“I told her once I wasn’t good at anything. She told me survival is a talent.”
― Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted
I can’t tell how many articles on this platform I have begun and deleted because they were so “not politically correct.” Lord knows, I have a sarcastic nature and I’m opinionated.
I’m not a fan of what has happened to our country and I’m totally not a fan of Whitmer and what she has done to our state. There is trouble ahead and anyone with half a brain can see it.
If you are looking around and see what is happening you should become hardwired to find many videos and blogs on the internet for tactical preparedness, gardening, food storage advice and so on. So, I am moving to the softer side of taking care of our family with this post. The less talked about stuff, the real stuff we will face when the power is out or whatever SHTF crisis they have planned for us come November.
We all know of the supply chain issues we are facing, right? If you have been living in la la land and haven’t a clue what supply issues I’m referring too I suggest you look around, do some investigating. Nah, you’ll know soon enough.
I wasn’t paying attention way back when and life smacked me upside the head with a curve ball. My butt was kicked to the curb from no fault of my own and I found myself homeless. The owner of my rented house sold it out from under me and the new owners gave me 10 days to vacate or they would throw my stuff out into the yard and change the locks while I was at work. I didn’t have the money to argue with them.
I was like a crazy women frantically searching for some place for me and the kids to live. Sadly, I was unable to find housing in my price range in the 10 days they had so generously given me. With a heavy heart I sent the kids to go live with their Dad for awhile, so me and my pop-up camper took to the woods. By the end of summer I was getting concerned about winter closing in on me and began looking again for some new digs. Thank my lucky stars, I happened across a parcel of deep wooded forest for sale in a price I could afford. I used the money I had been saving throughout the 8 months I lived in my pop-up and put a down payment on the 40 acre forest. Nestled in an overgrowth of small trees, brushes and vines was a tarpaper shanty that too was overgrown with vines, bushes and small critters. It had been waiting for me to come along and find it, I know it did. I needed a place to call home and it was in serious need of loving care.
I lived out there in the boonies alone, except for my big yellow lab Gus, without running water or electricity or a bathroom. Over the next few months much cleaning and improvements were made but it was a full year living without water and electricity. Years earlier hunters had left a small wood burning stove in the old hunting camp shanty before abandoning it. I now proudly called it home.
Of course there is much more to this story, I just gave you the clif notes here. But I mention to you about my homeless situation because I want to underscore what I learned from adversity. Both being homeless and dealing with Mother Nature. Let me express, there is no better teacher than good ol’ Mother nature, she will reward you for good behavior with peace, tranquility and breathtakingly beautiful scenery. However, on the flipside she will kick your ass when or if you don’t learn your lessons as you should. Being alone in the woods can be a cruel taskmaster.
I am so lucky actually that I came up against such adversity at that time in my life. It taught me creativity and ingenuity but better yet, it taught me what I was made of and what I could handle. For that I am forever grateful.
I have had many adventures out here in the big woods, maybe one day I will put those tales up on substack and let you read them, like the time I walked out the back door after dark and came face to face with a wolf. That one still puts goosebumps down my spine. But for now we are here for being part of the support staff of the family or group when normal has been turned off.
All over the internet there are how-tos on tactical prepping. These are all great for having making use of tactical gear and being able bodied. Hopefully the male portion of your group will be doing the hunting, fishing, patrolling, gunsmithing, sharpening the knives, tools and the like. But what about those home taking care of children or older loved ones? We need to make considerations for them too. I like to think of this part of the group as the support staff. Without the support staff the whole survival gig would fall apart. It’s time to take your rightful place. A very important role.
Skills and things to think about as a support staff member.
Thanks to many hours of youtube videos we have zillions of how-tos for gardening, for food organizing in your pantry, what to store, what to buy and on and on. Spend some time there while you can.
Those are a great place to start but what about real life happenings at home if you are sheltering in place. How do you deal with toilet waste? What do you do when your family is faced with appetite fatigue? Eating the same rice and beans for days on end, children and the elderly in particular, just will no longer eat at a time when they need to the most to keep up their strength. Get to know the herbs and weeds in your backyard. There are so many flavor enhancers just waiting to be picked and dried. Burdock root is so very nutritious and rose hips are loaded with vitamin C. Flavorful herbs are so easy to grow and easier to dry for use later.
As much as people are ragging on about sugar being bad, bad, a tootsie pop now and again would be such a pleasure, and they keep for almost forever. You will be so popular.
Modern urban homemakers have long since turned their nose up at using true honest lard for cooking. Beef tallow and pasture raised chicken fat have many uses, too. A dear older lady I once knew made sugar cookies to die for. They were the best I have ever tasted. When I asked for her secret recipe she told me she used chicken fat in her cookies.
Beef tallow makes great candles and is perfect for waterproofing your boots. Speaking of waterproofing boots and such, vaseline is also good for water proofing and unsticking a stuck zipper, crayons and chapstick will work too. You are only limited by your imagination.
Have you thought about when toilet paper runs out along with paper feminine hygiene products. What cha gonna do? Well, early humans were creative. They would collect large Mullein leaves for toilet paper and feminine products. Mullein leaves and soft moss were tucked into deer leather for baby diapers. Smart,eh? Moss and Mullein were the first disposable diapers. Dish towels and safety pins were used when all the cloth diapers were dirty or unavailable in my mothers’ time. She most likely used homemade menstrual pads. I think you can actually buy these on Amazon or Pinterest.
Having a clean water supply at all times is crucial and can’t be overstated. It is a must have. A decent water filtration system can be made from backyard stuff.
While on the subject of water, hygiene is one of the most important life saving elements one can practice. Many people have perished due to lack of proper cleanliness. The human body is in itself toxic, and when combine with lifes dirty ickes and bacteria, it is a recipe for illness and death.
Learn to recognise water borne illnesses and their symptoms.
Baby wipes are a blessing in modern day life for all sorts of body odors. An abundance of Isopropyl alcohol will be handy for disinfecting medical instruments and will be a much sot after tradable item. Having household disinfectants around the place couldn’t hurt either.
Amazing health from birch leaf tea Isn’t your backyard a little more fun now that you know this?
If you are sharing your place with family or a group, one support staff member should be in charge of households duty delegation and child care. Chores will need to be done and they should not fall on just one person. With many people in one space it will need to be kept clean. A designated schedule and rotation is a must to keep peace in the group and assurance that things get done. Children, in a grid down situation must never be left attended. Also, the one in charge should be the only one who has access to the supply closet or pantry. Keep it locked and wear the key around your neck. Understand this, when you are in a survival situation people change. Please take it seriously.
A short list of handy items to have on hand before the SHTF.
*Popcorn, cards, games, crayons and coloring books etc. for entertaining the kids.
*At least one solar panel for charging small electronics and solar lights.
*Batteries, batteries, and more batteries.
*Clothesline rope and pins.
*Fire starting material. Toilet paper rolls dipped in fuel oil or vaseline work good. Or you can stock up on a box of Rutland fire starter squares found at Tractor Supply in the fall.
*A map of your area. Helpful in the event you need to move out fast and GPS isn’t working or you don’t want to be tracked.
*Extra blankets, socks, mittens and stocking caps for when it gets cold. Hot water bottle for each family member.
*Insect repellent, rodent poison or traps, cedar blocks to keep moths out of the pantry and closet. Camphor crystals work wonderfully to keep mice, snakes and spiders out.
*Large glass mason jars for storing flour, cornmeal, cereals, popcorn and more. Mice can and do chew through plastic. Mice chewed through a large storage tote I had stored chicken feed in. It only took them a couple of days to get into it.
*Plastic buckets. They have a million uses, from hauling water, to using it as a loo. You are only limited by your imagination.
*Stock up on condoms and if you are of the mind, you can now get “morning after pills” over the counter. During austere conditions, teenagers will often feel they want to experience life before they die and throw caution to the wind. Unless you want to play midwife a couple of those pills in the cupboard are advised for just incase. Crime is on the rise. Life and times could get brutal.
*Essential oils have tons of uses. One good use for clove essential oil for teething or tooth pain and abscesses. Dilute with a little olive oil and place directly on the affected tooth.
*Start as soon as you can to learn how to make a campfire. Then do it again in wet conditions. You will learn quickly if you are wet and cold. Fire and warmth are vital to staying alive. Traditionally and culturally, the hearth has always been the womans responsibility.
*Cast iron cookware, a dutch oven in particular. You can cook and bake over an open fire in the yard with it. Regular fry pans just don’t cut it for outdoor cooking.
You are important in keeping your men folk fed and protecting your family. You are priceless for keeping your family comfortable and healthy in difficult times. The generation domestic divas.
This is only the beginning.
Thank you for being here, you are appreciated.
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Thank you for sharing your experiences and wisdom!!!!