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The Flu

January 18, 2013 by

Before I get to today’s article I wanted to let you know about a great sale Camping Survival is having on their paracord. with the code “overstock” at checkout. I wrote an article about all the goodness that is paracord called Paracord the King of Cordage.   If paracord is on your list of items to buy, this sale would be a great time to get it.

 

The Flu

Here we are again in the midst of Flu season and it has not yet peaked, according to Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.  In fact, current rates of flu and flu-like activity have not been this high in nearly 10 years.  Because of this, I thought I would share some things with you.  Some of you might be old pro’s at all of this, but it is a good reminder for others of us.

 

What should you do during flu season?

  • If you’re ill, please stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone.
  • Wash your hands frequently.
  • Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth
  • Disinfect frequently touched places when someone is sick.

 

What are the symptoms of the flu?

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Body aches
  • Headache
  • Chills
  • Fatigue
  • Sometimes diarrhea and vomiting

 

When should you seek medical treatment?

Luckily, most people who contract the flu won’t need medical attention.  If you have a chronic illness, you should call your doctor and ask for guidance.  Some will suggest immediate treatment.  If your symptoms are bad or getting worse, call your doctor and ask for guidance as well.  The below symptoms are considered emergency warning signs.  If you or someone in your care has these, you should consider seeking medical attention immediately.

In Children

  • Fast breathing or trouble breathing
  • Bluish skin color
  • Not drinking enough fluids
  • Not waking or interacting
  • Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
  • Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough
  • Fever with a rash
  • No tears when crying
  • Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal

In Adults

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
  • Sudden dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Severe or persistent vomiting
  • Flu-like symptoms that improve but return with fever and worse cough

 

Are there medications available?

There are antiviral medications available that can lessen the symptoms and duration of the flu.  They are most effective when taken in the first 48 hours.  There are several over-the-counter medications to help lessen the symptoms.

There are also herbal treatments that may assist as well, here are just a few.

  • Echinacea is believed to reduce the symptoms of Cold and Flu and helps in the recovery.
  • Licorice contains antiviral compounds that release interferons, the bodys own antivirals.
  • Boneset; according to Clinical herbalist, David Hoffmann, boneset is one of the best herbs for influenza because it relieves aches, fever and mucus congestion.

 

Prepper’s and the flu

I have seen a few good articles on the flu that I would like to share.

I also have a link that you can use to track the flu in your area, the the flu near you site.

 

Closing thoughts

The whole “staying home until you’re not contagious” thing gets blown off by many people, but please do.  You’re not only infecting others, but you are putting yourself at greater risk.  The flu can really take its toll, and it can leave your weakened immune system susceptible to contracting something on top of the flu.

 

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The War on Guns; Part Two

January 16, 2013 by

The President is to announce his plan to tackle gun violence later today, there are rumors it will entail some new legislation and some executive orders.   I’ll probably add my thoughts on it in the comments section later today.

 

The War on Guns; Part Two

 

Gun Grabbers

As I mentioned in part one, there have been people who don’t think civilians should own firearms since they were affordable enough for the average civilian to own one.  Some of these people have evil intent, but the vast majority is simply naive and afraid.  They seem to believe that more regulation will stop gun violence. Making drunk driving illegal hasn’t stopped it.  There are still many thousands of people arrested for DWI and even more who got away with it.  They also fail to realize that those committing gun violence often have procured the firearms illegally.  That same element who commits gun violence now, will still find a way to get guns.

Those in favor of much stricter gun control come from many avenues, some of which you might not be familiar with.

 

Law Makers

Recently Senator Feinstein had a press release of a bill she will propose to the Senate, aimed at Stopping the spread of deadly assault weapons.  The proposed bill would ban the sale of any militaristic style firearm that had a large capacity magazine.  This bill would stop the personal sale of any firearm, the “gun show loophole”, which allows a private citizen to purchase a table at a gun show and sell their own private collection to other civilians where a personal sale is legal.  These sales, to the best of my knowledge, do not require the seller to perform a background check.  This bill would grandfather in any guns owned at the date of signing, but would require they all be registered under the National Firearms Act and registration would require a picture and a finger print.

This bill is obviously troublesome to any legal gun owner, but something about it doesn’t sit right.  I think this is possibly one of two things.  The first is an attempt at Overton Window., which is a political maneuver where a law maker knows certain legislation would not be accepted in the current political climate; they propose something outrageous, knowing it will not be accepted and then they propose something a little more palatable.  The second proposition may still be bad, but people are more willing to accept it as it’s not nearly as bad as the first proposal.

The second possibility is that this bill is just the start.  If it is passed and we still see gun violence there could be harsher and harsher crackdowns.  As I mentioned above, the element of society who commits gun crime now, in large part, illegally possesses firearms now.  If more regulation is added those, the same people will still commit crimes with guns, which will lead to more regulation and restriction.  Layer upon layer of restriction will only cause legal, upstanding citizens to be unable to own firearms.

The most despicable incident was when Vice President Biden said Obama Considering ‘Executive Orders’ to Deal With Guns.  More on this below.

 

The Media

From news agencies to newspapers and untold blogs, the left has gotten behind stricter gun laws than at any time I can remember.  There have also been many celebrities who have filmed commercials asking:

“How many more?  Enough. Demand a plan. Right now. As a mom. As a dad. As a friend. As a husband. As a wife. As an American. As a human being. For the children of Sandy Hook…We can do better than this. It’s time for our leaders to act.”

How many of those hypocrites have done TV or movies where they used a gun and glorified violence? The trouble here is that this is effective and they know it.  We live in a society that pays more attention to what their favorite celeb is tweeting, dating and wearing than any relevant thing going on in the world around them.

 

School and Doctors

I have read multiple reports in the last couple of years about doctors asking children and adults about what firearms were kept in the home, where they were kept etc.  I, myself, was asked a few years ago during a routine doctor appointment.

I have also read of children being probed at school about what firearms their parents had.  I have a relative whose eleven year old child was talking about a zombie apocalypse.  A teacher overheard this and brought her inside, where she was questioned by multiple adults.  They asked her how she would deal with zombies, if her parents owned guns and other related questions.

I don’t know why schools and doctors are asking these questions or what they’re doing with the information, but you should be aware that some are asking it.  We told our kids what to say if ever asked these types of questions.

 

The Truth About Gun Violence

The truth about any “war” on any inanimate object is that they do not work.  In prohibition it was illegal to make, serve or drink booze, yet there was an entire sub culture that sprang to make, sell and drink booze.  The war on drugs has seen millions of people in and out of jail, but has done little to slow or stop trafficking, sale or use of drugs.  In fact some states are now legalizing marijuana.

Instead of waging war on guns, we should be taking a look at why and who commits gun violence.  We could also make soft targets harder.

 

Mental Illness and Depravity (the true problem)

If we take a look at those who commit mass shooting, I believe we would see most, if not all, were afflicted with some serious form of mental illness.  There are a couple of problems that don’t catch this before acts of violence occur.  First is that many people in the mentally ill persons life don’t want to bring the issue to light.  Some may even be in denial themselves.  Parents say “not my child” or “boys will be boys”.  No one wants to believe that their child is capable of harming them or anyone else, so they don’t get the police involved.  They don’t bring their child to get therapy and overlook certain behaviors.

Often times there can’t be intervention until the mentally ill person commits a crime.  As I mentioned above, loved ones often overlook small crimes, such as underage domestic violence.

I posted this on facebook the day of the Sandy Hook shooting:

“I do not understand the depth of human depravity, there will be some that come out after the tragedy in Connecticut railing against guns, when in truth they should be railing at depravity. We should all be praying for those who lost loved ones, God is the only one capable of healing pain so deep.”

I think that in many cases, when it comes to youth committing gun violence, we can look to the home.  I’m not necessarily saying it is the parents fault, at least not directly.  I have read about some of the kids who have taken part in school shootings and in many cases, the parents were not aware there was a problem.  Maybe they just weren’t involved enough in their kid’s life.  Maybe, because of the digital age we live in, it’s just easier for kids to hide things.

Some say its video games or violent movies.  I disagree, in part.  Yes there are some games and movies that are too violent, but waging war on the games or movies is not going to be any more effective than the war on alcohol, drugs or guns.  Endless hours of video games, violent or not, isn’t healthy.  Parents need to tell their kids they can’t play that game or can only play games for so long.  Parents need to be parents.  They need to stop trying to be their child’s friend.  They can be friends once they’re adults.

The truth is that if we paid more attention to mental illness and acts of depravity, the lives of those people would probably be enriched, and we may slow down the rate of violence, involving guns or not.

 

Guns Involved In Crime

My beautiful wife, Trudee, recently had a conversation with someone on Facebook who was fully behind banning all evil assault rifles but had no problem with people owning handguns, or so she said.  Trudee tried to use logic, which didn’t make a dent in this woman’s thinking.  This makes sense as this woman and many who think like her generate their opinion from irrational fear.  Here is some truth that you can use to inform yourself and others.

I posted this on Facebook recently: “FBI: More People Killed with Hammers, Clubs Each Year Than Rifles”.  This report shows that from 2005 to 2011, each year there were more people killed with hammers and clubs than with rifles.

“For example, in 2011, there was 323 murders committed with a rifle but 496 murders committed with hammers and clubs.”

While this does not take handguns into consideration, that isn’t the point.  Anti-gun advocates largely refer to “assault rifles”, which, according to the FBI, are less used in crimes than hammers.  This also leads me to believe that it is not just “assault rifles” that they want to take away.  I think they can just make an easier case to restrict “assault rifles” because there has already been a ban once.

Fox News has a story where reformed crooks say::

“the New York newspaper that published a map of names and addresses of gun owners did a great service – to their old cronies in the burglary trade.”

One of the reformed burglars went on to say:

“That was the most asinine article I’ve ever seen,” said Walter T. Shaw, 65, a former burglar and jewel thief who the FBI blames for more than 3,000 break-ins that netted some $70 million in the 1960s and 1970s. “Having a list of who has a gun is like gold – why rob that house when you can hit the one next door, where there are no guns?”

 

Guns Used to Stop Crime

Very rarely will you see the main stream media show a story about someone who used a gun to stop a crime. During research for this article I found two sites that publish every news story like this. One is the NRA and the other is The Armed Citizen.  There is most likely some overlap, but both are good resources to get examples of where a gun actually saved an innocent life.

 

What Can We Expect

I wish I could say I knew what to expect.  I may not know what will happen, but I do believe something will.  People have believed President Obama would go after guns since he made the comment, “they cling to their God and their guns”.  Now we have the Vice President talking about executive orders to deal with guns.  We also have the President saying he is putting his full weight behind dealing with guns.  I suppose they could just re-implement the old “assault weapon” ban, but I don’t think they will.  I think they believe the Overton Window has moved far enough that they can make a bigger grab.

An executive order used to bypass congress and make ownership or purchase of certain guns illegal, or requiring every firearm be registered would be unconstitutional and, thus, illegal.  This President has sidestepped congress and the constitution already.

If there is an executive order, there are at least three possibilities.  First, congress could override it with a vote of 2/3.  I honestly don’t see that happening. This is the same congress that passed ObamaCare after all.  The second option is something that Ted Nugent recently commented on as well.  Local law enforcement could refuse to enforce this as an illegal law.  This is also the goal of The Oath Keepers, who reach out to those active duty military and prior service military as well as law enforcement and ask them not to enforce ten (unlawful) orders if they are given.  The number one being disarming the American people.

If you are unaware, when you join the military you take the following oath:

“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

Many veterans, myself included, believe that since we have been discharged from active duty, we are no longer beholden to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or obligated to obey orders given from Officers or the President.  We do, however, feel we are still obligated to support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.

If Executive Orders are used, depending on the enforcement of them by local law enforcement, we could see another executive order used to install martial law and suspend Habeas Corpus.

 

How Can We Respond?

I say “can” because I won’t presume to tell you what you should do.  Here are my thoughts on how I believe a follower of Christ can act and not walk in sin.

First, let me recommend two articles written by Pastor Chuck Baldwin.  These are well worth reading.  The first, entitled My Line In The Sand Is Drawn Here!, covers his thoughts on the proposed bill from Senator Feinstein.  He also gives you some ways to fight this and to help you draw your own line in the sand.

The second article is called Revolution?.  In it, he explains how the Revolutionary war was actually sparked by gun control and how Christian leaders of the time took a very active role, defying a ruler imposing immoral laws on them.

Now is the time to pray for our enemies, to pray they act out of wisdom and logic and not out of irrational fear.  This is also the time to take action.  This is the time to let our Congressmen and Senators know that we want them to stand firm and protect the Second Amendment of the Constitution they swore an oath to protect.  You can find the phone number and other contact information for your Congressmen and Senators at USA.gov.

In case you’re wondering here is the oath they take.

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”

If and Executive Order to go after guns is used, or if Congress and Senate overreach in regulating firearms, they will go against the Constitution and against what our Founding Fathers saw as God-given rights to all people.

In God’s Law vs. Man’s Law I explain that when Man’s law contradicts God’s Law, we can be morally correct and violate man’s laws.  I also give examples of this from scripture.

There have been several people saying there will be blood in the street if they come after guns.  I pray not, but  I have to say, I do see it as a possibility and I would not have said that even three months ago.  Each one of us will have to pray for guidance and draw our own line in the sand.  I caution you from posting anything inflammatory on this or any other site on the Internet.

May God bless us each with His guidance.  Lord please give us wisdom so we may see how You would have us act.  Let us stand firm in Your Word.  Bless those elected to lead us with wisdom and courage to uphold the oath they took to defend the Constitution.  Father, I ask that this fight end peacefully and that the outcome not infringe on the rights You have given to all people.

 

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The War on Guns; Part One
The War on Guns; Part Two

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The War on Guns; Part One

January 14, 2013 by

Unless you have been under a rock the last month or so, you have heard multiple things about the federal government “going after guns”.  This issue is very important and multifaceted.  I want to talk about why this issue is so important, the Second Amendment, the attacks on it and the people who are attacking it, what we might see and how we as Christian gun owners can respond.

This will be a lot of reading, so I am going to break this up into two articles.  The first will explain why this issue is so important.  I’ll also touch on the Founding fathers and the Second Amendment. I am going to link to other articles that I think you should read as well.  I know this is a lot of reading, but it’s important to know why this fight is so important and to understand the argument for our right to keep and bear arms.

 

The War on Guns; Part One

The war on guns is not new but in the last few weeks it has reached a fevered pitch.  The Obama administration is taking the advice of its former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, who suggested “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”  Please do not misunderstand.  Let me make this clear now; the shootings that have happened in recent history are horrific acts committed by depraved and often mentally ill people.   Despite this, the Obama administration is using this as an Overton Window to take advantage of the situation and do something they could not have done sooner.

 

Why Is This So Important?

There are two reasons this issue is so important.  The first is because of what we may face and what the past has shown when firearms have been restricted.  The second reason knowing this information is important is to have a rebuttal to those who would argue to take our guns.

 

Having a Ready Response

Security is one of the five basic human needs.  I believe it is the most important one, because without it you cannot protect the other four.  I believe the Founding Fathers also thought it was vitally important.  I do not think it is by mistake that right to “keep and bear arms” is the Second Amendment, following only the right to speak out in protest.

The Apostle Paul told us we should have an answer ready to explain and defend our faith.  I think that is good advice for anything you have convictions about.  You should be able to logically answer and explain your stance to anyone who challenges you.  I say logically because I think people that base their opinion in emotion often don’t sound serious.  That is not to say that one cannot be emotional about their beliefs, I just think one should have them rooted in logic and facts and speak passionately.

I was recently asked what a Christian should do if the government comes after guns.  I answered that we should follow God’s law any time it and man’s law contradict.  If you understand what the Founders intent was when they wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, you’ll have an easier time answering that question on many subjects dealing with our laws, including gun rights.

 

Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Let me first say that I am not comparing President Obama to Hitler or any other despot.  There have been those who believe no civilian should own a firearm since firearms were affordable enough for the average citizen to own one.  I will discuss gun grabbers in further detail later in this article series.  For now, I want to discuss some of the world leaders who have forced strict gun control on their nation and the outcome it led to.

There is some controversy about Hitler and gun control.  From my study of history, I am led to believe that the Weimar Republic had strict gun control in place long before Hitler came to power.  Hitler did take advantage of it and Jews were not allowed to own firearms.  He is also quoted as saying at a dinner talk on April 11, 1942:

““The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subject races to possess arms.  History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing.  Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty.   So let’s not have any native militia or native police. German troops alone will bear the sole responsibility for the maintenance of law and order throughout the occupied Russian territories, and a system of military strong-points must be evolved to cover the entire occupied country.”

Joseph Stalin is quoted as saying:

“If the opposition disarms, well and good. If it refuses to disarm, we shall disarm it ourselves.”

Mao Tze Tung, Nov 6 1938

“All political power comes from the barrel of a gun.  The communist party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party.”

Most recently Robert Mugabe, the dictator of Zimbabwe, has instituted a ban on guns.  Here is a link I found interesting; a liberal who had their mind changed on the possession of firearms.

Something these and so many other evil men understood is that there are two sure ways to control people, take their guns and take their food.  There is a quote that say’s “God created man, Samuel Colt made them equal”.  It is a firearm that levels the playing field and gives a people the ability to stand up and resist tyranny.

Some people will say “This could never happen here”.  I wonder if the Jews in Germany thought the same thing, or the people of Zimbabwe, Rwanda and so many others.

I saw a post recently on facebook that said “I saw a movie once where only the police and military were allowed to own guns.  The name of that movie was “Schindler’s list”.  Never Again!

 

The Founding Fathers

I wrote a series of three articles last year that dealt with the Founding Fathers the Constitution, and the future of America.  I also wrote God’s law vs. Man’s law.  In them, I explain that it took great courage to write the Declaration of Independence. Aside from the Bible, it is one of the most important documents in existence, largely due to the following sentence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The reason that one sentence is so important is because it states that the rights mentioned above in the Bill of Rights and the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and yes, the right to keep and bear arms are granted by God, and what God grants, man cannot take away.

The Founders knew that a large government could not be trusted.  That is why there are so many checks and balances.

 

The Second Amendment

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Something important to keep in mind when studying the Bible, the Constitution or any historical document is that context its king.  Something taken out of context can completely change what the document means; this is the case with the Second Amendment.  I have done a lot of reading the last couple of weeks, shoring up what I didn’t fully understand, keeping track of what the anti-gunners were doing and how pro-gunners were responding.  I came across a fantastic document from the Lectric Law Library called The Second Amendment: The Framers’ Intentions.  The author does a fantastic job of explaining the wording of the Second Amendment and how the particular words meant something different at the writing of the Second Amendment than they do today.  I highly suggest you read it, as I will only touch on some key points of the Amendment.  Any of the italicized text in the Second Amendment section comes from The Second Amendment: The Framers’ Intentions.

The first question to answer is; “why would this need to be specified and added as an Amendment?”  As Noah Webster, whose name you might recognize from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is quoted:

“Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe.”

You see, the founders knew that tyrants preferred an unarmed populace.  They knew that an over reaching government with a standing army behind it was a threat to the liberty of the citizenry.

Once we understand that these words were very carefully chosen and that the Founders thought they were important enough to make them the Second Amendment, let’s take a look at the words themselves.  I’m going to break this into smaller pieces and dissect each one.

 

A Well Regulated Militia

Context is king.  When many people hear the word militia today, they might think of extremists who stock guns and are just waiting for a chance to use them.  But, when the Second Amendment was written, the word meant something else.

“When the Constitution was ratified, the Framers unanimously believed that the “militia” included all of the people capable of bearing arms.”

“ALL of the people capable of bearing arms”; this means that according to the founders we are all in the militia.  Alright, so anyone who is capable of bearing arms is in the militia, but what exactly does “well regulated militia” mean?

In modern times the word “regulate” often makes one think of the government regulation and restrictions.   A much better (and much longer) explanation can be found at The Second Amendment: The Framers’ Intentions.  A condensed version is that the founders knew the militia might one day have to fight a standing army raised and supported by the federal government.  They would not have made the militia subject to be regulated by the government.  Who then would be the regulatory body of the militia?  Again, context is king:

“This interpretation is in keeping with English usage of the time, which included within the meaning of the verb “regulate” the concept of self- regulation or self-control (as it does still to this day). The concept that the people retained the right to self-regulate their local militia groups (or regulate themselves as individual militia members) is entirely consistent with the Framers’ use of the indefinite article “a” in the phrase “A well regulated Militia.”

That’s right, “We the people” are to self-regulate our own militia groups made up of anyone capable of bearing arms.

 

“Being necessary to the security of a free State”

Some of us may say we live under tyranny now, but it pales in comparison to the tyranny the Founders lived under.  The Founders knew there were three potential enemies; the first, an invading country, the second, a single terrorist or small groups of terrorists, the last, the standing Army sponsored by the federal government.

It is the job of the standing army to fight against invading forces.  It is the job of police agencies to deal with terrorists.  It is the job of the militia to be a check against the standing army.

“Thus, “well regulation” referred to something else. Since the fundamental purpose of the militia was to serve as a check upon a standing army, it would seem the words “well regulated” referred to the necessity that the armed citizens making up the militia(s) have the level of equipment and training necessary to be an effective and formidable check upon the national government’s standing army.”

“This view is confirmed by Alexander Hamilton’s observation, in The Federalist, No. 29, regarding the people’s militias ability to be a match for a standing army: ” . . . but if circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people, while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in discipline and use of arms, who stand ready to defend their rights . . . .”

Of course we don’t have a structured citizen militia as well trained or as well-equipped as the standing army, but this does provide the basis for citizens to own weapons on the same level as the average soldier.  This would not apply to planes, tanks, mine or grenades, but it would permit semi-auto rifles and semi-auto handguns with high capacity magazines.

 

The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The first two parts of the Second Amendment set the stage for why the people have the (God given) right to keep and bear arms.  This last part flatly states the right shall not be infringed.

“Furthermore, returning to the text of the Second Amendment itself, the right to keep and bear arms is expressly retained by “the people,” not the states. Recently the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed this view, finding that the right to keep and bear arms was an individual right held by the “people,” — a “term of art employed in select parts of the Constitution,” specifically the Preamble and the First, Second, Fourth, Ninth and Tenth Amendments. Thus, the term “well regulated” ought to be considered in the context of the noun it modifies, the people themselves, the militia(s).”

Here is another fantastic piece from Roanoke.com called In Webster’s English.  It explains that the English language has changed since the writing of the Second Amendment and uses the first Webster’s dictionary to explain it.

 

The Second Amendment in Modern Times

There have been some recent developments with the Second Amendment.  First, on August 24, 2004, the Justice Department released a brief on Whether the Second Amendment Secures an Individual Right.. They state:

“we conclude that the Second Amendment secures a personal right of individuals, not a collective right that may only be invoked by a State or a quasi-collective right restricted to those persons who serve in organized militia units.”

In the wake of illegal confiscation of firearms after Hurricane Katrina, there was H.R. 5013 (109th): Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006, which, among other things, states:

“The Second Amendment to the Constitution states that a `well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed’, and Congress has repeatedly recognized this language as protecting an individual right.”

Most recently, on 6-28-2010, the Supreme Court upheld, 5-4, that The Second Amendment’s guarantee of an individual right to bear arms applies to state and local gun control laws.

 

In Summary

The Founding Fathers clearly laid out that the right to keep and bear arms was an individual right.  There have been many evil men who have tried to control their people by outlawing the ownership of firearms.  I believe the Founders knew this was a possibility in the future of our nation, which is why they spelled it out.  Even though they spelled it out, some have tried to muddy its meaning.  With the paper from the Justice Department and the decision from the Supreme Court it is clear:

 

The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

 

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

The War on Guns; Part One
The War on Guns; Part Two

Filed Under: Mind Set, Security, Signs of the Times Tagged With: ,

Candle Safety

January 11, 2013 by

Do you use candles often or are candles a part of your preparations?  We like to burn them during the colder months; at least we did until recently.  We’ve had a few things happen that caused Trudee and I to do some research on candles.  We had a couple different scented candles burning for a few days when Trudee noticed her asthma was acting up.  Then she noticed a thin layer of soot on the surface of things here and there.  (Note: We don’t have a fireplace.)

She did some research and let me know this might be a good topic to share with all of you.  I did some digging as well.  It turns out that most candles are created with paraffin, which is derived from petroleum.  There are some candles that do not contain paraffin that I’ll discuss a little later.

Here is an article from Rodale called Candle Chemicals Pollute Indoor Air, it talks about a study that was done where:

“The researchers for this study took paraffin wax and soy wax candles and burned them for five to six hours inside a chamber, measuring the kinds of chemicals that could be emitted by burning candles. They found varying levels of cancer-causing toluene and benzene, as well as other hydrocarbon chemicals called alkanes and alkenes, which are components of gasoline and can irritate respiratory tracts and trigger asthma…”

The article also goes on to say that:

“Paraffin candles release chemicals because of improper combustion: The flame doesn’t get hot enough to burn the oil completely, and chemicals are released as a result, Massoudi writes in his study.”

Trudee and I discussed using candle warmers, as you get the scent of a candle, but none of the soot.  However, if the scented oils are also derived from petroleum, it makes sense to me that they would have the same negative impacts that paraffin does.  If I can smell the scent of a candle on a candle warmer, then it also makes sense that I would be breathing in the same harmful chemicals.

 

Non Paraffin Based Candles

If you read the article I linked above, you’ll see that there are candles made from Soy, Bee’s wax a few other plant based oils.  With Soy, you run the risk of burning a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism), and I not only don’t want to eat GMO I don’t want to breathe it in either.

From what I can tell, bee’s wax candles are probably the best option.  However, I did read that some bee’s wax candles still contain paraffin.  Make sure if you choose bee’s wax, that it is pure.  I haven’t ever burned a bee’s wax candle, but from what I’ve read, aside from not having carcinogens, they also have a natural sweet smell, which means you don’t necessarily need any artificial scents.

Another plus side to using bee’s wax candles is that it can give you an opportunity to support local businesses.  The Honey Locator is a website developed by the National Honey Board.  With it, you can search for various types of honey and bee’s wax items in your local area (not all states available).

 

Candle Safety

I would be remiss to not include some candle safety information.  I know many people have candles as a part of their emergency preps.  I wonder how many of these people burn them at any other time.  Those who will only use them when “it’s hitting the fan” could make a bad situation much worse.  Here are some simple tips.

Please do not leave candles unattended.  That is a hard lesson learned when a century old condo was completely destroyed.  Praise God no one was killed.  Unattended candles can be knocked over by pets; the wax can also catch fire.

If you do not have a fire extinguisher on hand, this should be a prep you purchase soon.  An ABC extinguisher should do the trick!

Make sure you have working smoke detectors and check them twice a year; I recommend testing when you change the clocks for daylight savings.

Trim the wicks if your candles down to about ¼ of an inch.  This will help produce less smoke and slow the burn of the candle.

I found this site that explains how you can test a candle for soot.  I don’t know if it will work or not, but if you want to keep using paraffin candles it might be worth a try.

Don’t burn candles in confined spaces without access to fresh air and make sure you’re letting that fresh air in now and then.

 

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Review of the Snare-Vival-Trap

January 9, 2013 by

The folks at Camping Survival let me know about a pretty cool item they have started to carry.  They were kind enough to send me one to review; the Snare-Vival-Trap™.

First, some info about the Snare-Vival-Trap™ and then I’ll give my review.  From camping survival:

“Created and manufactured by Solo Scientific in the USA the Snare-Vival-Trap™ is a pocket sized survival snare system that is used to capture wild game or fish (see video below).

snare-vival-hand

–CAN YOU THINK OF ANY OTHER CREATIVE USES FOR THE ITEM AND WHY IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KEEP IN YOUR POCKET AS IF IT WERE JUST COIN?

When in the stowed configuration the Snare-Vival-Trap™ is only 1.56″ in diameter and .135″ thick! See complete specifications below. The Snare-Vival-Trap™ can easily be carried in one’s pocket and quickly deployed in the field! Just press the center of the Snare-Vival-Trap™ and your ready for action!

The Snare-Vival-Trap™ by Solo Scientific has a manually windable wire snare, an escape proof sliding-locking noose that is engaged automatically during operation tightening around the animal’s neck or limbs killing or disabling the animal instantly. The Snare-Vival-Trap™ also has a mounting loop and mounting ring that are used to position and mount the Snare-Vival-Trap™ over a known animal path in the field.

The pocket sized Snare-Vival-Trap™ by Solo Scientific is a complete snare system that can fit in the palm of your hand. As a matter of fact, you could easily hold 4 or 5 Snare-Vival-Traps™ in the palm of your hand when in the stowed configuration!

The Solo Scientific Snare-Vival-Trap™ (like all Solo Scientific products) is designed to function in any environment that will support life and is made from corrosion resistant materials. The Snare-Vival-Trap™ is great for all of your outdoors adventures and can also be used for self defense to disarm an assailant. The survival uses of the Solo Scientific Snare-Vival-Trap™ are only limited by your imagination and ingenuity! Comes with complete instructions showing how to set up snares in the field.

 

 

Specifications: Weight 1.12 oz (31.75g) Diameter 1.56 inches (39.62mm) Thickness .135 inches (3.43mm) Wire Length 26 inches (66.04cm) Maximum Load approximately 160 lbs. (72.48Kg)”

snare-vivaltrapInstructions

 

My Take:

I have researched how to make snares and learning to make them is on my never ending list of things to learn about but  I haven’t practiced making them.  I have some food in my BOB and a small fishing kit, as well as some paracord.  I figured I could use the paracord for making snares if needed.  Notice I said I never learned how to actually make a snare, so I would need to learn the right knots, as well as how to set the snare.

With the Snare-Vival-Trap™ , one of the tricky parts is taken care of; there are no knots to be tied.  You just pop the center out, run the mounting ring through the ring, forming the snare.  You then place the mounting loop on a branch or small tree you’ll use as an anchor.

Of course, this doesn’t give you everything you need.  You’ll still need to know how to recognize a game trail.  Knowing how to bottleneck game to your snare would also be helpful, as would how to set the trap itself.  Much of this you can learn online and the included instructions give you four different types of snare traps you can build.

What the Snare-Vival-Trap™ gives you is a high quality, light weight wire snare that takes knot tying out of the equation.  I think knot tying is a good skill to have but I don’t practice enough to remember them.  Plus, if you’re in a survival situation, you could be cold or tired.  Your hands might not have the dexterity to tie the knot but forming a snare and attaching it to an anchor would be much easier I would think.

The length of the snare (26 inches) and the maximum weight load (approximately 160 lbs.) make it great for small to medium sized game.

I would like to get a couple more of these over time, put one in each BOB.  If we ever have to use them, having more Snare-Vival-Trap™ ’s to set will increase the odds of making meat.  I also like that they give you directions and four examples of how to make four snares, while keeping it small enough to store in your BOB.

 
The Snare-Vival-Trap™is available from Camping Survival.
 
I give the Snare-Vival-Trap™ four stars.

Four Stars

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Preserving God’s Word

January 7, 2013 by

Bible

 

JP, a faithful reader, recently sent me an email that I thought was such a good idea I wanted to share it with all of you.  One of the things I have in my preps is a case of Bibles that I got at a good price a few years ago.  My thinking is that if there is a prolonged time of hardship, people will be hungry for God’s Word.  I want to be prepared to listen, talk and to give them a Bible to take home with them.

 

It seems JP has the same idea, as he recently sent me the following email:

 

“Chris, I’ve been meaning to share this with you. There is one thing most folks don’t think of when prepping and I encourage it every time I get a chance. Of all the things we seal and store for future use God’s word is usually not one of them.

A year or so back I called around to find some inexpensive bibles. I wanted to buy a hundred or more to put in storage. Well I found out after talking with some folks that ran a bulk bible warehouse that the copies I wanted for $2.00 a piece were not meant for years of use or storage. The paper and ink used for those cheap bibles would fade and the pages would discolor due to changes in humidity or high moisture levels.

The guy I talked to explained this to me and laughingly suggested that the bibles would have to be kept very dry, vacuum sealed and kept airtight or I would have to spend a lot more money on the bibles and get some really good ones. Getting really good ones meant I couldn’t afford to buy very many and I wanted lots.

When times get hard people will cry out to God and they will want to know what His word has to say. As Christians we should be ready to help those in need. But I’m afraid we just can’t take in every person in need. So we should be able to give them some food and water along with a copy of God’s word, present the gospel to them and pray with them, then bid them farewell and God’s blessings upon them.

So Mylar is not just for food products here is what one of my sealed $2.00 bibles looks like. I really like watching people try to figure out what’s in it. If you look really close you can barely see the letters “Holy Bible” in the Mylar.”

 

I asked JP which site he used and he let me know it was Bible Surplus.com.  I looked around and they have some Bibles for less than $60 for a case of 48.

I haven’t tested this to make sure, but I think one could fit 4-6 Bibles in a one gallon Mylar bag, add 1 300cc oxygen absorber and you have preserved God’s Word for future use.

I want to thank JP for another great idea.

 

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Finding Joy in the Darkness

January 3, 2013 by

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Psalm 28-7

 

This article is going to be about finding joy when everything around you defies it.  I truly believe that this is a survival skill, the ability to find joy and hope, when we’re faced with times of pain, loss and uncertainty.  Because this is a skill, it is something we need to practice now, so when there is a disaster, we can find joy and be a light to others.  Jesus promised us we would see tribulation and persecution ahead, but He also said we should:

“Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.’ Mathew 5-12

It’s not easy is it?  In fact, some days it’s nearly impossible.  We’re to be in this world and not of it, but we still get some on our shoes as we journey through.  I’m not talking about true depression, which is a medical condition.  I’m talking about when life is just beating you down.  The events that take place can affect us and some days nearly break us.  It’s hard to find joy when children and their teachers are slaughtered at their school.  It’s hard to find joy when there is job loss, loved ones with cancer or other illness and stress everywhere we turn.

But if we let this world bog us down, we are in danger of being like the world;

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” Mathew 5-13

 

Finding Joy

I am, by no means, an expert in this.  In fact, I often have a difficult time with it.  You see, I have Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a form of Autism.  While I am high functioning, I do have trouble understanding and relating to certain emotions.  I don’t mean to say I am Danny Downer, my emotions are often muted, kind of a plain gelatin, if you will.

I am also a blogger who talks about preparedness and spends a lot of time thinking about dark subjects and how we can mitigate them.  Spending as much time as I do on the hard realities and the harsh possibilities can sometimes take its toll.

Because of this, I have researched happiness and joy from an analytic point of view.  That might seem like an oxymoron, learning about emotions from an analytical manner, but it’s what works for me.  What I have found is this; joy is a decision.  It is an ongoing skillset that must be practiced.  Where most people make the mistake (myself included) is when they let circumstances dictate how joyful we feel.  Instead, we can make the decision to look for bright spots in the darkness; to see the glass as half full.

My wife, who is much better than I at this, has an example; she lost her first born son after just three days.  Sure it hurt and was horrible to go through, but she didn’t let it define her.  She feels privileged that she got to have him for those three precious days.

Like I said, joy is a skillset that has to be practiced, just like shooting, canning, driving or any other skill.  We have to make the decision any and every time life starts to kick our butts.

 

Happiness is a Serious Problem

One of my favorite radio talk show hosts is Dennis Prager.  Mr. Prager wrote a book called Happiness Is a Serious Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual.  In it, he explains that happiness is actually an obligation; an obligation we all owe to those in our lives.  He says that to be happy we often have to fight against our nature.  He explains that it is our expectations that often lead to our unhappiness.  For an example, if I have a job interview that I think I am perfect for, and I feel comfortable that I will get it.  If I don’t get the job, I may feel let down, sad or even depressed.  If I was to go into the interview with no expectation of being hired and am offered the position, I can be thrilled.  If I’m not offered the position, I had no expectation of getting it, so no harm done.

Every Friday, Dennis dedicates one hour of his show to the subject of happiness.  One Friday he actually said that for Christians and Jews, unhappiness is a sin.  He said that through scripture we are commanded to have joy.  Do a search for the words “joy”, “happy” and “happiness” at any online bible website.  Blue Letter Bible is one of my favorites, but there are many others.  You might be surprised at how many times those three words are brought up.  A very good example is Mathew 5-12; being happy when we’re persecuted.  I don’t think that is a suggestion, I think it’s a command.

If you have a hard time finding joy or being happy, I really recommend reading Happiness Is a Serious Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual.  In fact I think it’s time I read it again.

 

What can we Do?

 

Make Room For Fun

One of the things I have recently learned is that I need to make room for fun. You see, between working full time and this website, there have been days when I woke up at 4:45am, started work at 6:30am, got off at 3:00pm and worked on the website until 8:00pm. I don’t have quite the same schedule now, but there are still days when it’s close. I enjoy working on the website. I feel blessed that I get to do so and that people actually come back to read the next article. To avoid getting burned out, I have recently learned to make room for fun. I like to play video games, so I am now making time each day just to play.

When you feel like you’re losing the battle, having something to look forward to every day makes things easier to handle. Fun and joy aren’t necessarily related but fun can chip the armor of darkness so the light of Joy can start to shine through.

 

Prayer

Have you ever had a day…or a week where everything was a battle?  That person in traffic cuts you off, your co-workers are making your job harder, and things at home are unpleasant?  You can’t wait to climb into bed so the day can just be over?  The point I am attempting to make is that there are times when things are going against us even if we’ve done nothing to bring it on.

I often think that these times can be attributed to the enemy.  I read on a forum once where someone said they knew they were being attacked.  They said “If satan or his minions are busy attacking me, they can’t be out attacking someone else”.  They took on an attitude of someone doing battle and fighting back, not just being attacked and taking it.

In these times we can go vertical and get out of the horizontal.  In other words we can get out of this world (the horizontal) and go vertical to take the problem to the King.  There have been days when this works, and others where it hasn’t.  Sometimes I need to add worship music and more prayer.

In the last month or so, I have had the same story about the happiest man alive cross my path at least three times. It is about a Buddhist Monk.  Scientists have connected 256 electrodes to his head and asked him to meditate on compassion.  The article reports that:

“Ricard’s brain produced gamma waves, linked to consciousness, attention, learning and memory that were “off the charts”. It also showed excessive activity in the left prefrontal cortex. This demonstrated Ricard’s massive capacity for happiness and low levels of negativity.”

Meditation on compassion is simply getting out of the horizontal, standing in the gap and praying for others.  So, by praying for others, we can actually increase our happiness.  It also intervenes in another’s life and lifts them up to the Father.  Prayer is a mighty weapon!  Jesus said in Mark 9:20 “This kind can be cast out only by prayer”.  Imagine that!  A demon so strong that even the Messiah had to pray to the Father to intervene.

I posted a comment on another article recently about the word “Maranatha”. It is an Aramaic word which, loosely translated, means “Come quickly Lord”. I have had days when it feels like I am treading water just to keep my nose above the surface and people keep putting stones in my pockets. On these days, when the yoke of this world is too heavy for me to carry alone, I try to pray, but those prayers seem so feeble. In those times, I utter this one word prayer, “Maranatha!”

I prayed this prayer when I heard of the Sandy Hook shootings. Thinking of those terrified children and teachers, of all those grieving in such terrible pain. My words were to small, the burden to heavy, the only thing that could heal that hurt is our God, so Maranatha, come quickly Lord to those in pain.

Prayer is a mighty weapon that I don’t feel I wield well.  This is something I am making a resolution to get better at this year.  If you have any requests, large or small, that you would like a prayer warrior in training to take before the Living God on your behalf, just post it in the comments or send an email to Chris @ preparedchristian.net and I will add you to my prayer journal.

 

These are just a few examples of how you can find joy, if you have others please share them in the comment section.

 

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Filed Under: Christian World View, Mind Set

Why I Prepare

January 1, 2013 by

Why I Prepare

I think a great way to start off the New Year is to go back to square one and define why it is, we do what we do.  You see Prepper’s or survivalist’s have never been treated kindly by the media, but there has been some new negativity since it was discovered that the mother of the Sandy Hook shooter was a prepper and owned guns.  I think it is important to have an easily understandable, well thought out answer if someone were to ask us why we prepare.   You might agree with some of the reasons I list.  If so, great!  Either way, please take some time to define why you prepare and to explain that you’re not a nut-job.  If you want to share with the community, please post your answers in the comments section.  If you don’t want to share, that’s fine too.  Please, at least be thinking of how you might answer if someone asks you.

I prepare because I have eyes to see and ears to hear.  I am awake and aware that there are some very real dangers in the world, things that happen every day.  Most of these things are small in nature; ice storms, blackouts, blizzards, etc.  We also are facing a failing infrastructure, a very fragile electric grid, just-in-time-delivery to grocery stores, as well as countries and terrorist groups who have vowed to attack America and our interests.

I prepare because it is a part of who I am.  No matter how the media spins it, I am not a “crazed doomsday survivalist”.  I am a pragmatic realist who, to the best of my ability, wants to mitigate the things that can have a negative impact on my life.

I prepare because Proverbs 27:12 says the prudent thing to do is take precaution when we see a danger.

I do not prepare out of fear.  I prepare so I do not have to be afraid.  I am prepared, and therefore, I am not afraid that my family won’t have clean drinking water, food to eat, a warm place to sleep or safety from the things that go bump in the night.

I prepare because I love freedom, and being evacuated to a stadium is not my idea of freedom.  If I lost everything and this was my only option, I would take it.  Anything short of that and we’ll take care of ourselves, thank you.

I prepare because I think doing so makes me a good citizen.  If there is ever a disaster in my area, I will not be a drain on precious resources.

I prepare because, in our hi-tech modern world, we have forgotten how hard a low tech life can be.  Just because we have on-demand everything now, doesn’t mean we always will.

I prepare because I have never expected others to do for me.  This isn’t my pride, if a hand is offered and I need it, I will accept, but I will never be in expectation of that hand being out.

I prepare because I have health insurance, dental insurance, car insurance, home owners insurance, life insurance and vision insurance, just in case something bad happens.  I see preparing for the five basic human needs as a type of insurance.

I prepare because I think it makes me a responsible Christian.  If I am prepared and my family is cared for, I am better able to be Christ’s hands and feet to others in a disaster.  Spreading God’s love doesn’t stop in a disaster; in fact one could argue it needs to be spread more in such a time.

 

My name is Chris Ray and I am a Prepared Christian.

 
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Filed Under: Getting Started, Mind Set

Merry Christmas

December 24, 2012 by

Today is the day we celebrate the God of the universe coming to live with us as one of us; Emmanuel!

I have been thinking about the birth of Christ this week, trying to understand what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph. Only just married, giving birth to the King of Kings and then having to bug out to Egypt to protect Him. God Himself, born in human flesh, so that He could redeem us to Him. There is nothing we could do, nothing we could give, nothing at all that could fix the chasm of our fallen nature.
Now that is a gift of all gifts.

Merry Christmas Prepared Christians!

A couple quick notes related to the site. I have been suffering from a writer’s block of sorts, not on the content itself, but on subjects. God has delivered subjects for the past few weeks, but if any of you have a subject you would like to read about, please send me an email or post it as a comment.

I have decided to take the rest of the week, just rejuvenate and not work on the site. I will still check emails and respond to comments, but there won’t be an article until after New Years.

Again, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all of you. May the King of Kings bless you all!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Fuel Storage

December 20, 2012 by

Fuel storage is something I don’t know a lot about but it was something that was on my list to research.  I recently received an email from a representative of Power Research INC. the makers of PRI-G and PRI-D, fuel treatments.  He asked if I would like a sample to do a review on.  I let him know that I don’t have a way to do a review on his product, but that if he sent me some information I would include it in my research for an upcoming article on fuel storage.  The offer sparked my interest, so I decided to write the article now.  When I say “fuel”, take it to mean both diesel and gasoline.  I will say “diesel” or “gasoline” if I mean a specific one.

Disclaimer; check with your local authorities on how much fuel you may store in a residential area.  Storage of too much fuel can lead to fines.

 

Fuel Storage

Fuel storage has the same enemies as food storage; light, air and moisture will cause it to go bad faster.  Because of this, it should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place that is not easily accessible by children.

 

Fuel Containers

Because the fumes are combustible, fuel should be stored in air tight containers that do not vent.  If you walk into the area where you store your fuel and can smell it, it is not air tight.

 

In The Survival PodcastEpisode-980- Steven Harris on Long Term Fuel Storage, Steven Harris (an engineer and all around guru on fuel and energy in general) said he stores his fuel in HDPE15 Gallon Water Storage Barrels (food grade bucket quality) drums.  He said they will expand in the summer and contract in the winter, but that these barrels can withstand it.  He said he had dropped his from the bed of his truck and they handled it just fine.

A 15 gallon barrel full of fuel will weigh almost exactly 100 pounds.  Steven said he had 2 year old gas in one of these containers with no additives and it worked just fine when used.

Caution: These barrels do not meet DOT standards for fuel transport and you do risk a ticket and other fines if you transport fuel in them.

 

Another option is the smaller, one to five gallon, containers.  The red ones that you buy from local stores are often low quality and fuel vents through the plastic as it heats and cools.  There have been improvements made to newer ones, but the older ones are not a good idea for long term fuel storage.

 

5galNATONato Jerry Gas Can 20L/5.28G Military Spec. containers are often very high quality and their price reflects it.  This Nato Jerry Gas Can 20L/5.28G Military Spec. is available on Amazon for $90.  I did some digging and this price is comparable to other vendors.  There are some out there that are much less expensive, but in reading reviews you can often find out why. The metal is often very thin and the spouts either don’t seal right or don’t work well.

 

Fuel Treatments

My first introduction to fuel treatments came from prepper fiction stories on the Internet.  I hadn’t really looked into them until I received the email from the gentleman at Power Research INC..  It looks like there are two big players in this marketplace; PRI products and STA-BIL.  If you know of others that I have missed, please link them in the comments and I will change the article.

Both products say they will keep the fuel fresh for up to twelve months. PRI-Products, however, say that you can treat them yearly to extend the fuel out many years.  However, they recommend testing the fuel yearly.  In this post on SurvivalBlog.com, Mr. Morton from Power Research INC claims they have stored fuel for 12 years and that it is “still refinery fresh”.  PRI-G is for gasoline, PRI-D is for diesel.  STA-BIL is for gasoline while Diesel formula STA-BIL is for, you guessed it, diesel.

Power Research Inc. has a site dedicated to preparedness where they speak to the importance of making sure your fuel will work when an emergency happens.

In terms of how much fuel treatment is required; STA-BIL states on their FAQ “A: One ounce (30mL) of STA-BIL® Fuel Stabilizer for every 2 ½ gallons (9.5 L) of gasoline, gasoline/oil mixtures, or ethanol blends is the recommended dosage level.”

From the PRI-G downloadable flyer: 16 Ounces treats 256 gallons; 32 Ounces treats 512 gallons and 1 Gallon will treat 2,000 gallons.  PRI-D will treat the same amount.

Here are some examples of fuel treatments;


PRI-G 16 oz. Fuel Stabilizer or PRI-G 32 oz. Fuel Stabilizer

PRI-D Fuel Stabilizer- For Diesel 16oz or PRI-D Fuel Stabilizer- For Diesel 32oz


STA-BIL 22214 Fuel Stabilizer – 32 Fl oz.

Sta-Bil Diesel Formula Fuel Stabilizer and Performance Improver – 32 oz.
 

Refreshing Old Fuel

What are your options when fuel isn’t stored properly or rotated and goes bad?  STA-BIL does not treat old gas, but they do have another product called Start Your Engines, which is geared more at the small engines of lawnmowers, chainsaws and snow blowers.  From the FAQ for PRI; “PRI has been independent laboratory tested on 10-13 year old fuels, and has restored the fuel to usable condition.”

As I mentioned, this subject is fairly new to me, but from the research I have done, I am a bit more impressed with PRI-Products.  They are a bit more expensive but with the ability to use it year after year to keep fuel usable, as well as the ability to refresh old fuel, it seems like a lot more bang for the buck.

Fuel storage isn’t something I have done, but once we get a new home, it is something I want to make sure I do, and I will use PRI to make sure the fuel is usable when it is needed most.

Diesel does not go bad nearly as fast as gasoline.  The one exception I was able to find is diesel fuel that has fungus in it.  Fungus can grow when the fuel has been exposed to the air and moisture. PRI does have a product called PRI-OCIDE.  It can be added when the fuel is stored and will fight the fungi.

 

Fuel Rotation

I have come across a few different ways to rotate fuel.  The way that I think makes the most sense and is probably the easiest I found, I heard on The Survival Podcast Episode-885.  In it, Tim from Old Grouch’s Military Surplus says he has twelve five gallon NATO style cans, one marked for every month of the year.  Each month, with a little bit of gas in his vehicle already, he empties that months’ can into his vehicle.  He finishes filling his vehicle at the gas station and refills the NATO can as well.

 

Disposing of Old Fuel

Some counties have a hazardous material facility where you can drop off old fuel and other hazardous materials.  Where I live, I believe it’s free for most things and a small fee for others.  This may not be the case where you live.

 

Fuel With Ethanol in it

I have learned the hard way that fuel with ethanol in it can be a bad thing for small engines.  I had one mower that I had to take in to have the carburetor and fuel system cleaned out.  I honestly don’t know if fuel with ethanol in it will be harmful to stored fuel.  If you are storing the fuel with a generator in mind, I guess I would say err on the side of caution and store fuel that does not have it.  You can visit this link to get a List of Ethanol free gas stations in the United States and Canada.

 

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Filed Under: Energy/Power, Preparedness Tips
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