The following story is from a friend who suffered through the tornado that took his home in Oklahoma. It is not all about zombies, folks. We walk in complacency feeling secure from disaster. Yet, often do we say, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."

" I haven't posted anything in a month but wanted to give you all an update on my situation. I lived in Moore when the tornado came on May 20th. My home was destroyed, and when I say destroyed i mean for insurance purposes it was a total loss. I was still able to save quite a lot of my things. My wife, daughter, and cats were all safe as well.
Now this brings me to my thoughts. First, I cannot thank first responders enough. Firemen, police officers, EMTs, and the gas and electric trucks were all there within an hour of the destruction to lock everything down. It is a rough job and they deserve the praise. Now with that said I have witnessed firsthand the level of chaos and panic that comes from a natural disaster. I realized that I was caught unprepared. I had a plan, but I had no BOB. We ended up walking nearly 4 miles that evening with only a 16oz bottle of water for each of us. I ruined a pair of dress shoes from the water and mud going into the disaster area. (I came out in combat boots so no worries there.) Lesson: BOBs are not just a fun topic. They are a necessity for me now.
I will fully admidst that the stress of that first week brought me to tears by Friday. My health suffered over the last month as I got laid up with a kidney stone and a head cold at the same time followed up by a sinus infection. I lost valuable days laid up with sickness. Lesson: long term stress is a serious danger. You have to watch your health.
On top of the last lesson, my family and I suffered psychological trauma due to the loss of our home. We snapped at each other and bickered. We all cried at some point. My daughter had the hardest time talking about it. She deals with stress in a passive-aggressive manner that we are dealing with. We finally sat her down and made her open up about it. Lesson: everyone deals with loss differently. Learn how people deal with theirs and help each other. Lean on each other. You cannot do it alone!" -- SteelRain

Summer 2013

This summer I am exploring wild foods. So far I am focusing on plants. I hope to connect with some friends who hunt and get some wild game as well. This should lead to at least one video on tanning. With so many excellent self-reliance channels out there on Youtube, I sometimes feel like I am re-inventing the wheel. I hope that I always bring a different perspective that at least adds to the knowledge that folks are storing. I really appreciate the subscriptions and comments.

My family and I had a very pleasant Christmas Eve. No fireplace at my brother's house, but the old Tanenbaum was glowing softly in the corner. Mom barely showed that this was her 82nd Christmas as she recited the manger story while my brother read it from Luke 2. My sister-in-law laid out a nice ham dinner as we sang carols.

My son could not stop flicking open his new CRKT lock blade. My daughter was overjoyed with her bag of Merino wool and drop spindle. My brother and his wife were very pleased with the box of tea. Mom was pleased with the box of cheeses. My heart was warmed to see everyone so happy.

Today, I am having a quiet day of killing zombies in various games. Later on I will do a Merry Christmas video for my YouTube Channel. I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday at least as much as I am.

Top 5 Excuses people don t prep for SHTF

http://youtu.be/Z--u0cD4qps

RTAK II Survival Knife

What is the best melee weapon for doing those zeds in? A katana? Aww, c'mon. A kukri? Nawww, gut shots son't count. How about a machete? Sure, but aren't they a bit long? Enter the RTAK II.

This is a workhouse that isn't quite a machete but is way more than just a survival knife. 1095 steel, it holds its edge and stands up to abuse. Whether you are clearing brush or processing firewood this is the goto knife. Sharp enough for skinning and filleting, it is shaped well for scraping hides and even cooking. And when it comes to zombies.....

RTAK II Survival Knife

Corn Cordage

Cousin Zeddy tore down the lean to last night so we needed to put another one up. We needed some new cordage to do the lashings with. Farmer Brown had cut the corn before the Zpoc but those bottom segments still had lots of fiber in them.

We explore some interesting parts of the corn plant for cord making. Using the fibers in the internodal pith, we can make a nice bit or cord.

See the new video Corn Cordage

Hello Friends

Hello to new friends and old! This blog is an extension to my YouTube channel. Zombie Preparedness on YT is a collection of videos about survival techniques and gear. I am also a writer at Zombie Survival and Defense Wiki. Come visit ZSDW and meet many others who enjoy prepping and survival. Drop me a line here if you like or comment on one of my videos.