Preparednessdaily.com

Go to the source: bison survival blog

DUMBASS LIKE ME

A short reply to the comments question on coffee. I wrote an article a few months back so I’ll just quickly cover it here. As you know, I’m constantly on the prowl for easier and cheaper. This is what you love about me. I’m not wedded to any one particular way and will reverse position if need be. At one time I recommended the percolator ( Farberware 50124 Classic Yosemite Stainless Steel Percolator ) but grew tired of its fuel cost. It makes a very good pot of coffee ( thick as and with the taste of mud, scalding hot ), but unless you live in a forest and have mostly free wood and keep the stove going I wouldn’t advise using it. The French press ( Bodum 1548-01US Brazil 8-Cup (34-Ounce) Coffee Press ) is either expensive or prone to failure, plus if made of glass is begging to break and hurt you ( I believe we had a minion that was assaulted by his press ). The newest, best way to cheaply make off grid coffee is the stainless steel thermos ( Thermos Nissan FBB1000 34-Ounce Stainless-Steel Vacuum Insulated Briefcase Bottle ). Place your desired amount of grounds in the thermos, add boiling water, cover and wait ten to fifteen minutes. Reheat ( it comes to a boil quickly ) if you like it very hot. I then throw on another dose of water in the pan to prepare the next mug, assembly line fashion. My thermos holds two mugs of coffee and sometimes I’ll make them the night before. The next morning you don’t have to wait the fifteen, just toss in the pan to heat it up. You can experiment, but I can’t tell the difference if I leave in the thermos more than ten or fifteen minutes. Overnight doesn’t seem to make it any stronger. You might even like it after just five minutes. You’ll need a grounds basket with filter ( I got mine from trash picking from a discarded percolator ). Place on top of your cup and pour in from the thermos since the water is pre-measured. I use the re-useable coffee filter ( Perma-Brew 3 Year Re-useable Coffee Filter, Fluted Basket ), but while fast it does allow some fine grounds through. If you are a true frugal survivalist you will have one or two thermoses already so this is essentially a free coffee maker.

*

While I like to prance about and act superior and look down my nose at everyone, I’m just acting the fool. I know, you know, and Ross Perot ( Ross Perot: The Man Behind the Myth ) knows that I’ve done some pretty dumbass things. I am no smarter than the average bear. Odds are that I fall well below genius IQ level. I am no smarter than you are. The only difference is that I devote an insane amount of time researching and thinking about the Apocalypse. That is my only edge. Okay, I’m sure I have a few other qualities that help. Not more common sense ( Common Sense ), but perhaps the ability to cut to the bone of the core issues. I don’t know, since it is kind of hard to be objective about yourself. So I can’t really blame people if they think, why should I listen to this idiot? He’s preaching to us about not doing things he’s already done. You could use the “smoking parent warning his children about cigarettes” analogy. Do as I say, not as I do. Yes, it helps that I’m now living what I’m preaching. Before it was theory and now it is example. But I’m not really here to preach by example. I don’t think living in the desert in a trailer is the greatest idea ( the collapse takes long enough to get lethal and I’ll be living in a better grade of underground cellar [ Build Your Own underground Root Cellar ] than what I have now which is only for emergencies ). I wish instead for you to listen to the reasons why the collapse is imminent. It is a lot of analytical tripe. A lot of pie in the sky wild ass guessing. But if you believe it correct it should give you a reason to light a fire under your ass preparing.

*

You don’t want to follow my example taking almost twenty years getting off grid and fully stockpiled. There are far smarter gents ( and gals ) out there. Rawles ( How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times ) was living in rural Idaho fifteen years go. Amongst our minion masses there is Idaho Homesteader as well as a few others I can’t recall right now. They have been isolating themselves against systematic failure for a very long time. I might have had basic supplies for just as long, but I was living in the city. I owned no land, had no precious metals ( Portable Wealth: The Complete Guide to Precious Metals Investment ). I lived amongst millions. As early as ‘85 I could have been making payments on Ozark land. I allowed myself to get into my current financial situation by being a total dumbass with wife #2. Yes, there was treachery on her part, but I allowed myself to make poor decisions all the same. It took me awhile to get out of debt, to invest rather than just pay bills.

*

I am far from perfect. I was no more motivated than anyone else living in an urban environment to escape and protect myself. With proper motivation, lack of knowledge is more easily overcome. I like to excuse myself by saying I live in an abstract world of books and bright shiny ideas. I tend to try to isolate myself from the big bad world. I will ponder ideas forever being taking action. That worked against me before as far as prepping. I was very lucky that I acted when I did and nothing bad had already happened. I think I have a guardian angel ( Sterling Silver “Guardian Angel Protect Me Wherever I Go And Keep Me From Harm” Reversible Pendant with Angel, 18″ ) on my shoulder. Now, the other side of the coin as far as living in an abstract equation is that, as I said, I devote an idiotic amount of time to thinking about the collapse. I think about these things riding my bike, driving at work, stocking shelves. Hell, this idea was hatched last night as I sat on the commode. Putting a lot of computational power behind a question is worthless if the basic premise is faulty, granted. But if we agree on the basics guiding the collapse, I’m telling you we don’t have much time left. In my opinion. I’m not trying to hedge my bets here. If I’m wrong I’ll admit to being wrong. I’d love to be wrong. But, please, don’t be a dumbass like myself and take forever insulating yourself from the collapse.

END
The Official Bison Web Site http://www.bisonpress.com/
*
My e-mail is jimd303@netzero.com
*
Anyone can submit a guest article. No minimum word length, no writing skill necessary ( just get the idea across ). You retain copyright ( this must be your original writing ) and I’ll just use the once. I’ve yet to turn down an article, just don’t use the N Bomb or libel another that can sue me. Send by e-mail. Payment will be your removal from my enemies list.
*
Please support Bison by buying through the Amazon links in each article. You can purchase anything, not just the linked item. Enter Amazon through my item link and then go to whatever other item you desire. As long as you don’t leave Amazon until after the order is placed, I get credit for your purchase. Thank you.