Poor Man Survival
Self Reliance
tools for independent minded people…
ISSN 2161-5543
A
Digest of Urban Survival Resources
Use Garbage Bags for What? What is the Potential for Civil War? New
Resources…
Trash bags come in all sizes and I have found contractor bags
particularly useful in a variety of applications around our mini-farm and
business and I have a hunch our waste haulers sure appreciate tossing bags
versus dumping heavy cans and I enjoy not having to retrieve the emptied cans!
While we’re discussing other tools for extending your preparation
skills, you’ll find some interesting perspectives on who is really running and
ruining our country included in today’s article. As always, your thoughts are appreciated.
Here are a variety of uses for garbage bags
when you’re outdoors:
- Mark a trail. Simply
cut a trash bag into strips and tie them onto tree branches or bushes at
eye level. This creates a simple way for you to navigate your way back
through thick vegetation. White bags work best. Remember, leave no trace
behind. Remove your markers on the way out
- Clean clothes. When
camping, wash clothes in a bag filled with water. Add soap, agitate, empty
and add clean water to rinse
- Contain spills. Line
your backpack with a trash bag to keep contents waterproof and contain
spills
- Take a shower. Fill
a black trash bag with water and hang it in the sunlight for a few hours.
Once the water is warm, poke holes in the bottom of the bag and enjoy a
warm shower
- Shoe covers. Open
a trash bag, step inside and tie or secure with duct tape to keep rain and
snow at bay. Great when crossing a shallow stream or marshy ground.
Following are a couple of uses for garbage
bags when you’re indoors:
- Control closet clutter. Attach a small garbage bag to a hanger to create
storage for small, loose items like socks or gloves. Group clothes that
are out of season on hangers and then bag them from underneath
- Garment guard. Garbage
bags can quickly be turned into garment bags with a well-placed hole at
the center of the bottom seam for the top of a hanger to emerge. A great
way to get a dance recital costume safely home in the rain.
Below are some uses for garbage bags when
you’re in survival mode:
- Rain gear. Garbage
bags make great improvised rain gear. Cut holes for your head and arms so
you can continue to work. If you are hunkering down to shelter from the
elements, the fewer holes the better
- Water collector. Use a trash bag to collect condensed water. Hang your
bag in a bush, tree or a stand you create from debris to use as a water
catch basin for rain or snow. You can also gather water from a river or
lake to haul to a separate location. You can then boil it, douse a fire or
use the water to clean game. Place a clear bag over green vegetation and
water will evaporate from the green material and collect in the bag
- Bug out. In
an urban survival situation, trash bags make a great bug-out bag for
clothes, food and supplies. In the wild, it’s a great carrier for wild
edibles, harvested game and fire-starting materials. A clear bag lets you
easily see and find what you need
- Warm and dry. Use
a bag to separate your body or gear from the moisture and debris on the
ground. Upgrade by filling the garbage bag with leaves, cattail heads or
other soft debris for more insulation and cushioning. Body heat will be
captured in the forest debris within the bag. If it is not raining, poke
some holes in the bag for moisture to escape. Otherwise, the condensation
will remain in the bag and all the contents, including you, will get wet.
If temperatures are low, tape trash bags around your legs, arms and torso
for makeshift thermal underwear that will help retain your body heat.
And don’t forget, regardless of whether you
are indoors or outdoors, garbage bags are also good for their original purpose
— garbage collection.
Survivalism isn’t simply about living like the end of the world
is going to happen, as mainstream media would have you believe. It’s the
ability to use nature to your advantage and ensure that you are always prepared
for any situation. To that end, it is smart to always carry around a repair kit
in your car and in your home. This kit should contain a variety of tools, but
there are 18 must-have
items
that should be included.
- A
zipper repair kit
– A lot of us don’t think about this, but having this kit in your bag will
save you a lot of headache. Remember that a lot of outdoor gear has
zippers. Keeping these binding fasteners in tip-top shape will help make
survival situations easier.
- Assorted
plastic bags
– Aim to have a pack of each varying size. Plastic bags are extremely
versatile and can be used for things other than their originally intended
purpose.
- Carabiners – These are widely-used in rope-intensive
activities
and prove to be crucial in emergency situations. Try to collect a set made
from heavier material like steel or aluminum.
- Duct
tape – This
is the most obvious choice and a no-brainer for preppers. Duct tape
can be used in a variety of ways. From repairing a tent to making a rope to
splinting a broken tent pole, duct tape can fuse two things together for a
short period of time.
- Epoxy – These adhesives are preferred
whenever a strong bond is necessary. For the most part, epoxy is
used to bind construction materials together or protect surfaces
from dirt and moisture. In an emergency situation, epoxy can be used to
reinforce fasteners, strengthen joints in bolts, and even delay
stress-induced cracking. Take note that epoxy releases harmful fumes when
applied so use this only in a well-ventilated area.
- Epoxy
putty –
This is similar to epoxy but has a clay-like texture. These products are
ideal for fixing anything that is leaking. You can use it to repair a hole
in a canteen, for example.
- FiberFix – This repair
wrap
markets itself as “100 times stronger than duct tape,” being able to fuse
heavy-duty hardware together using waterproof resin. While there are
supporters for either repair tape, FiberFix is still a good addition to
your prepper bag.
- Knife
sharpener –
Here’s a tip to remember: Never, ever, leave your house without
having a sharpened blade. Of all things, a knife is one of the most
important survival items to have. A dull blade, not so much. Make sure
that your repair tool bag always has a knife sharpener in it.
- Paracord – This is an important survival
item, with uses that are only limited by a lack of imagination. A few uses
to take note of
include: to use it as a splint, a suture, a splint, or even a makeshift
stretcher.
- Pump
rebuild kit for lanterns and stoves – During emergency situations, it is important to
have a source of light and heat. Novice preppers typically have a portable
stove or lantern with them, but often forget to include a pump repair kit.
These kits are normally small and compact but can differ based on the
brand you prefer.
- Safety
pins – Another
temporary fix for broken materials, safety pins come in a variety of sizes
and it’s best to carry a few of each length. However, note that safety
pins break and rust easily.
- Sealing
tape for inflatables
– Their intended use is for items like pool toys and air mattresses, which
most people won’t have during SHTF
situations.
However, the tape can be used as an alternative adhesive in case you run
out of any other form of tape.
- Sewing
kit –
Preppers know how to sew. This skill has applications in a lot of areas
and the art of sewing is an essential. Remember to have heavy duty thread
and needles in your kit, especially to repair items like a tarp or other
thick items.
- Small
nuts, bolts, and screws
– You never know when you may need fasteners. Keep a collection of various
sizes in your kit.
- Spare
disposable butane lighter
– Anyone who has been in the wild knows the power of fire. Always keep a
spare lighter on hand to help kindle a fire.
- Spare
mantles for portable lantern
– Most people don’t realize how easily mantles break, particularly in
portable items. It is recommended to keep at least two or three spare
mantles for your lantern.
- Superglue – Another clear choice, most
emergency situations require some form of adhesive, and many of them can
be fixed temporarily with a dab or two of superglue.
- Wire
ties (four- and eight-inch)
– These can be used in a lot of ways and can be practical when you need a
quick fix.
As you can see, the shared characteristic all these items have
is versatility. Stock up on items that have more than one function. (Related: 8 common prepper
mistakes to avoid.)
Sources include:
SIDEBAR - Can Avoid a Civil War?
Despite the Deep State’s
Brazen Attempt at Striking Back at the American People and President Trump…I
don’t foresee mass civil strife. Besides,
we have far too many other challenges facing us such as N Korea, Russia and
China.
It’s been open season on
Trump and on those who despise middle America by the media [91% negative
stories by the so-called main stream media]…the Deep State actions include
those of RINIOs, Dems and most especially the cowardly unelected political
class far more arrogant – the bureaucrats and special interests. After all, Trump is the first modern President
to win power without the support of these groups!
He even brought his own
airplane.
Trump has no real
defenders other than his hard core voters, no one in Congress has lifted a
finger to help him…Trump haters are setting traps to make his eventual removal
a done deal all the while risking civil agitation. Lindsey Graham, working with Democrats, is
one of the worst enemy RINOs and recently made a comment to the Washington Post
regarding the witch hunt involving Robert Mueller and the possibility of Trump
firing Mueller.
Graham said that the
White House firing Mueller would mark “the
beginning of the end of the Trump presidency.”
The real cause of
Washington’s turmoil are the unelected and unseen regulatory officials who defy
congressional oversight…they are judge and jury. And now Trump is seriously cutting
regulations, stoking reactionary response from the federal establishment –
that, in large part is what’s causing Washington’s establishment turmoil.
At the end of January, a Washington Post headline read “Resistance from Within: Federal workers push back against Trump.”
This confirms what I
wrote several months ago regarding how dozens of federal workers and appointees
of Obama are still in cahoots with the former president and are doing what they
can to push back against the new president’s initiatives; many of whom have set
up social media accounts to anonymously leak word of changes Trump appointees
are trying to make!
Perhaps these Obama
holdovers and other [regressive] progressives will eventually wake up to the
fact that the average middle-American does not share that Communistic value
system…but I would not hold my breath.
Here’s another perspective submitted to the PoorMan on this
concept:
We’ve all been hearing
fears of civil war in America recently, and while I think those fears are
overblown (as fears generally are), I want to address something that doesn't
make the news feeds:
I don’t believe civil war
will come to America on any serious scale.
Average people may waste
oceans of time and money on politics, but they do not stab and shoot those who
disagree.
Jonathan Logan, however
(my co-author for The New Age of
Intelligence), sees it differently.
He makes a thoughtful, informed argument for civil war, and I think it’s worth
passing along.
I’ll have to summarize:
- For young people to be susceptible to war
(and it’s the young, not the old, who fight), they must not be too
settled, not too invested, not too satisfied, not too stable. And they
must be dragged in by some motive, be it “making a name for themselves” or
“fighting evil” or whatever.
- For a civil war to break out, enough
people must perceive the current situation as unbearable and be willing to
use violence.
- The police must be unable or unwilling to
keep the two sides apart.
- There’s a growing inability of “cultural
progressives” and “cultural conservatives” to engage in dialog.
- For a long time the “cultural
progressives” had success after success. That led to the internal
perception that they were not just right but also absolutely right… that
only stupid hicks stood in their way.
- Meanwhile, the “cultural conservatives”
grew dissatisfied. They were pushed to the point where they had a hard
time tolerating some of the things that went on.
- Then came Brexit and Trump. Before those, progressives were
absolutely convinced that they were right, that they would win, and that
the future would be bright. This wasn’t just an assumption; it was a
conviction… like the sun rising tomorrow morning. And then they learned
that they were wrong. That was more than just an unexpected failure; it
destroyed their world perception.
- The result is widespread post-traumatic
stress disorder. The progressives didn’t just lose; they were traumatized.
They now experience anything not 100% on their side as being violent,
hurtful, triggering. Their way to deal with this is to push more, to become
more radical, to accept less compromise. They feel that everyone else is
actually trying to kill them.
- At the same time the cultural
conservatives experienced something new: victory. Previously they had only
lost. Still, when they see new pushes from the progressives, they remember
all the times they were beaten, and they feel pushed back into a corner.
- So, we have two groups, pushed into
corners, and between them is… nothing. They are deeply polarized and don’t
have anything in common anymore.
- And the problem is… it's the Millennials,
a generation that knows they can expect nothing from the status
quo. Furthermore, they lack tools for conflict resolution. Their
generation is split between progressives and conservatives. And because
they are neither the largest nor the most influential generation, they
have no way to implement anything.
- From this we get people on the progressive
side who must radicalize, who must destroy the other side. If you
look at the various progressive protests and riots, that’s exactly what
you see. They are desperate, hurting, hating… and feeling righteous all
the while.
- Concurrently, the conservatives are
becoming afraid. They think that if this thing on the progressive side
doesn’t calm down, they’ll have to defend themselves.
- If these movements continue, Millennial
conservatives and Millennial progressives will pull out clubs and knives.
- At the same time, the police – because of
the progressive/conservative stalemate in politics – are unable to
decisively take sides.
- That’s how you start a civil war.
The sin of the media
complex is that they’re stirring this up for ratings. If civil war does come,
they will be the true villains.
As those of us of a
certain age used to say, “It’s time to split this scene.”
It’s time to dump the
status quo and to start building something better.
More Resources:.
Avoid
surrendering your privacy to Google & others-Use these engines which don’t
record your IP address or send your data to Google:
>Ixquick or DuckDuckGo
Yours
for better living,
Bruce,
the Poor Man
A Final Note…
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