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The Ultimate Guide to Long-Term Food Storage: Tips and Tricks for Preserving Your Food Supply
Having a reliable supply of food is essential for survival, but how do you ensure that your food will last for the long term? In this guide, we’ll provide you with the tips and tricks you need to properly store your food for the long haul.
First and foremost, it’s important to choose the right foods for long-term storage. Non-perishable items such as grains, dried beans, and canned goods are great choices. You should also consider purchasing a food dehydrator, which allows you to preserve fruits, vegetables, and meats for extended periods of time.
Proper packaging is also crucial for long-term food storage. Use airtight containers to prevent contamination and extend the shelf life of your food. Vacuum-sealing is another effective way to remove excess air and prevent spoilage.
When it comes to storing your food, location is key. Choose a cool, dry place with stable temperatures to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria. A basement or cellar is a great option, as is a pantry or storage room with ample shelving.
In addition to these tips, it’s also important to rotate your food supply on a regular basis. This ensures that you are using the oldest items first and prevents waste.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your food supply will last for the long term and provide you with the sustenance you need in any situation.
10 Benefits of Following the Year Zero Survival Website for Emergency Preparedness
Are you looking for a comprehensive resource on emergency preparedness and survival? Look no further than yearzerosurvial.com! This website is a one-stop shop for information, advice, and resources on how to prepare for a variety of potential disasters.
Whether you are interested in natural disasters, economic collapse, or social unrest, yearzerosurvival.com has you covered.
Here are 10 benefits of following this website:
Expert advice on how to prepare for a variety of potential disasters, including natural disasters, economic collapse, and social unrest.
The latest developments in emergency preparedness and survival gear, including food, water, shelter, and medical supplies.
A community of like-minded individuals who share your interests in emergency preparedness and survival.
Valuable skills and knowledge that can help you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy in the face of a crisis.
Tips and tricks for surviving in the wilderness, including how to find food, water, and shelter in unfamiliar environments.
Advice on how to stay calm and focused in a high-stress situation, and how to make smart decisions that can help you and your family survive.
Information on how to create an emergency plan that will help you and your loved ones stay safe and stay in touch in the event of a disaster.
Expert advice on how to stay informed and stay connected during an emergency, including how to access emergency services and how to communicate with others.
Information on the psychological and emotional effects of a disaster, and how to cope with the stress and trauma that can come with a crisis.
A wealth of resources, including articles, videos, and expert interviews, that can help you stay informed and prepared for any emergency.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to start preparing for a potential disaster.
Follow yearzerosurvival.com today and gain valuable knowledge and skills that can help you and your loved ones stay safe in the face of a crisis. Sign up for the website’s newsletter to receive regular updates and stay informed about the latest developments in emergency preparedness and survival.
How To Prep For Living Through A Nuclear Attack
If you are a prepper, you will probably know that a nuclear attack is the most challenging survival situation. You cannot evacuate because exposure to radioactive material is life-threatening. The worst part is that risks abound indoors too, so no place is actually safe after an explosion. But proper preparation can help you deal with the hazards and survive despite the daunting risks. Awareness is the key to survival, and planning takes you a step ahead. Let us share some tips to prep for living through a nuclear attack.
Make a family disaster plan
The world is going through uncertain times, and no place is safe. A nuclear strike may happen anywhere, so it is vital to be ready. Think beyond the conventional disaster preparedness plan because the threat of radioactivity is worse than you think. Gather as much information as possible, and pass it on to your family members. Remember that the best way to stay safe is to coop indoors. Ensure that everyone does it if disaster strikes. Also, create an evacuation plan to follow once it is safe to come out.
Build a survival kit
Like a disaster plan, every family must have a survival kit as it can be a lifesaver in a nuclear crisis. The basics are the same as you will require food, water, medicines, daily essentials, and communication gear under lockdown. But you must also invest in gas masks and hazmat suits if you suspect an impending nuclear attack. You can check a hazmat suit buyer’s guide to pick a reliable option. Stocking up on Potassium Iodide is important as it offers protection against thyroid cancer risk from exposure to iodine-131 found in radioactive fallout.
Maintain distance
Another survival tip you can rely on to stay safe after a nuclear attack is maintaining as much distance as possible from the fallout particles. Moving to an underground area such as the basement of your home or office building is the best way to stay safe. You can also stay in a room without windows and openings as thick walls, bricks, and concrete can maximize protection against radioactive particles. Remember to dispose of your clothing first as it may have deadly particles. Stick to packaged water and tinned food as tap water and fresh produce will definitely be contaminated.
Evacuate when possible
Evacuation should be your top priority because living in an area exposed to nuclear radiation is dangerous. But leaving the fallout shelter for a couple of weeks after radioactive fallout is the last thing you should do. Wait for the authorities to announce when it is safe to leave, and do it at the earliest. Have your bug-out bags ready and evacuate at the earliest. It is best to carry cash and your ID documents because you may not get a chance to return in the foreseeable future.
Living through a nuclear attack is not a matter of chance, but it depends on how well you are prepared to handle the disaster. Follow these tips to keep yourself and your loved ones safe through the worst.
The Best Methods for Managing Back Pain
Back pain is a common issue that may affect anyone at some point in life – it’s no secret that it seems to be an issue for most people more often than not. However, the good news is that back pain can be managed effectively, and there are many ways to do so.
If you’re in pain, this article may come as an unexpected relief; it will detail some of the best ways of managing back pain and provide information on the different remedying products available so you can find the appropriate match for your individual needs.
You will also find tips on what not to do when it comes to managing back pain and information on medical supports used to combat chronic back problems, such as sciatica, herniated discs, and degenerative disc disease. In any case, if you want to know more about how to beat your back pain and the most effective products used for relief, continue reading the rest of this dedicated guide.
Seek Medical Advice
Before you take any action for a bad back, you must seek advice from a medical professional. They may prescribe pain killers, provide information on exercises to stretch out your back, or offer details on corrective support equipment, such as insoles and many others. Medical supports are highly effective and widely available online, such as on sites like podobrace.co.uk.
Have Good Posture
Posture is key to maintaining the integrity of your back and spine. Being seated in a chair with poor posture can lead to health problems, which is especially true for back pain. Therefore, you must pay attention to your posture while sitting and standing.
While it may be difficult when you’re experiencing pain, you must maintain proper posture while working or standing, as doing so will help prevent additional injuries from occurring.
Use Heating Pads and Ice Packs
Heat and cold therapy are effective tools for managing back pain. The heat helps to relax tense muscles, while cold therapy aids in enhancing muscle tone. Both of these therapies help reduce stress on your spinal cord.
Exercise Regularly with a Low-Impact Routine
Exercising regularly is one of the most effective ways of managing back pain. Not only will it help keep your spine healthy, but it will also positively impact your general well-being as exercise helps boost lung capacity and blood circulation. Moreover, exercise should be done at least three times per week for at least 30 minutes per session.
Conclusion
To sum it up, back pain is a common issue, and many people will experience it at some point in their lives. Still, however common back pain may be, that doesn’t mean that you should ignore it, as it can get much worse if you do.
Lastly, if you’re reading this and have chronic back pain or a bad back, please seek medical advice first, then consider trying some of the methods outlined above to manage your pain and prevent the condition from worsening or reoccurring in the future.
What Is The Shortest Effective Barrel Length For An AR-15
In this piece, we’re going to take a pass at addressing the question: what’s the shortest effective barrel length for an AR15? To do so, we’ll start with a little bit of general ballistic science to get some basic concepts under our feet. From there, some specific commentary on the operating mechanism of the AR platform, specifically the gas system, is important.
But first, let’s define effective. Here, we mean an effective barrel length as one that can be used in an AR with which you can reasonably expect to engage human-sized targets out to about 300 yards with some skill involved.
Ballistic Science 101
When a bullet is fired, the burning powder builds pressure behind the bullet, pushing it forward through the barrel, where the bullet roughly seals against the rifling, accelerating as it travels down the barrel.
In general terms, greater barrel length means more velocity, which, in turn, means less bullet drop and greater accuracy. Of course, there’s a limit to this: a six-foot barrel would not net you many gains in velocity, but it would make the rifle extremely unwieldy, something like an old-timey Punt gun, which was a bow-mounted shotgun people used to hunt ducks.
AR15 Gas Systems
Regardless of barrel length, the AR15 is a direct gas impingement gun, requiring a gas tube that runs parallel to this barrel. To have the gun cycle as a semi-automatic firearm rather than a bolt action one, you’ll need to have a function gas system. These days, gas systems come in several more or less standard lengths.
Pistol length gas systems are the shortest, and they’re about 4” long. A carbine length system is 7” long. Further, a midsize gas system is 9” long and the longest, rifle systems are 12” long. These, as you’ll see soon, correspond to several barrel lengths, and with accompanying pros and cons.
Six Inch Barrels
About the shortest barrel that you can hope to have normal function in an AR is a 6” barrel. These will have substantial accuracy problems because of a short sight radius as well as the fact that the bullet will not get up to normal velocity, resulting in a bullet drop. These will function with a pistol-length gas system and might work for extremely close quarters work, but be careful as you’ll have your hands awfully close to the muzzle at all times.
Ten To Twelve Inch Barrels
With a little bit longer barrel comes a little more velocity: with a carbine gas system, these short ARs can gain some serious accuracy over the extremely short models, but you’ll still notice that bullet drop will start sooner than you’d like.
This is a common length of AR for folks in special forces who know that their mission will take them indoors, as this is a compact weapon that still can reach out to about 200 yards with a little bit of practice. Overall, these are the first reasonable option we think is out there if you want accuracy past room-clearing distances.
Thirteen to Sixteen Inch Barrels
This is, in some regards, the Goldilocks zone for AR barrel lengths, as we’ll develop in the next section. Paired with a Carbine length gas system, rifles with barrels of this length give up very little in terms of velocity when compared to longer barrels but are a little more compact than longer weapons. Additionally, the carbine gas system, balanced with an appropriate buffer spring and weight, are exceptionally soft recoiling weapons, which makes follow-up shots a lot easier.
Twenty Inch Barrels
About the longest barrel you’re likely to see on an AR platform rifle is 20.” These give the greatest possible velocity out of standard 5.56mm ammunition, without being too bulky for people to use in adaptable mission settings. Barrels of this length are less common now but are a good choice for folks who want to stretch the legs of the platform. With a rifle-length gas system, they’re also exceptionally reliable weapons as well, as this is basically the design as it was first developed in the 1950s.
So, What’s the Best Barrel Length?
As with most things in the firearms world, the answer is: what’s your purpose?
If you want the best possible ballistics, then a 20” barrel with a rifle-length gas system is the way to go. Even though these are long and a little heavier than what’s common these days, most accuracy-focused setups will have longer barrels to get additional velocity and a longer sight radius for iron sights. The M16A1, as issued in Vietnam, came with a barrel of this length and it performed well for troops for years.
Of course, some people don’t want the best ballistics, and they are looking for a handy gun to use in home defense. To that end, a Short-Barreled-Rifle might well be the most effective: a 10” barrel with a pistol length gas system can be highly effective in close quarters and they’re super handy. If it were up to us, we’d also put a suppressor on it to tame the unholy muzzle blast that comes from all of the unburnt powder and unused energy from short barrels.
For most folks, something in between works well. Enter the M4, the standard service rifle in the hands of several million people in the armed forces all over the world. With a 14.5” barrel and a carbine length gas system, the M4 can reach out to about 300 yards with no issue but is also handy enough to be pressed into room-clearing duty in, say, Fallujah. This is what we go with most of the time on our personal rifles.
With all of that said, and government paperwork aside, you don’t really have to choose. It’s entirely possible to have a single lower receiver, a few buffer springs, and a set of uppers that you can change out in seconds depending on your mission requirement. That’s one of the brilliant things about the AR 15 design, and we personally own several different barrel lengths for different tasks.
Must Have Items to Take Hunting
If you do not have the items you need to get through the day, hunting can be tricky! There are the normal things you need to have on hand like rifle magazines, snacks, extra water, or a small first aid kit. But what are some things you may need that you would not normally think to pack? Forgetting the small things is so easy to do, but it can make a significant impact on the experience you have on your trip. Save yourself some grief and be sure to include the following five things in your hunting pack.
Decoys
Just the thought of lugging around an extra bag or crate of decoys can feel frustrating. However, having a few on hand can increase the amount of game you see in your crosshairs. Either those of deer or of fowl, are made of light materials, but they help your prey feel safer in the area you set the decoy. An important tip to remember is to set the decoy upwind from where you will be. This will help keep your scent from flowing towards the decoy and tipping off the prey of your whereabouts. Decoys look interesting and cause the hunted animals to be curious about who the decoy is (are they from my herd or somewhere else?). If you want to make decoys extra effective, you can purchase decoy smells to add, further luring out the hunted prey. The sense of smell is one that animals rely heavily upon, so adding this layer to your decoys can further increase your daily yield.
Laundry Detergent
You may not think about doing laundry before or after your hunting escapade, but you will if it means further disguising yourself from the animal you are hunting. Wildlife Research Center’s Super Charged Scent Killer Clothing Wash is one of the many options available to kick the nasty scent of “human.” There are body sprays and the like that you can keep in your pack for your trip. However, you will be adding a layer of smell protection when using the detergent, as your clothes will not smell like you, and they will trap in some of the odors that typically emanate from your body. Taking advantage of this will keep animals from suspecting you. Try washing your clothes in a scent killer laundry detergent and you will not be disappointed.
Trail Cameras
If you are new to the hunting scene, you may have never heard of or thought of setting up cameras around where you will have your hunting stand. At face value, this sounds like a lot of work for an unknown yield. However, they can help you keep an eye on your prey, even from a distance. Trail cameras are made rugged so that you can even consider putting them up for extended periods of time, no matter the weather. This gives you the opportunity to plan your hunting patterns on the grazing patterns of your prey. This allows you to create hunting locations based on the areas the animals frequent most. If you have been struggling with your tracking, if you are wanting to bag a certain amount or a specific animal, trail cameras can help you make better plans and properly execute those plans. Investment of time and money will serve you well. Do not let the novelty and the time commitment discourage you from using this helpful tool!
Surveyor’s Tape
Surveyor’s tape or another brightly colored tape or tie off will serve you well in the field. When you make a shot, you want to know you can gather your kill without getting lost in the woods. It can be easy to do, thinking you are on the correct trail then lose sight of both your kill and your stand. This can lead to you heading home emptyhanded. Avoid this tragedy by keeping surveyor’s tape in your pack to brightly mark where you have been. As you follow the blood trail or your trajectory path, put some of the tape on a nearby tree or other standing structure. This will guarantee that you can make it back to your starting point. If you lose track of your kill, you can also go back to the last place you were sure you were on the right track and continue the search from there. Having tape on your person can prove helpful in other situations, too, where you need to tape something back together or ensure you do not lose an item. Brightly colored tape can also be used as a signal to other hunters or emergency personnel in emergencies.
Zip ties
This may be a surprising suggestion, but zip-ties can serve many uses in the field. If you need to attach an extra item to your pack or if a zipper happens to break, zip ties can help you fix that! They can also be useful in tagging your kill or binding up their extremities for easier carry. Zip ties can also be used to help you mark your trek if you run out of or have forgotten your surveyor’s tape. Also, they can help you tie back branches that may be problematic when aiming or looking through your scope. Zip ties are cheap and are easy to use. They are even easier to take apart when you are done with them; just cut them!
Some items on this list may not be what you initially think of when you imagine packing for a hunting trip. However, thinking outside of the box with these items can help you better bag your prey, keep on the trail, and go home successfully. Why work harder when you can work smarter with things like decoys, scent killing detergent, trail cameras, surveyor’s tape, and zip ties? Make it easier for yourself and keep these items in your pack and encourage others to do the same. What are some other out of the box items you like to keep on you?
What Is the Best First Gun for New gun Owners?
While many gun enthusiasts begin their journey at a young age, there are just as many late entries into gun ownership these days. Not everyone can build an AR lower into a complete AR 15.
Suppose you’re one of those thousands who are considering purchasing your first firearm. The odds are that you’re more than likely not going to enjoy the benefits of a tactically configured AR15 with an offset RMR red dot optic system attached to the upper receiver.
What you’ll discover is that you have minimal knowledge of firearms, in general, and your first trip to a gun store will be a bewildering mass of choices that will make your head spin.
Whether it’s a shotgun, small or big game rifles, or full-sized or concealed carry pistols, the best thing you should do in advance of your purchase is to do your homework.
Speak with veteran gun owners about their choices, take a few safety training classes that will not only teach you how to handle a firearm safely but give you advanced knowledge of the type of gun you’ll enjoy firing.
For the first-time gun shopper, the three targets you need to hit before you ever fire that first shot mean you’ll want to find a weapon with an acceptable balance of durability, price, of course, and lastly, a gun that is easy to use.
Concerning doing the research, here are a few suggestions that may help your decision-making regardless of whether you’re seeking to purchase your very first rifle, shotgun, or pistol.
Pistols
The field of quality pistols on the market today is vast and can be downright confusing when picking out the right one for you. How you carry one, what you intend to use it for, and what size you need that’s a perfect fit for your hands and shooting style all come into play in the world of pistols.
You’ll likely come across brand names such as Glock, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, and others while searching for the best handgun for you. While these companies may provide the best solution, note that it will still take much investigation on your part before you finally choose the right one for you.
Suppose you decide to search for the perfect concealed carry pistol. While there are no actual guidelines that help you resolve the complex subject of concealed carry, one handgun that arguably comes as close to the perfect handgun is the M&P Shield 9mm from Smith & Wesson. A pistol red dot sight attached to your handgun is a great option for concealed carry.
The M&P Shield has redefined the concealed carry industry for over a decade, offering an affordable pistol with outstanding ergonomics regardless of hand size and seven or eight-shot magazine capacity.
You may want to consider purchasing a Performance Center Shield that offers two ports along the barrel to reduce muzzle flip traditionally experienced with smaller pistols. Buying a Performance Center Shield like the M&P 9mm means making a perfect concealed carry pistol even better for a few dollars more.
While this list of guns for the first-time gun owner is not comprehensive, it should help you on your way to years of exhilarating moments at the range, in the woods hunting small or big game, and while sitting in a duck blind.
Rifles
Produced for over fifty years, the Ruger 10/22 is arguably one of the best small game rimfire rifles on the market today.
Capable of firing .22 caliber and 22LR caliber cartridges, this single rifle from Ruger has created a proliferation of aftermarket parts and accessories, giving a new gun owner endless customization capabilities that meet and exceed all the needs of a first-time gun owner.
Another fantastic feature of the Ruger 10/22 is that the rifle’s operation has changed very little over the years, providing its owner with a highly reliable and unique rotary-feed magazine and semi-automatic blowback action.
If you dream of being one with nature and making a long shot to bring down a much bigger game but still love the feel and action of your Ruger 10/22, then consider graduating to another rifle by Ruger, the Ruger American.
Ruger introduced the American almost a decade ago, providing a reliable and affordable alternative to Ruger’s Model 77 Hawkeye. The American comes in multiple calibers and various magazine configurations, and the American buttstock integrates with the bedding block to create a free-floating barrel.
The Ruger American also sports an adjustable trigger and a two-position tang-mounted safety system. One of the most notable features aside from the ease of operation that separates the Ruger American from most big game rifles is its out-of-the-box accuracy.
With sufficient amounts of practice, you’ll soon surprise yourself with spectacular shot placement and grouping even if you’re firing a high-velocity caliber round such as a Creedmoor 6.5 at a distance of over one hundred yards.
Shotguns
While you can choose a reliable shotgun such as Remington 870 Wingmaster for upland fowl hunting, keep in mind the three things you’ll want to achieve as a first-time gun buyer. Remington offers a shotgun that provides all the excellent functionality of the Wingmaster but at a much more affordable price. With a receiver machined from a single steel block, the Remington 870 express comes in .410, twenty gauge, and 12-gauge models and vent-ribbed barrels of either twenty-six or twenty-eight inches.
Like its cousin, the Wingmaster, the 870 Express is a literal no-frills workhorse for upland hunting and handles two and three quarter and three-inch shells consistently and effectively. The 870 express from Remington also comes in compact and Jr. versions for the younger first-time upland hunters.
One of the best things about a pump shotgun is that most of them hit the sweet spot for affordability.
In 2020 Browning introduced the BPS Field Mossy Oak Shadow Grass. Though this waterfowl pump shotgun is slightly heavier, weighing in at around eight pounds, if you’re sitting in a duck blind, the additional weight probably won’t be much of an issue.
The Mossy Oak Shadow Grass is somewhat more costly than other Browning shotguns, but it does offer one fantastic feature that makes it a perfect choice for both the veteran and the first-time waterfowl hunter.
Browning manufactures the BPS Field Mossy Oak so that the spent shells eject straight down from the bottom of the shotgun receiver. Browning’s straight-down approach to shell ejections prevents distraction and helps you keep your eyes on the sight and the target.
An essential factor, especially for a first timer who needs plenty of practice learning to hit those fast-moving birds on the wing.
Conclusion
You’ll discover that purchasing and firing your first gun will become a very personal moment for you. Many veteran gun enthusiasts will quickly point out and proudly display the very first gun they ever purchased.
Over time while on your journey from novice to veteran gun owner, you’ll never forget the first gun you ever bought and will probably want to break it down, clean it and take it to the range for a few hours of nostalgic shooting.
How To Make Your Own Clothing
Many survivalists continuously check and rotate their potable water and food stores stocks and make sure their AR15 provides dependable operation and efficiency and that they have plenty of ammunition. Each veteran prepper will also ensure they stock sufficient stores of survival equipment such as radios, maps, survival tools, and plenty of paracord for building shelters.
Suppose you’ve been in the survivalist circle for longer than a few months and are confident in your off-the-grid stocks. It’s probably safe to say that you’ve already thought to include several clothing changes to accommodate survivability depending on the weather conditions amongst all those bug-out bags. Where the problem begins is when tough stuff hits the fan, and you and your family’s life changes dramatically to the point that your off-the-grid lifestyle eventually becomes your daily grind. Many survivalists have a checklist to make sure they are prepared. Is your AR scope still zeroed in and are your rifle’s well maintained? Do you have enough ammo? When’s the last time you checked your potable water and food stores stocks?
Yes, you may have learned all the necessary skills to forage for food and water when the supplies run out, and you probably took advantage of the pre-disaster time to learn and practice hunting skills when the food sources thin out, but what about your clothing? Shirt and pants fabric will wear out much faster than the internal mechanics of your tools and AR15. Although you may be able to muster up enough skills to mend the rips, eventually, the clothing you and your family donned at the beginning of your venture and the clothing you stocked will wear to the point that you’re going to have to replace them.
Keep in mind that if everyone who lived through the disaster is in survival mode, the chances of making a trip to a local store and picking out a few outfits off the rack will probably not happen. Aside from eventually being forced to wear a few well-placed fig leaves to cover the appropriate areas, you may want to consider how to make your fabric and how to make your clothing.
The Material Comes First
When making your survival clothing, the first skill set you’ll need to master is how to make the material you’ll use to make all the clothing. If you think you’ll be able to depend on an overabundance of leather on the hoof, remember that food and leather sources on the hoof such as cattle and deer will become scarcer as the length of an emergency expands.
Not only will you not be able to bag multiple leather options for you and your family, but you’ll not be able to score material, patterns, or even the tools necessary to make shoes or clothing. Remember that for hundreds of years before we came into the picture, our ancestors relied on readily available cotton, flax, hemp, and other plants to create clothing material and thread with manually operated spinning wheels and looms.
You may be thinking right now that it’s not like you’ll be able to carry around a full-sized fabric loom around with you each time you bug out to a new location, but you don’t have to. You’d be amazed at the amount of yarn material you can create with a drop spindle, a spinning wheel, and even a good pair of sturdy crochet needles. If you’re already into knitting, you’re ahead of the game when it comes to making sweaters, gloves, hats, and other types of clothing for you and the family. Begin investigating the skills you’ll need to find, grow, or collect the plants you’ll need for creating material now. After you’ve mastered those, then practice using a manual spinning wheel or drop spindle until you can instinctively spin fibers into workable yarn or thread. One thing to note about drop spindles is that they come in various sizes to meet the needs of the fiber you’re attempting to spin.
Fasteners and Tools
During an extended emergency, don’t expect to find an abundance of zippers, hooks-and-eyes, and even Velcro fasteners for your survival shirts, coats, pants, or shoes. You’ll probably need to rely on buttons made from animal bone, sanded, or carved wood in an actual survival situation. You can use just about anything at your disposal when making buttons, so long as you can poke between two or four holes of sufficient size that allows you to pass your survival-made thread through.
When it comes to tools to use when making your survival clothing, you’ll probably want to have one or two bug-out bags dedicated to only what you’ll need when putting the material together. While the list of tools you’ll need to carry is not exhaustive, ensure you have crochet hooks of various sizes and knitting needles, again in multiple sizes.
When it comes to cutting thread or the material you’ve created with your drop spindle, then you’ll need small scissors for the yarn or thread you make and a larger pair for the thicker pieces of leather or material. While many of you may have used patterns to cut out your clothing material, you’re probably not going to get a chance to shop for pre-cut patterns. In your survival clothing bug-out bags, be sure to include an ample supply of large paper bags or newspapers to shape and cut out your latest survival fashion designs. Finally on the list, your clothing survival kit should include a significant number of push pins, stick size guides for knitting, a flexible tape measure, and when working with leather, a reliable leather punch or awl to top it all off.
Better Than a Pair of Moccasins
It’s an excellent possibility that you’re not likely to find a sufficient supply of resins or synthetic rubber to fashion soles for a new pair of dependable shoes in the post-disaster world. However, if you stumble across a cache of old tires, you’ll want to ensure you cut several swatches of the tire to take along. Rubber tires make perfect soles for a pair of lightweight survivalist shoes. One thing you’ll need is a few shoe forms in various sizes, and since you’ve already included heavy-duty scissors in your kit for material, the same should handle your leather or canvas cutting needs as well.
A good pair of dependable survival shoes made from canvas or leather uppers, rubber lowers, and yes, even wood will become second nature after a few attempts. If you think crafting a pair of dependable shoes out of wood won’t work for you, here’s an interesting fact. Wooden shoes, or clogs, were created in the thirteenth century, worn for everyday use by the local peasantry, and eventually became fashionable footwear in the fourteenth century.
As with any skill you’ve never attempted before, growing, or locating the right plants to form yarn, thread, and material, learning how to shape clothing patterns out of paper bags, and building a pair of dependable shoes with canvas uppers and tire lowers will take a lot of practice. It’s doubtful you’ll not learn these skills by osmosis, so you’ll need to start now to be ready when left to your own devices and making your own clothing while off the grid.