Candles

Candles play a vital role in off-grid emergency lighting situations. I will depend on cheap battery operated LED lights for the most part, but a small stockpile of cheap tea lights might come in handy during TEOTWAWKI. A bag of small tea lights can be acquired at the local Wal-Mart for around five bucks, and I know for a fact that a single flame can light up a small room. You won't be able to read or shave in this type of light, but it might provide enough to allow you to complete other needs such as food preparation. On one occasion I left a small tea candle on my computer desk, and after 6 hours it still remained lit. A plus associated with candles is during colder months they supply a tiny amount heat, but in a survival situation that single BTU might save your life. I did have an ideal up my sleeve, which would involve using a piece of aluminum foil as a reflector. In theory, it might maximize the light output of the tiny candle. Sorry about today's post being short, I haven't been feeling well, must be the cold weather, and the fear of peak oil. The temperatures have dropped, and my job which consists of working the drive thru window doesn't help. I am starting to feel a little bit better, but not as fighting fit as I had hoped.

Until next time…. Travel Trailer hermit… signing off……

Minimum Food Storage

Today I want to bring up food storage and how a simple yet basic stockpile can save your life if the shit hits the fan. I have been quite lazy and stupid for not already starting with food storage, mainly because I was waiting until after I moved into my travel trailer. We all know famine or peak oil could hit at any time, so let me give you an insight on my future survival pantry. My plan will consist mostly of canned goods, flour, rice, oatmeal, beans, and maybe a grain grinder and a bucket of wheat. I wish my modest 12ft travel trailer had room for several years’ worth of food, but it just isn't possible. My food storage plan will only consist of enough food for 183 days; however I plan on expanding in the future. If I consume the bare minimum of 2,000 calories per day, my 6 month requirement would be around 366,000 calories. A stockpile of One-A-day men's daily vitamins will help supplement my diet without relying on fresh fruit and veggies. I hope to store most of my grub inside the trailer, but then again space is very limited so most dry goods will be stored under the trailer. Last month I saw 20lb bags of pinto beans at Food City for around twenty bucks. A single pound of dried beans is 1575 calories; therefore a 20lb sack of beans would consist of 31,500 calories. White rice has slightly more bang for the buck, at around 1600 calories per dry pound. I hope to fit four 20lb bags of both rice and beans under my trailer, stored in large plastic containers. This would guarantee me 254,000 calories worth of basic grub, however I don't know for sure if 80lbs of dry beans and rice will fit under there. The 122,000 calorie difference can be made up of cheap canned goods, oatmeal, flour, corn meal, etc. I am also considering a cheap van or enclosed trailer for extra storage, on the other hand I don't know if extreme weather conditions would play a role with shelf life. If I go the wheat and wheat grinder route I will more than likely store my wheat outside on a cheap homemade pallet, and pray to God the temperate peaks don't hurt it. In the long run, I feel minimum food storage of 6 months should be enough to allow for proper stock rotation. A self-sufficient approach would be a decent garden and several chickens and rabbits, and I do plan on investing into agriculture once I become familiar with my new lifestyle. Until then, I hope my worthless money is still able to buy weekly grub.

On another note, if anyone knows a better way to store food items when storage space and funds are limited, please let me know, I am new at WTSHTF food prepping.

Until next time... Travel Trailer Hermit… signing off...

Non-related Bonus Post: Willy Wonka

This post is not associated with survival, frugal living, or any other subject usually posted on my Hermit blog. For you serious readers and animals of habit, don’t worry, I will post a normal post right next to my non-related bonus post. Enjoy! 

I got home from work last Friday and decided to watch an old classic. It had been nearly three years since I had seen the movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder. I am not taking about the new and ugly one with Mr. Depp, but the real one. The classic one from 1971 directed by Roald Dahl. As a child I watched it with an “innocent” and “simple” mind. This time I felt different and the movie had a strange “change” to it. The first thing that hit me was when the school let out due to the fact Mr. Wonka had reopened his nasty and dirty candy plant. That is not a reason to let kids miss out on CorpGov education. Even though the candy plant was in full production, no one was allowed to leave. How is this possible? My first thought was the plant was automated, however it turns out to be the plant is fueled by a bunch of “little people” called Oompa-Loompas. How is this possible? Do these Oompa-Loompas live with Mr. Wonka? Do they get paid or is it slave labor, with sir Wonka wielding a bull whip. The world did not know, and after the movie I still wasn’t sure. I mean, they seemed happy, but who knows what goes on after the cameras go away. Sorry, I am getting off the real topic here. After the school lets out, a young boy named Charlie Bucket goes into a candy store. The cashier working there starts singing and gives candy to everyone there, except Charlie. The “candy man” can, but he decided not to. What a “brat” this candy man is! For one, he doesn’t look like he owns the store so he should not be giving candy away to a bunch of kids. The candies will rotten their teeth, and then out of nowhere he decides Charlie must pay for his candy. During this time, this Mr. Wonka is hiding golden tickets inside candy wrappers. I understand the promotional ideal, but why only five of them? Personally, I think he should have just hidden a “free candy bar” coupon in every other or every three wrappers and called it quits. But he doesn’t, because he is more than that. He is Willy Wonka for crying out loud, and he owns the best candy production plant in the entire world. However, I disagree with Wonka’s candies being the best. During the movie, the little workers never washed their hands or changed their gloves. If this wasn’t bad enough, little Violet Beauregard nearly exploded after eating one of Wonka’s mysterious “candy treats”. Another thing that really threw me a loop was during the news reports some strange guy with a scary scar was shown whispering to the children. This guy could be a kidnapper, or maybe he is trying to get the golden tickets. During the end of Charlie’s expedition into the chocolate factory, he messes around with some fizzy lifting drinks. I mean, could you blame Charlie or Grandpa Joe for stealing a sip of Fizzy? Sure, it almost got them killed, and I understand why Wonka was mad. I mean, he could have been sued if they got hurt. However, instead of kicking Charlie and grandpa out, he decides to give them the factory. What a dummy this Wonka is. Personally, I think Augustus Goop would have been happier with the factory. I mean, he sure did love that chocolate water fall. What was on my mind at the end was why he gave the factory away? Was he tired of bossing around a bunch of little people, or was he declaring bankruptcy? The main thing is, it really doesn’t matter because the person who wanted it the most got the most out of it. I just want to say one thing. Good luck Charlie, give us a smile.  

Sincerely, Travel Trailer Hermit……..     

The .22 LR

Hello loyal readers, I just want to let you know that my main goal is to keep traveltrailerhermit.blogspot.com updated with a new post Monday through Friday. I spend my weekends resting, relaxing, and picking the brain for the upcoming weekday articles. This usually means that I won’t post during the weekend, however if something truly special comes up I will post regardless of what day of the week it is. What I am really trying to say is that I love writing for you guys, and you can expect a post every weekday and at least twenty posts a month. That is unless I get a bad case of Carpel Tunnel and I am forced to pay someone to put me down like a horse with a broken leg. J   

          Anyways, after cleaning out my sock drawer I came across an old box of Winchester Wildcat 22LR’s I had stashed because I ran out of space on my shelf. I got thinking about the world’s most popular firearm cartridge, and it sparked today’s article. It’s cheap, lightweight, and the most popular round on the market. Almost every shooter is familiar with this humble little plinking round; however most people under estimate its “stopping power”. With proper shot placement, large game can be taken quite clean with this little guy. Hell, ask any game warden and you will find out real quick what a poacher’s preferred caliber is. The modest little .22LR is perfect for teaching kids and women how to safely operate and use a firearm, as well as keeping the average shooter’s skills honed. I have owned three twenty-two caliber rifles during my life, and my favorite is the Marlin Model 60. The Marlin was my first rifle, and after 2,000+ rounds it is still going strong. Most people are quite familiar with the Ruger 10/22, however I don’t understand what the hype is all about. Don’t get me wrong, Ruger makes a damn good rifle but for the price of one 10/22 you could almost buy two Marlins.

            The only difficult part about dealing with the .22LR is finding good dependable ammunition. The cheap bulk 550 round boxes you get at Wal-Mart don’t cut the cake when it comes to reliability. Last summer I brought a 550 round box of Federal 36grain copper plated hollow points for around twenty bucks at my local Wal-Mart, and after a week’s worth of shooting nearly 1/3 of them “snapped” the first time they were fired. They caused a minor jam each time in my trustworthy Marlin 60, but after racking back the slide, the dented cartridge would fly out. Not that big of a deal when you are out plinking, but what if that meant the difference between eating or going hungry in a survival situation. You would be up shit creek without a paddle. CCI’s line of 22LR Mini-Mag ammo seems to be the most accurate and reliable cartridges on the market. These little copper plated hollow points work real smooth in my Marlin, and I have yet to have one disappoint me. For the sake of survival, always remember to store your ammo in a cool dry place. I recommend storing them in gallon Ziploc bags; however the factory packaging seems hold up well against moisture. For around two hundred bucks anyone should be able to snatch up a decent twenty-two caliber rifle and a few hundred rounds of cheap ammunition.

Keep the brass flyin’, Sincerely, the Homestead Hermit…..           

Hermit Coffee

Hello loyal readers, the Hermit’s weekend was satisfactory, I spend it at my dad’s house, and we mostly talked about politics and The Andy Griffith Show. On another note, I feel I have been spending way too much on cigarettes, and I decided to switch over to my old favorite; the cheap filtered cigar. I think I mentioned it in a previous post, I can’t remember, so I shall mention it again. I have been smoking “Winston full flavors” for the last three months, and even with my consumption at around five per day, the thought of paying $4.11 a pack is starting to bother me. I have been secretly smoking since I was sixteen, and my preferred smoking experience started with low-priced cigars. The most popular brand in my area is “Red Buck”, which can be acquired for less than $1.50 for a pack of twenty, and they taste pretty damn good. They come filtered; yet the only way I like to smoke them is with the filter cut down or ripped off. Don’t get me wrong, from time to time I might splurge and buy a pack of “Black and Mild’s” or “swisher Sweets”, but my taste buds are still set on cigars that look like cigarettes. They are something about a cigar that really fulfills me, they do something for me that overpriced cigarette never will. It might just be the smell and texture, who knows.      

Today’s post isn’t just about my smoking habit; it also covers my Coffee drinking addiction. I LOVE COFFEE!! I wish I was able to drink it “black”, but the only way I find it enjoyable is with plenty of cream and sugar. I am not accustomed to fancy pots or “percolators”, but instead the simple method. The only equipment you need is a kettle for water, a coffee cup, one tablespoon of ground coffee (I prefer Maxwell House or Folgers), and a paper filter. You pour eight ounces of cold water in the kettle, place it on the stove, and then add your tablespoon of coffee to the water. You let the water/coffee simmer over the heat until it starts to form tiny bubbles, the same tiny bubbles that form right before water starts to boil. As soon as these bubbles form, remove the kettle from the heat; whatever you do, don’t let the water begin to boil. Once you remove the almost boiling water/coffee from the source of heat, prepare your cup by placing the coffee filter inside it; carefully pour the coffee into the cup.  The paper filter should catch all the coffee grounds, and the end result should be a wonderful cup of coffee. This is by far the best way to make coffee, and it doesn’t require any bulky equipment. A word of advice; make sure the coffee doesn’t reach a boil, or it will taste sour and bitter. Throw in a splash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar, and treat yourself to a hot cup of Joe. I am not sure if this method has a name, but I call it “Poor Man’s Java”. From my experiences, I find that a coffee maker often makes the coffee taste bitter or burnt, but I personally have never had a cup made with a percolator or French press. Live simple coffee drinkers.

The coffee drinkin’, cigar smokin’ Hermit…. Signing off------                

10 Reasons why I don’t go to College

My dream of “Guest Article Friday” has fell through the rat hole, so once again the Hermit must entertain his readers with another mind boggling post, and maybe next week my “Guest Article Friday” will come true. Today has been fantastic and I have stumbled upon a tobacco store that sells Swisher Sweet filter cigars for $2.11 a pack, and I have made this my new permanent choice. God knows I love cigars, and the Swisher Sweet brand really pleases me. Let me get off my cigar addiction and on with today’s post which for your information, I pulled out of my ASS in under eleven minutes. Please enjoy…

10 reasons why I don’t go to college

1.) The 13 years I wasted between kindergarten and 12^th grade seems like enough. Why would I waste another 2-8 years?

2.) I am lazy and would rather spend my time sitting on the couch with a bowl of Frosted Flakes.

3.) College graduates typically make 1 million dollars more in their lifetime then non-graduates. However, with tuition at an all-time high and fiscal cliff just right around the corner, I can see this number dropping.

4.) Hearing a dumb ass professor preach about stupid shit for several hours while sitting in an uncomfortable chair while being forced to take notes with a dull pencil doesn't appeal to me. Thanks anyways.

5.) Staying in a dorm room full of the same gender reminds me of prison movies and may result in homosexual acts.

6.) I hate waking up early in the morning, and therefore I work the “hoot owl” shift at a wage slave job.

7.) A young boy named Ted Kaczynski went to college, got mentally abused by a professor, sent bombs via the Postal Service, and later became known as the “Unabomber”. I don’t want this to happen to me.

8.)  I feel the public school system didn't give me enough knowledge to further my education at a university. My personal experience involved a zealot Mormon Algebra teacher that was going through a divorce while preparing me for College math. Long story short, I didn't learn anything that year. Every time I hear "Hey Joe" by Hendrix, or "Losing my religion" by R.E.M I think about this particular Algebra class.   

9.) I don’t want to become over educated and forget how to tie my shoe, use the bathroom, etc. The world has enough over educated idiots, we don’t need anymore.

10.)        I don’t know if I mentioned it, but I am lazy. I believe in taking the easy way out, and making due with less. Fuck you government funded public schools for brainwashing little kids into thinking they can be whatever they want to be. A blind and deaf kid with ADHD isn't going to become an underwater welder or a nurse, so quit telling him that bullshit. Teach them the real world, not a world filled with unicorns and fairy dust. If Little Timmy is in 5^th grade and he still can’t spell his name, NASA isn't going to want his dumb ass.

For those of you that go to college. Keep up the good work; God knows we need more bankers, lawyers, and politicians. I hope your $30,000+ student loans are not affected by that nasty “fiscal” cliff.

Just as a side note, I will not be posting tomorrow (1/12/13 SATURDAY) or the day after (1/13/13 SUNDAY). I plan on re-reading “Walden’s pond” for the third time, because they say the third time is the charm. J

HERMIT <>

30-06 Springfield: The universal cartridge

The 30-06 Springfield cartridge (Pronounced "thirty-aught-six" or "thirty-oh-six") was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and was used until the early 1970s.  It replaced the 6mm Lee Navy, the 30-40 Krieg, and its own parent cartridge the 30-03. This no-nonsense rifle round was the US Army's main cartridge for over 45 years. It served in two world wars, Korea, and Vietnam. It was chambered in the M1903 Springfield, the M1917 Enfield, the M1 Garand, and the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). When the 30-06 was replaced by the 308 Winchester (very similar to the 30-06) a large amount of ammunition was brought as surplus by civilians. Later on, hunters realized the use of this powerful cartridge on deer and elk size game. Finally, companies such as Winchester, Remington, and Federal started making ammunition and rifles chambered for this cartridge.           

           

            I would recommend this cartridge to anyone considering big game hunting or long range protection in the event of civil unrest.  It has semi-mild recoil compared to most rifle cartridges. As long as you follow through with shot placement, it will successfully drop any animal in North America. The one main characteristic that places the 30-06 over all other cartridges is the large choice of bullets. If you need a round for Coyote; look no farther than the 150 grain. If you are heading after white-tail or Elk; the 165 grain will do the job. For those of you big on rifle cartridge reloading, I have seen a few bullet companies that sell 200 and 220 grain bullets, and these bad boys could do magic on grizzlies and Moose (This might help out you wild ass Canadian eh.)

            I currently own a Rossi single shot chambered for this amazing round. My preferred brand of ammunition is Federal, only because it is usually cheaper than other brands. The 150 grain Soft point seems to be the most common bullet in my area, and a good scope is also something to consider, however I prefer iron sights because I find them to be more reliable. My little Rossi has been with me through thick and thin, and has been successful in dropping two whitetails (a spike and a four point), all with the aid of a 50 dollar 3-9x Tasco scope. 

    

Stay safe out there readers, and until next time, Homestead Hermit—signing off……..