pump, thereby creating an automatic switchover between the two different pumps base on pressure.

For toilet and waste drain water sanitation I designed and built my own sanitary sewer system with septic tanks (2). So far it has worked well since christening so to speak.

I constructed Bayou camps cabin with a kitchen area with a double sink and a propane RV type refrigerator, bedroom, den area, open deck area, and a full bathroom with Jacuzzi tub, sink and toilet and a generator shack.

We are now on our second set of batteries. The first set survived over seven years.   We use ten each, 6- volt golf cart batteries. If we move to the cabin as a residence, I would double this number of batteries. I liked the Trojan brand batteries we had the first time best, but the Crown brand we have now are OK. I just feel they use more water and require more frequent checking than the Trojan brand did. Time will tell if they last as long or maybe even longer. I am short on time so the higher required maintenance of the Crown batteries is not something I like.

The last time I replaced them I paid about $1000 for them. This is cheap if you figure we have never had a power bill.

Bayou camps solar array is a jumble of different sized panels wired to 12 volts  (required since they are mis-matched panels) and total about three thousands watts. The array is mounted on the top of the generator battery bank shack. The roof was orientated and constructed with this purpose in mind.

The quality of the inverter is important for reliability. You can use modified sine wave inverters, but I would buy at least a 3000 watt inverter. 5000 watts would be better.

At Bayou camp we have a 200 watt sine wave inverter, a 600 watt sine wave inverter, a 800 watt modified sine wave inverter, and a 3000 watt modified sine wave inverter.

We also have two generators, a 5000 watt, 12 hp diesel, and a 16 hp gasoline 6500 watt generator. We use a series of manual switches and can select by throwing switches, whether we get power from the generator or  Inverter A (3000 watts modified sine wave) or  Inverter B (600 watts sine wave). The switches are set up so it is not possible to cross-connect any of the power sources. In other words , you cannot turn on the generator and the inverter at the same time and short something out.  Switch “A” selects Generator OR Inverter, and then switch “B” selects 600 watt or 3000 watt inverter. It’s pretty simple really.

The water pumps are powered from the house battery bank and get power from a homemade 12-volt fuse panel. We mounted a marine-type push pull switch on this panel  to operate as a disconnect for the DC water pumps.

This fuse panel also supplies  low-voltage power to motion lights, interior low-voltage cabin lights, the RV refrigerators control system (not for cooling propane does that), and a 12-volt cigarette lighter plug in the cabin we use for charging cell phones.

The experiment has been a huge success with many learning experiences. We have never been without electricity or water in the cabin. We have ceiling fans, lights, television, and radio—just like a normal home. 

With the exception of some strange monitoring gadgets on the wall, the home is wired  and works like any normal home.  I have a few more projects to complete the cabin (we call it Bayou camp). I want to get around to installing my solar hot water system. Presently we use propane to heat water since it is still available to us. I would like to eliminate this entirely. I plan on using a combination of solar hot water panels and wood burning hot water heater back up.

For air conditioning I plan on experimenting with designs. I have using two different methods

* 1. Building a parabolic solar collector to heat molten salt to provide the energy to operate the air conditioner.

* 2. Building a Mentos wonder wheel heat engine to obtain mechanical energy to power the air conditioner.

For heat we have been using propane cozy heaters, but we plan on improving this in the future. Wood is available and would be our first choice in a disaster. We have a wood heater but have not installed it yet.

Presently we use propane for refrigeration. If a molten salt system is used it could provide energy to operate the refrigerator. If we do not use molten salt then I will enlarge the photovoltaic system (solar panels) capacity and use a high efficiency refrigerator when the present system fails.

What have we learned?

Remember we are located in the deep south so heating is not the issue here—having  air conditioning is.

* 1. You can easily and affordably get enough power from photovoltaic (solar) panels for your clothes washing or running a basic gas dryer (not electric drying… best to use the sun anyway), refrigeration, entertainment, area lighting, microwaves, hand tools.

* 2. You can use solar cooking, wood cooking, gas or propane or some combination of these for cooking forget using a electric stove.

* 3. Area heat is best served by using wood, coal or waste oil heaters, solar hot water, phase change salts, or a combination.

* 4. Hot water readily is available from 75% of the USA using the sun. I would recommend having a wood or propane gas burning water heater for back up.

In our case we will have two water heaters in normal service, one using waste heat from the generator and one that is fueled by propane always working. The wood burning water heater is an option I don’t think we will ever need, but it is not difficult to build and nice insurance.

* 5. A cluster of mis-matched solar panels is fully capable of providing power for decades of reliable power for you and your family. Start collecting them now.

* 6. Buy a large charge controller and a large sine or modified sine wave inverter the first time if you can! I would advocate waiting and saving a little while if need be. I rushed and purchased several smaller charge controllers and inverters until I settled on a 3000 watt inverter as the minimum size we could use when the cabin had a lot of guests.

* 7. Be prepared to be the electrical power cop. Leaving something on and draining your battery bank can cost you $$$ in damaged batteries. Consider a low voltage disconnect to prevent this from occurring. I use a low voltage alarm that sounds at adjustable values. It’s cheap insurance. I have a low voltage disconnect I purchased, but I have yet to install it.

* 8. A normal life can be had with only slight modifications of your living habits. My wife can have her television all night long, and wash clothes when she desires.

* 9. Do not buy large panels as they are difficult to remove when hurricanes strike. Buy 50-watt panels and mount them no more than two to a mount so you can remove four bolts and lower them SAFELY to the ground.  Don’t ask me how I know this.

Now if I can find the time and funding to solve the air conditioning  problem, I can get rid of the petroleum based fuels and be off the grid forever. We have AC but use fossil fuels to get it.

* 10. Hydrogen is possible from your solar array. You can make a homemade hydrolyzer to get it. Check it out on YouTube.

On a lighter note…After the last major hurricane, I walked outside to see my wife packing up the car right away. I asked her where we were going and she said, “Aren’t we going to the camp where there is air condition and power?”  I smiled and just said yep, load the dogs.

We have had great success with being off the grid and have full confidence that anyone with the desire to be independent can do as well or better than we have done. The resources you need to learn about being off the grid are free and available to you on the Internet. With a little time and some sweat equity you too can be an offgrid man or offgrid woman.

(Source)


Related links

* Who Is Crazier, Survivalists Or The Unprepared
* Native American Survival Skills
* Consider Basic Needs: The Things You Can't Live Without
* Survivalists get ready for meltdown
* Labels: Survivalism
* How "Crazy Survivalists" Make The World A Better Place
* Doomsday Preppers: Is the end truly nigh? (TV Show)

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* Facebook: National-Anarchist Movement (N-AM)

* Facebook: National-Anarchist Permaculture Information Network

Native American Survival Skills

Nothing will help people survive more than a tight knit community that cares for its members. In this community, you will find different skills, access to different resources, and a psychological morale improvement. Finding others with the same mindset will help you survive long-term, and make the situation far more bearable than braving the dark times alone.

It has been said that knowledge is power, and that applies to any area in life. Of course, it is important to arm and prepare, but it is even more important to constantly learn new aspects of survival. Some of these arts and sciences have been lost in the last century, as modern life has caused humanity to know more how to use a smartphone rather than how to build a fire. It is easy to gloss over these skills like an old memory, when you can simply pop at TV dinner in the microwave when you are hungry.

Basic Tools

Knives are considered one of the most basic tools in any society. It has been seen as the very beginning of technology after the discovery of fire. Using the proper knife for a survival scenario is arguably the most crucial part of survival. Your world will revolve around your knife, so it is important to have one appropriately selected.

You do not want to survive on a kitchen knife, as these are only tailored for light duty. Survival knives can come in several forms but they have to perform these basic tasks:

* Chopping or Cutting Wood

* Carving Wood

* Stripping Bark for Lashing

* Hunting

* Cleaning Game

* Cutting Cords

* Fishing

* Climbing

* Fashioning Other Weapons

* Striking Fire Steel

* Shaving and Scoring Wood

* Defense

It is for this reason that your knife must be durable, and have the right shape to perform daily tasks. As opposed to many popular designs, you do not want your knife to be longer than 5”. If it is 6” and above, it will be difficult to handle and could possibly be dangerous. Also, avoid serrated edges on your knife. The most powerful cutting and carving edge is at the base near the handle, and if that area is serrated, it will be difficult to use it to chop and carve.

Also, you may need to defend yourself with your knife. This may be more preferable than using bullets, as you may not want to draw attention to the location of the shot. This means that the knife must come to a sharp point at the tip. This may also allow you to lash the knife to a long stick, creating a spear for hunting. Another possible function of your knife may allow you to throw it at a target. This is another great hunting application, but it is less for defense, in the event that your target runs away with your precious knife.

This new tool redefines the survival kit from the ground up…

There are many designs to a good survival knife; you just need to figure out what your preferred style may be. For this reason, you also may want to consider making one of your own. Creating your own knife design and manufacturing it yourself will allow you to know how to make more in the event that you lose or break your original. For less than $100, you can procure the resources necessary to shape and heat-treat your knife from bar stock.

The reason why the topic of knives is located in the “knowledge” category is because of how crucial it is to know how to use them and even perhaps know how to make them. Getting to know your knife is has to do with more than just surviving; some survivalists even say that it connects you closer to nature. The ability to survive from this most basic tool is known as more of an art form than a method.

Stealth

While the survivalist mindset might seem to stem from weathering bad times, it is actually based in a basic enjoyment of nature. Nature is a gift, and the ability to live comfortably from its provisions is one of the most life-changing experiences a person can ever have. The art of survival seems to have been lost over the years, but before the technology boom in the last century, it was commonplace to know and understand survivalist principles.

One of the most basic skills when in the wild is a combination of two methods. These methods are called the “Fox Walk” and “Wide-Angle Vision.” These were the basic “bread and butter” of how tribal populations would hunt and stalk without leaving any trace. Learning lessons from these peoples, it has enlightened us on how to live from the land.

The Fox Walk is a method on how tribal populations were able to move in the forest completely undetected by even the wildlife. These methods were also used in war as the first skirmishes took place between the Native Americans and the residents of Jamestown. Knowing how effective the Fox Walk concealed movements, the Navy Seals adopted this tactic to conceal their numbers behind enemy lines. The Fox Walk basically consists of:

First, it is most effective to do this without footwear or wearing moccasins. This allows you to feel the ground, and helps you avoid stepping on sticks that can crack and make noise.

Land your foot with your heal first. This requires balance; as your foot comes into contact with the ground, you may have to move to a different location to avoid a sharp rock, a stick, or leaves that may make noise.

Then allow the outside of your foot to roll to the ground, and then the balls of your feet. This will allow you to mask your presence by lessening your footprint and noise.

If you are traveling in a group, the battle-tested way to conceal your numbers is to Fox Walk, and with each person placing his or her foot in the print of the one ahead of them.

Rushing about is a quick way to be found and wastes crucial energy, so the Fox Walk is a method, crafted for slow, steady movements.

These are the basics of Wide-Angle Vision:

Wide-Angle Vision allows you to see movement and inconsistencies rather than the details that are directly in front of you.

This type of focus allows you to spot resources more easily and sense movement, which is crucial for hunting.

Wide-Angle Vision utilizes your peripheral vision, allowing for a much wider view and scope of sound stimulation. This causes you to be far more aware of your surroundings.

In order to practice Wide-Angle Vision, move your hands out directly in front of you. Then, separate them slowly until your arms are stretched out all the way.

Then, wiggle your fingers. If your peripheral vision can pick up both hands, then you have entered into Wide-Angle vision.

The best part about utilizing the Fox Walk and Wide-Angle Vision is the fact that you can move around less, maximizing the resources in your vicinity. You will use much less energy, and it will keep you calm. Some have said that it is almost like tuning in to a sixth sense, as you can extend your perception farther that you would normally be able to.

Experiencing and enjoying nature is one of the most basic principles of the art of survival, and using ancient methods is one of the best ways to do just that.

(Source)

Related links

* How "Crazy Survivalists" Make The World A Better Place
* Consider Basic Needs: The Things You Can't Live Without

* Who Is Crazier, Survivalists Or The Unprepared
* Survivalists get ready for meltdown
* Labels: Survivalism
* Doomsday Preppers: Is the end truly nigh? (TV Show)

-----------------------------------------------

* Facebook: National-Anarchist Movement (N-AM)

* Facebook: National-Anarchist Permaculture Information Network