As promised, I have a bit of news about the site that my long-time friend George and I have been kicking around, Strategic Living.

We have settled upon a magazine format for this new site, with a blog page titled “Reasonings” where we post our musings and our rants.  You can expect a single new article a week, although we also plan to include on an ongoing basis the best of Backdoor Survival, Urban Survival and yes, even selected archival content from the subscriber based Peoplenomics.

One unique aspect of Strategic Living will be “The Electric Tribe.”  Think of it as an online bulletin board for you, the reader, to pin up a post-it and connect with other like minded folks.  Once we figure out the technical details, that is.

If you have a moment, jump on over and read our welcome message on the home page.  While you are there, sign up to be notified of our launch which will be staged gradually between now and the first of the year.  This promises to be a highly ambitious venture – I just hope that I can live up to the expectations you have shared with me in your emails.

Oh yeah, one more thing.  The site will be 100% free – a subscription is not required.

Contest Winner !

My guest judges, Eve and Randy Rudd, have mulled over the entries and have selected a winner of our August contest:  Best Long Term Food Storage Tips.  And the winner is Joanne Semanie who recommends learning to can to gain control over your stored food.  Here is what she said:

“Learn to can – invest in a pressure canner and some jars (or find a friend that has a canner).  With this you can put up any food.  In a grid down situation you can lose everything in your freezer.  You can put up your own meats and know what exactly is in those jars as opposed to what might come out of that can from your grocery store or Costco.  Been doing this for a while with great results and I’m the one in control.”

Joanne’s prize is a copy of Jan LeBaron’s book, Jan’s Fabulous Food Storage Recipes- Converting Stored Foods into Useable Meals compliments of Healthy Harvest.  Lucky gal!  Joanne, if you are reading this please contact me with your mailing address and Healthy Harvest will send your book right out.

A lot of great tips were submitted and I plan to share them with you over the course of the next month.

Eve and Randy, my judges, live off-grid on an island accessable only by private boat.  They will be picking Survival Husband and myself up on October 1 for a “Survival Camp” at their place.  There is no electricity, no grocery store, and no post office.  Internet is available via satellite and cell phone.  You can bet that this is going to be a real eye-opener.

A few new recommended sites

While I have your attention, I want to let you know I have added a few new sites to my Recommended Sites page.  By the way, if you have a favorite site that I have missed, by all means let me know and I will check it out.

Modern Survival Blog: This is a common sense, results oriented blog with a lot of useful and practical how-to tips (including downloads) for becoming self-sufficient in anticipation of the hard times ahead. One thing I like about this site is that the articles are unique and not just your run-of-the-mill survival and prepper stuff.

Truth is Treason:  This an independent news, media and preparedness source.  What sets it apart from many news aggregators is that Kevin Hayden (Mr. Truth is Treason) does not just post the latest headlines and articles, he adds his own unique take on the written word – for better or for worse.  I read this blog daily and so should you

Activist Post:  A few months ago I was contacted by Activist Post and was asked to become one of their select stable of Contributing Writers. I was both humbled and thrilled by this opportunity. Each day you will find about a dozen of the most urgent topics in our world today addressed on the pages of Activist Post. There are articles, videos and more, all of which are fodder for progressive thinking.

A Thank You to My Sponsors

Once again, I would like to publicly thank my sponsors, Ready Made Resources, Directive 21, and Healthy Harvest for their generous support for Backdoor Survival.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye

Like this? You might also like:

In the News:  Imagine this scenario: The IRS may soon do your taxes for you — and send you the bill. If this sounds farfetched, it’s not.  With a new congressional “super committee” tasked with finding $1.5 trillion in cuts by November, creative ways to find additional revenue are in high demand. And allowing the IRS to prepare you taxes could be one solution.  Click here for the full article.

Backdoor Survival Tip of the Day:  Here is another great food storage tip, this time from Jacqui Boardman:

In your pantry, surround your dry goods (already stored in good plastic/Tupperware or similar) with bay leaves.  These help to keep moths & other critters away from those precious stored foodstuffs!

From the Bargain Bin: Check out the current SurvivalWoman picks below.

Mylar bags & Oxygen Absorbers: The current price for 20 gallon sized bags plus 20 oxygen absorbers is $14.46. I have seen the price of these come down over the past few months – this is about $5.00 less than I paid.

Lodge Logic 12-Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet: Finally! My favorite cast iron skillet is back under $20. For awhile it was priced at $25. Keep and eye on this one. Anything under $19 is a good price. Don’t forget the Lodge Set of 2 Pan Scrapers, a must have for cleaning those food bits from your cast iron cookware.

Sabre Family Home and Property Protection Pepper Spray (13.0-Ounce): From the company that makes bear defense sprays, this pepper spray has a range of 30 feet and can be mounted right near the door.

550 lb. Type III Nylon Paracord: I wish I had known about Paracord years ago. With a recent price reduction to less than $8.00, there is no reason not to have a few hundred feet around your home, in your car, and in your bug out bag.

Emergency Essentials is your source for all things preparedness, from prepackaged foods to water barrels, to go bag kits. They just announced a number of specials for the month of September including ASAP Silver Solution at $12.99 for an 8 ounce bottle. Metallic silver has been used for centuries as a natural antibacterial agent for wound care, and even water treatment.

Also check out the following sale items: