Jim,
Reading Paul's "Combating the Darkness Within" article, I can see that he has a scientific mind, lacking faith in God, or maybe even belief! And this is one of the first things you need in the survival mind set, a true faith in God, and guidance from the Holy Spirit, and without this guidance, no matter how prepared your are materially, your chances of making the right decisions when the time comes are questionable at best, without God's spirit guiding you. This is why you always store a little more than what you need for [charity for] your family, friends and neighbors! With the right spiritual guidance, your oil bottle and your grain bucket may never go empty!
 
I am willing to help those in need, if they come asking! But I'm also just as prepared to kill those that come to take by force, or try to do harm to me, my family, or my friends or neighbors! And I believe God will forgive us for this type of killing. We have an obligation to protect our own, and those around us when times get rough. My suggestion to Paul is spend a little more time in the Bible and not so much time in books like "The Lucifer Effect"! Read books that build your spirit up, not take it down. Or [those that] make you question whether or not you have a dark side, which we all do, but strong faith keeps our compass needle pointing north at all times, if you get my meaning. - J.M.

I am a new arrival to the survival community.  Until recently I was just another mindless suburbanite going about my daily routine blissfully ignorant of the world around me.  It was only by chance that a series of events happened in my life that opened my eyes to needs of survival preparation.  I won’t say that I was completely clueless about survival, but rather it simply wasn’t real to me.  Yes, I knew that tough times are just over the horizon but I simply believed that I would make it through somehow.  Ironically, it was the housing crisis that completely changed my life.  My wife and I moved to another town in 2008 so that I could start a new job and when our house didn’t sell we found ourselves in a financial struggle that has lasted to this day.  Somewhere in the midst of all this I came to the realization that what we were going through was a microcosm of the greater survival struggles that lay ahead.  Survival had suddenly become very real in my life.  When I thought about these things and how my own actions, or lack there of, had made our situation so much worse I realized that I needed to begin preparations so that future struggles aren’t so chaotic.  This is why food storage and similar topics have become so important to me.  I want to be ready for whatever life brings.

Aside from being a scientist by trade I am also an amateur writer and wannabe author.  I’ve written a number of short stories and even a full length novel but none have managed to create much of a spark in the literary world.  I find that writing has become the therapy that helps me get by and is certainly cheaper than professional counseling.  Recently, I wrote a very long piece about some observations I had made concerning survival based on my struggle for financial survival.  All in all I thought it was pretty good and considered submitting it here for publication on the SurvivalBlog.  I decided not to do so because it is a rather ponderous work and really doesn’t have anything new to say.  Some of the bullet points are to expect the worst of humanity, beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing, expect to do the hard things, always expect a situation to be as difficult as possible, and expect the experience to change you.  I expanded these concepts with specific examples I had observed in how I was handling my situation or in what I had seen in others.  Some time after writing this I realized that very little of what I had written had anything to do with physical things or tangible objects such as food or money.  One might think that while experiencing a financial crisis I would have written at length about money or financial preparation, but ultimately I only covered it briefly.  The entire work was mainly a piece on human behavior; either other’s or my own.  For me the things that were of most significance weren’t physical but rather moral and spiritual.  What I did and what others tried to do to me were what I remember most.  With this in mind I wonder sometimes whether survivalists are asking the right questions when considering future survival and TEOTWAWKI or SHTF situations.  Should we be focusing only on tangible things like the best survival weapons or how much food should I store, or should we also be asking ourselves, “What will I become?” or “How will I behave?”  Ask yourself, “What will I become as a person, a parent, or a spouse when my world comes crashing down around me and how will those around be behave as well?”  Having a firm understanding of the answer may well determine whether you succeed or fail at survival.

What Is Survival? 
            When we make survival plans are we simply trying to ensure our physical survival or are we also attempting to maintain the envelope of normalcy that surrounds our lives and makes us who we are.  As people we are the sum of our circumstances.  We think, act, and believe in ways that are dictated by our own values and the world around us.  Some of the things in our world that make us be ourselves are the rule of law, contemporary culture, established religions, our families, our upbringing, our friends, our jobs, etc.  We are also motivated by our perception of our world and of ourselves.  Can we truly expect to be the same people and act as we always have once our world is stripped away and we are thrust into a situation where the future is completely unknown?  How could we?  Shouldn’t we expect that when our world changes we will also change?  The greatest question is whether we will change for the better or for worse.

Are you an evil person?

            I’m in the process of reading a book entitled The Lucifer Effect by Phillip Zimbardo and I strongly recommend it to all survivalists.  The title of this book is also the name of a process by which ordinary people are transformed into doers of evil by the circumstances around them.  The bulk of this book is a narrative about something called the Stanford Prison Experiment.  For anyone who isn’t familiar with this experiment it was done in 1971 and consisted of a mock prison where prescreened young men played the rolls of prisoners and guards.  In the years since this experiment took place it has become a classic model of how people can be transformed by their situations.  In the case of the Stanford Prison Experiment the guards became sadistic, brutal, and even sexually abusive while the prisoners became ever more obedient and compliant to the point of suffering severe emotional distress.  Another interesting aspect of this experiment is that it spilled over into the community of individuals conducting the experiment and even changed their behavior in remarkable ways.  The remainder of the book is actually the more interesting part with an analysis of the experiment data and other real world situations where seemingly ordinary people have done evil.  As I’m reading this book I can’t help but see correlations between the Stanford Prison Experiment, the Lucifer Effect, and a TEOTWAWKI survival situation. 

Before I get too much further into this I should bring out one of the key concepts of this book and that is the difference between dispositional and situational evil.  Dispositional evil is the concept or belief that people who do bad things are bad people to begin with.  Conversely, is the belief that good people will do good things regardless of the situation.  Situational evil is the belief that good people can be turned evil by the circumstances they are in and the degree to which they become evil is directly proportional to the severity of the situation and the power they possess.  I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle and both factors play a role in human behavior.  Regardless of how much situations play a roll in our behavior it would stand to reason that we should explore such possibilities as part of our survival preparations.  Consider this quote from The Lucifer Effect:

Good people can be induced, seduced, and initiated into behaving in evil
ways. They can also be led to act in irrational, stupid, self-destructive, antisocial, and mindless ways when they are immersed in "total situations" that impact human nature in ways that challenge our sense of the stability and consistency of individual personality, of character, and of morality.

If the world as we know it does end and we are all thrust into survival mode then wouldn’t this be the ultimate “total situation” that would challenge our sense of stability and morality?  Could such a situation induce or seduce good people, i.e. us, into behaving in evil ways.  If evil is too strong a term then how about unspeakable.  Allow me to give an example in my own life. Recently, I discovered Marjory Wildcraft after hearing her interviewed on Coast to Coast AM.  The next day I visited her web site and signed up for her newsletter.  I also watched the preview for her Food Production Systems for a Backyard or Small Farm DVD and something very profound struck me.  As I watched the segment on raising rabbits it occurred to me that part of Mrs. Wildcraft’s survival scenario is the slaughter of young rabbits for food.  The sight of that adorable white rabbit on my computer screen associated with terms like “harvesting” and “roasters” really disturbed me.  Jokingly, I said to my wife, “I can’t kill little bunny rabbits,” although I wasn’t joking.  The thought of it really disturbed me.  My wife’s response was even more disturbing.  She looked at me stone faced and said, “You would if you got hungry enough.”  At that moment I realized the power of our situations to change us.  For me the act of killing a small animal is unspeakable.  After reading how to kill a rabbit on-line I find it even more unspeakable, although I fully understand that if I got hungry enough I wouldn’t be able to kill that little bunny fast enough.  Certainly, killing a rabbit for food is not evil but it is something that many would consider to be an unspeakable act yet it is something that I believe we would all do gladly if it meant surviving another day.

Respect My Authority!

Another concept that is explored at length in The Lucifer Effect is that of power.  The acquisition, maintenance, and administration of power are the key factors in the transformation of individuals from good to evil.  Consider again TEOTWAWKI.  In such a situation the powerful will be those who control survival resources such as food and water.  And, this power will be absolute power over life and death and will be happening without any rule of law.  Can anyone argue that suddenly being thrust into a situation where one controls whether others live or die wouldn’t have a profound impact on that person?  We all want to believe that we would be loving and benevolent stewards of our resources but can we really be certain of this until are actually in that situation?

Don’t Rock the Boat!

Another concept explored in The Lucifer Effect is that of obedience and the evil of inaction.  The book explores a number of different situations in which blind obedience led to or helped facilitate evil even to the point of parents murdering their own children such as in the case of the People’s Temple in Jonestown, Guyana.  Not everyone can have power so in any situation there are those with power and those who must obey that power.  In a survival situation the prospect of death will be an overwhelming factor to ensure obedience.  How vigorously would someone protest another’s abuse of power if it meant being cut off from basic resources or cast out of one’s survival community?

If It Feels Good, Do It!

Another concept that I will touch on that is explored at length in The Lucifer Effect is that of ethics, both absolute and relative.  People will find a way to justify their behavior in any situation and survival will be a tremendous justification of almost any act.

What Would You Do?

You’re a man, a father, and a husband.  You’ve made survival preparations for your family and finally the day comes when you must put your plans into action.  It’s chaos in the streets but you are safe at you bug out location.  Something has happened and the world has degenerated into bedlam.  You’re worried and the stress has pushed your marriage and family to the brink.  You have some survival resources but you don’t really know how long they will last or if things outside will ever get back to normal.  You also worry that someone will discover that you are doing alright and realize that you have the things that everyone now needs.  The thought of an armed intrusion or overwhelming odds scares the daylights out of you.  So, you wait and hope for things to get better.  Suddenly, onto your doorstep wanders a young woman holding a small child.  You can see that they are in distress and that the child will soon die without food and water.  What do you do?  Let me throw in one more thing:  She’s young and beautiful. Consider this continuum of options.

1. Do you give the young woman what she needs, knowing that it only shortens your own survival time [in an environment where there is no source of resupply]?  You know that you can’t let her leave afterwards because she might tell others about you, what you have, and where you are so she would become a permanent addition to your community draining you of even more resources.
2. Do you turn her away with the justification that her child is going to die any way and you can’t spare the food?
3. Do you allow her to stay with the hopes that maybe you can develop a relationship with her behind your wife’s back?
4. Do you kill your wife and replace her with this younger model?  After all, who is going to say anything?  There are no cops.
5. Do you openly extort sex in exchange for food with your wife’s full knowledge?  What is she going to say?  She’ll keep her mouth shut or find herself out in the cold.
6. Do you put a bullet in the young girl’s brain and then her child’s on the belief that it is ending their suffering and saving them from having to face this ordeal any longer?
7. Or, do you do 5 and then 6?

We all want to believe that we would take the first option, but can any of us be certain how we would react until we face such a situation?  I believe that there are people who could justify any of those options through ethical relativism and their new-found power would only serve to corrupt their thinking. 

Let’s assume that you are the young woman.  You love your child more than life itself?  Would you turn your head and allow some lecherous old man to do unspeakable things to you knowing that it will save your child?  Would you gladly stand by or even conspire for the disposal of the current wife so that you can take her place?  What if you were the wife?  In your fear of losing your source of survival would you cover your ears and ignore the screams of a young woman being brutalized in the next room?  Would you stand by and refuse to come to her aid in complete obedience to your husband if it meant you and your child might meet the same fate if you tried to help?  These may seem like harsh questions but one day we may all face such harsh situations.

Who Are They?

The last concept that I’m going to touch on that is explored in The Lucifer Effect is that of “Others.”  What does that mean?  The concept of an “Other” is any group that can be identified, denigrated, dehumanized, and de-individualized.  Evil against other people doesn’t start immediately.  It often starts with the creation of an “Other” group and the process of transforming them from human beings into objects worthy of ridicule, scorn and extermination.  Consider Nazi Germany and the extermination of the Jews.  The Nazi propaganda machine had so successfully transformed the Jewish people into wretched objects where the extermination of which was greeted with cheers and gleeful participation.  Such has happened many times since in places like Rwanda and Cambodia and it even played a role in racial discrimination in our own country.

Why point this out?  It doesn’t take much reading on the many survival sites to realize that survivalists are a proud bunch.  I have seen countless articles and rambling forum entries about how much better “we” are than “they.”  In this case the “they” are the unprepared, the unenlightened, or those who have not converted to the survival ethos. 
Imagine if the husband in our above scenario had this same opinion about the unprepared.  How much worse would his reaction to the young woman be?  Would he think that his treatment of her is what she deserved for not being better prepared?  I’ll answer that with a firm yes.

Once the SHTF you’re going to see a great many “Others” become targets.  I’m talking about minorities, liberals, elderly, Christians, or simply that bully who was mean to someone in the fifth grade.  Unfortunately, we will all carry our baggage with us into a survival situation.  The biggest mistake that we can make is to assume that just because we are enlightened about preparedness that we are somehow more moral, more trustworthy, or somehow better human beings than the vast unwashed masses.

Yeah, So What?

Is there anything that I can offer as an application to survival?  Perhaps the greatest is to know yourself and those around you.  Don’t allow anyone to control your survival resources but you.  Make a connection with people through charity and other good works now that gives you a more compassionate heart.  And lastly, perhaps we should all make as much effort in fixing our broken society as we do in preparing to leave it in order to keep the world from ending altogether.

JWR Adds: What Paul has discussed is some serious food for thought. In the context of a post-collapse world, just the fact that you have stored up tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, while most of your neighbors have just have a couple of hundred rounds on hand might someday give you the equivalent of a rich man's bank account. If you haven't already, I beg you to accept Christ Jesus as your savior, as a key part of your personal readiness. Charity and self-control are seen in their full as fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit indwells us, when we become Christians. I can think of no better way to be sure that we are up to facing tough decisions, in traumatic times. Get right with God!

Spokane was sparkling with light and still bustling when I looked out at it from a downtown building last night. So beautiful in the darkness. My thoughts went out to the hundreds of thousands of little children, women, grandmothers, grandfathers, boys, girls, and men those lights represented. Not just people – persons, each one unique, each with God’s calling on their lives for His purposes. Yet most of them are lost: hopelessly adrift in an empty, frantic, stupid, shallow culture of blindness and conformity and entertainment. Like the people of Jonah’s time they metaphorically don’t know their right hand from their left hand. They’re not so much like sheep anymore these days (I have sheep and know their nature), they’re more like stereotypical lemmings rushing to their mass suicide, in a million different ways.

My heart goes out to them – there, but for the grace of God, go I. There are so many of them. Thankfully, interspersed among them are those who are good, who are strong, who are aware and informed, who can be counted on to rise to the occasion in a crisis. Many of these are already prepared for the spectrum of nation-destroying crises which loom ahead in the mist of time: EMP, pandemic, a New Madrid earthquake, mini-ice age, drought, nuclear terror, persecution and tyranny. And still more – you know the list...

They – like my wife and I – have worked, studied, sacrificed, and planned so that their families will be shielded from the brunt of whatever comes that our sovereign God permits in these last days. Together we preppers are “brothers in arms” as it were, in this exceptional pre-crisis mobilization.
I’ve long pondered what my purpose in these days might be. And I’ve concluded that it’s not enough – for me, at least – to survive merely in order to survive another day. There must be a greater purpose. And so there is.

A few weeks ago our pastor shared this passage that held a vital insight for me: A person once asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘… you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” – Mark 12:29-31 (NLT)

Much to my surprise, no matter how preoccupied I become with the many concerns and issues and problems of our day, my heart always comes back to my Creator. I may wander, but He guides me back. I'm drawn irresistibly to him, as the Sun's gravity holds the earth to its course in space. I may not always show it – how I WISH I did – but Jesus has become the center of my existence. And in Him is great strength, and the peace I so desperately need. Most of you know of what I speak. It’s certainly not about what great followers “we” are. It’s about how great HE is and how he captivates our hearts. And in this way we begin to fulfill the “most important” purpose of our lives.

But there is a fundamental second goal – a deep purpose worth living – and dying – for: to “love our neighbors.” Unfortunately, the task of preparing for an End-of-The-World-As-We-Know-It catastrophe is well nigh overwhelming, particularly at the beginning. Prepping can easily become so intensely focused on studying/training/purchasing for self- and family-preservation, and it’s so intrinsically defensive, that we lose all perspective. And as “survival” becomes everything, so we slowly begin to forget that the path of satisfaction and joy, healing of our own hearts’ wounds and an enriching sense of purpose – those things we long for and work so hard for – is found in serving others.

And, yes, it’s just hard to think charitably about the very ones who might become in desperation the dreaded Golden Horde and prey on those we love. “It’s their own fault, they could have gotten informed, they do not deserve our help, they played while we prepared, they are fools…” – it’s all, tragically, true. But this is what the virtues of mercy and pity and compassion are all about! Tragedy and calamity and danger do not negate the simple truth of this second “most important commandment.”

This is easier to consider if our preps are well along. But even if we are in the “panic phase,” realizing we’ve begun “too late” to prep, we can still do something now. We need not wait until all of our own plans are totally complete before we consider others. It’s true, that we cannot save them all. We just can’t. But can we really just do nothing and hunker down while the world goes mad around us? We turn our backs on them today only at our own peril and loss. Yes, certainly, our families come first, then the local survival community – our team, our friends. Yes, we must avoid giving potential adversaries information about our capabilities and resources that they might take advantage of (i.e., OPSEC), and plan for a strong defense if and when that time comes, and all those other wise things.

OPSEC is an important principle, but it cannot be the most important factor. There is always risk (sometimes unforeseen risk), in everything we do and not do. I dare say there are ways to help others that would not risk OPSEC at all. It's really a continuum, from zero risk right up to sacrificing oneself for a reasonable, worthy cause. Some risks are worth taking.
Even while we work to protect our own we can be reaching out to make a difference. If we don’t, who will? You know that answer.

This calls for bold and daring action. We can prepare and teach and warn and equip in a hundred creative, savvy ways. Photocopy articles to share, “jump start” the widow’s preps with rice and beans and wheat (don’t forget the diatomaceous earth!), and make plans with other preppers how we might work together to feed and rescue our unprepared neighbors.
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” – Matthew 9:36 (NLT)

Like the four intrepid Bielski brothers in WWII Poland who saved 1,236 Jews from death at Hitler’s hand, our call, our purpose in this regard, is to “save as many as we can.” And the strategy and scope of that will be different for each of us! Never forget that God has given us each unique skills and resources and station in life for a purpose.
Pray about it, and watch for the opportunities. Find a way. Save as many as you can.

“Once there was a great storm that washed thousands of starfish up onshore. As an old man walked the beach he saw a young boy picking up stranded starfish and quickly returning them to the sea.
The man approached the boy and said, “What are you doing? The sun is rising. What difference does it make? They're all going to die anyway.” As the boy rose from gently tossing back yet another starfish he said, “I made a difference to THAT one…”

My husband and I moved cross-country to The American Redoubt this past spring with our two young sons.  We had never even visited this area, but our research over two years caused us to fall in love with an area we had never seen in person.  My husband flew out on his own about a month before our move and found us a rental house on a couple acres within our budget.  He thought he saw fruit trees at the time and took pictures to show me, but we couldn't tell for sure.

Our transition was very tiring and tedious, but we are adjusting nicely to our new home.  The bounty from our fruit trees and other foraged edibles has us very excited about our blessings.  Our cup overflows - with fruit - and we almost have too much!

As we investigated our yard and watched the trees bloom, we understood that, indeed, we had several fruit trees.  One I felt sure was an apple and another looked like a pear tree to me, but I wasn't positive.  As the blossoms faded and fruit began to form, we knew we had at least three apple trees, but one was definitely different than the other two, as the blooms were pink and not white.  About mid-June I realized it must be a crabapple tree, so I began to research what I could do with this fruit. Growing up, we had a crabapple tree, but we considered it a nuisance with the fruit not fit to eat.

Lessons From a Crabapple Tree
I learned I could make many delicious goodies from crabapples, including jelly, sauce, and butter. I began picking them as soon as they seemed ripe enough. I actually didn't pick them at all, though - I shook them from the tree and then gathered them (along with my helpful young brood) into buckets. I then proceeded to wash them and cut off both ends for jelly making. My jelly didn't turn out so good and was more like a syrup, so I decided to use the rest for butter. I grew up on apple butter, which is a lot like applesauce, but  thicker and sweeter with spices added. It's used just like jelly or jam and smells wonderful while cooking. From the many buckets of crabapples we gathered, I now have 16 pints of apple butter in my basement.
I didn't waste the liquid from the cooked crabapples. This I canned also in quart and half-gallon jars and will use for hot spiced cider when cold, snowy days arrive. Though somewhat weak compared to regular apple juice, I plan to add frozen orange juice concentrate and spices to simmer all day in the crock pot.

My Crabapple Butter Recipe
Wash and cut off ends of crabapples. Place whole apples in large pan and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until apples are pretty soft (about 30 minutes or so). Scoop out crabapples into strainer, leaving liquid behind. Press through strainer. In crock pot, combine crabapple pulp and one to two tablespoons of spices (cinnamon, cloves, and/or nutmeg) to taste. Cook on high for 8 hours until mixture cooks down to about half, stirring once every hour. At this point, you may can or freeze the apple butter or simply refrigerate and eat up, depending on the amount you have.

Lessons From Two Apple Trees
One of our apple trees ripened right along behind the crabapple tree, and we harvested about 8 buckets full from this tree. These apples are a light green with thin skin and a wonderful refreshing flavor.  The problem is they don't keep very long, even in the fridge, so we processed them quickly, eating as many as we could before they started to shrivel.  I made applesauce from these and also froze some sliced for pies later on. I have 10 quarts of applesauce canned and 6 quarts sliced in the freezer.

I also sliced some of the apples for drying. I don't currently have a dehydrator, but in the hot summer months my car heats up nicely, and I found that sliced apples dried within several hours on a hot day in full sun.

My Applesauce Recipe
I simply made my applesauce by cutting the washed apples in half and cutting off the stem and blossom ends. Then I cooked them the same way I cooked the crabapples, just covering with water. I then pressed just the apples through the strainer, reserving the liquid for canning as well.  I then processed the apple pulp in hot jars in a water bath canner. I didn't add sugar or spices to the sauce, preferring it more natural.

The other apple tree ripened later. These apples have thicker skin and are proving to be much better keepers. We will keep them in our cool basement as long as we can, eating them fresh.

* How Much Saved From Apple Tree Fruit - Apples are at least $1 per pound in season, but organic apples are even higher. I estimate that we ended up with at least 12 buckets of regular apples and about 4 buckets of crabapples. I estimate that each bucket weighed about 10 pounds.  This would make about 160 pounds of apples, which would cost at least $160 if purchased.


Lessons From a Pear Tree
The next tree to ripen was our pear tree.  We could see fairly early on after blooming that it was a pear tree, but I didn't personally have high hopes for it.  Growing up, I had a pear tree in my yard, and it never did well, always having very small, scrubby pears that were never fit to eat.  My husband loves pears, however, so I wanted it to do well for his sake (and our boys).  They never seemed to get soft on the tree, but they were getting bigger and bigger, so I decided to do some research.  Turns out, pears are better picked hard, as they will have a better taste and be less grainy.  Also, certain varieties do better after being placed in the refrigerator for a few days. Seems that they have a better texture after chilling.  Well, it worked!  Our hard pears got soft, sweet, and smooth!  Best pears I've ever tasted! We harvested about 4 buckets full and are mostly eating them fresh. Some of them, however, are getting old and too soft, so I've also made pear sauce.  Plus, since pears are much more juicy than apples, I have had to take an extra straining step with them when making sauce, thus getting some wonderfully sweet pear juice out of the deal.

* How Much Saved - The pears weighed about 60 pounds and would cost at least $2 per pound in the store, so our savings was at least $120.


Lessons From a Plum Tree
The last of the fruit trees on our land to ripen was the plum tree, which my husband discovered while exploring a little further over from the other fruit trees. We didn't know about this jewel early on and didn't have high hopes once we discovered it, thinking it wouldn't produce very valuable fruit. Needless to say, we have harvested 3 buckets full so far (about 36 pounds, we estimate) and have at least one more bucket full on the tree. These are the small Italian plums that sell for quite a bit in the grocery store. The first bucket we picked wasn't sweet, but once frost hit our area, the ones on the tree turned very sweet and delicious.  I wasn't planning to make jams or jellies due to what I believed to be a long, drawn-out process (and the fact that my crabapple jelly didn't turn out), but I decided to try a very small batch of plum jam to see if it would be worth it.  Plums are pretty easy to deal with.  These have pits that are freestone, which means they don't stick to the flesh of the fruit. This made it very easy to pit them. I simply washed them, cut them in half, and pulled the pit out. Many of these we are eating fresh, but I know we won't be able to eat them all before they go bad, so I have chopped up 8 quarts for the freezer for breads and cakes later. I also have 2 gallons of plum wine fermenting in the cabinet. With the rest that we don't eat fresh, I am making plum jam, as the trial run turned out wonderfully!

My Plum Jam Recipe
Wash whole plums. Cut in half and remove pit. Chop or leave in halves. I like to blend my plums in the blender, but for those who like chunks I advise chopping in small pieces and not blend.  Otherwise, leave halved and blend.) For every cup of chopped plums, I used 2/3 cups sugar. some other recipes call for more sugar (up to a 1:1 ratio), but I don't like too sweet, and this turned out perfect to me. For halved plums, make sure to heap the cup as high as you can get it (I fit 10 small plums per cup). Blend the plums in a blender or food processor. Add plum mixture and sugar with about 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon per cup of plums to saucepan (don't fill more than half full due to mixture boiling up during cooking).  Bring to boil, stirring often. Boil vigorously for 15-20 minutes (needs to thicken somewhat). I used pectin for my first trial run, but it didn't do any better than my second trial without pectin. If you use pectin, just follow the directions on the package. If canning the jam, can right away while hot. Otherwise, let cool for about 30 minutes before refrigerating.

* How Much Saved - The plums weighed approximately 48 pounds, which would cost $2-3 per pound in the store to purchase. This saved us at least $120.


Lessons From Foraged Elderberries
Sometime after we discovered how wonderful our pears were, my husband saw some elderberries growing wild behind his work place. We weren't positive what they were at first, but upon researching and positive identification, we discovered what a treasure we had found. Elderberries are very potent against colds and flu, and we had already been using this wonderful elixir in previous years to help keep our immune systems strong. Turns out these berries are very prevalent here, as we saw more after we picked this batch. Make sure to pick only the dark purple/black ones, as the red ones are said to be toxic.

Here's what I did with the box we gathered. I made elderberry syrup, frozen blocks, and extract/tonic. For the syrup and frozen blocks, I first placed the berries, stems and all, in the freezer. I had read that this would make the berries easier to remove from the stems. It worked well, and I had my entourage help me pluck the berries (which they were happy to do!). After plucking them off, I then washed them thoroughly in a colander. Then I just covered with water in a saucepan, bringing them to a boil. I cooked them until they were soft, and the whole mixture was very dark purple (almost black). Next came the very messy part! I pressed them through the strainer, but I got a lot of seeds through, since my strainer is not fine. I then used a screen-type strainer with cheese cloth layered in it to strain out the rest of the seeds. Everything that the berries came in contact with were stained dark purple - so beware!

I then canned 3 pints of this elderberry juice/syrup and filled 2 ice cube trays as well.  After the ice cubes were frozen, I popped them out and sealed them in a freezer bag. These will be handy to add to hot tea in the winter to add flavor and immune-enhancing properties.

I also made an elderberry extract/tonic with vodka. This was more simple, as it didn't require any cooking or straining. I simply plucked and washed the elderberries as above.  Then I filled a quart jar halfway with elderberries, followed by vodka added to the top. This mixture sat in a dark place for about a week until it was very dark in color. I then strained out the berries and added 1/3 cup sugar, shaking vigorously. I then returned it to the dark cupboard. Over the next couple days, I checked on it and shook it again as needed.  It was ready for drinking after 2 weeks, but will last indefinitely without canning or refrigeration (as the vodka preserves it). I plan to drink a small amount when feeling "under the weather."  In order to remove all or most of the vodka, it can be added to a hot drink as well.

* How Much Saved - The elderberry extract I was purchasing each year to help ward off flus and colds cost me $13 per 8-ounce bottle. I now have on hand the equivalent of 8 of these, which saves me $104.


Lessons From Foraged Rosehips
Another foraged fruit we discovered that has great nutritional value is the rosehip. Rosehips are very high in Vitamin C, one of the richest sources, which is crucial in the winter months when colds and flu are at their peak. We discovered tons of the bright orange/red jewels on a family walk by a nearby lake. It was evident that they hadn't been sprayed due to their wild habitat, so we spent about 20 minutes picking as many as we could reach. I got a small pan full (approximately 3 cups). At home, I proceeded to pick off the blossom ends (with the help of my sons again), washed them, and then placed in saucepan just covered with water. I boiled the rosehips until they turned soft and the water turned orange/red. I then poured off the liquid and added more water to the mixture, wanting to get as much of the benefit as possible out of the hips. Each time I added more water, I would let the mixture sit a few minutes and then would mash down on the rosehips, releasing some more of the juice. When I felt I had gotten most of the benefit from the hips doing this, I then poured the liquid into ice cube trays. When frozen, I removed the blocks and sealed in a freezer bag. I got 22 blocks out of the mixture and plan to add these to herb teas throughout the winter.

Rosehips can also be used to make jelly, jam, syrup, or wine.

The rosehip and elderberry frozen blocks are especially useful for children. My boys love drinking herb teas with honey, and I can add these blocks to serve more than one purpose - They add nutrition and immune support, and they also cool off the hot tea for safer, quicker drinking.


General Lessons
* Just about any fruit will stain your hands if you work with enough of it - even if it's white fleshed. Wear gloves if you don't want to dry out and stain your hands.
* A china cap strainer is invaluable if you want to process fruits for jam or sauce - worth it's weight in gold for sure!
* With all this fruit, I have had to limit my young sons' intake so as to not cause intestinal distress. Eating two plums, two apples, and two pears per day is not good for young tummies!
* Harvesting fruit trees is hard, messy work, and you have to work quickly to decide how you will use all the fruit. However, it is worth all the work to know you have some delicious, nutritious fruit available for the winter months.
* Growing fruit trees is very educational and fun for kids, and they really enjoy helping at all stages. Get them involved!

In conclusion, we are very humbled by the blessings we have found on our rented land. We are reaping from that which we have not sown, and our bounty is so rich we feel almost overwhelmed (in a good way). We plan to plant some more trees while here, and even if we aren't here to enjoy the benefits, someone else will be. We are glad at that thought, as we know God will bless us again wherever we go.


What Can You Do If You Don't Have Fruit On Your Property?
In our driving around, we have seen tons of apple trees loaded with fruit that are going untouched by those living there. If we didn't have so much fruit ourselves, we would certainly stop and ask them if they will be using theirs. This works well, as we did this at our previous location. The apples we asked to pick were a nuisance to the homeowner, and they were glad to let us take them - They even said, "Yes, please take them, so we don't have to clean up the yard." I'm also amazed that the elderberries went untouched, even by the birds. Many people still have the mentality that they don't want to work for something they don't have to yet, and still others don't know how valuable certain fruits are, such as rosehips and elderberries.

We have seen nut trees also that are not on our property, but they don't appear to be ripe yet.  Once we see them falling from the trees, we plan to ask if we can gather some of them. Those things that are treasures to us as preppers are many times seen as a bother to others.  I recently saw a local Craig's List ad for someone asking for unwanted fruit. They clearly stated that it was for their family's use and not for animal use.

Don't let the fruit on your property go to waste. And if you don't have your own fruit, seek out locations for potential free fruit from those who don't want theirs. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much money you can save and how much more prepared you'll feel heading into the winter months. We saved a ton of money by working hard to process this free fruit on our rented property and the fruit we foraged wild. The total I estimate we saved from our free fruit is around $500, and that's low-balling it.

Many SurvivalBlog readers have been prepping for awhile and are comfortable with their plans.  However, the process can be overwhelming for people who have recently “woke up” or who are trying to convince loved ones who aren’t sold on the need or desirability of prepping.

This shouldn’t be minimized or downplayed.  It can be very disturbing when you first realize you aren’t   self-sufficient.  It is easy to become overwhelmed with the scope, cost, and time necessary to prepare.  The concept of TEOTWAWKI can be troubling and concerning even to completely self-sufficient preppers. 
Even the possibility of angry mobs trying to fight off starvation, heavily armed gangs running wild with little or no law enforcement, and rampant disease and poverty seems like something out of a Mad Max movie.   We have been raised in the “land of plenty”; these things happen in other places, not here.  It is troubling enough that a person’s mental processes can shut down as the normalcy bias kicks in.
People then convince themselves that things won’t get that bad.  If you raise these ideas in certain social circles, you will be met with looks that suggest you belong in a mental institution.  It is easy to feel embarrassed and unsure of what to do, or have fear, doubt, uncertainty, and anxiety cloud your judgment.
Based on my own recent experience, I have a few suggestions for people who are just starting out.

What I’ve listed below is a mental framework for how to approach your survival planning.  I found it is easier to develop a strategy if you utilize this framework.  It is also easier to explain to loved ones or friends who may not be sure that prepping is necessary or advisable.
Please keep in mind that the three categories below are not hard and fast rules but a general conceptual approach.  Many prepping activities can be classified in more than one category.  Depending on your circumstances, you may have to make adjustments in your planning for the three stages.
The first step for prepping I recommend is to prioritize your needs into three categories: immediate, mid-range, and long term survival needs and goals (I refer to them as Steps 1, 2, and 3).

Step 1 is for short term needs.  This is the easiest for both the prepper and those people he is trying to convince.  I also call it “natural disaster prep”.  Many people live in areas that may be prone to natural disasters or at least heavy snowfalls that can take out electrical power.  Many people have survived these events or have heard stories from those who have.  Therefore, Step 1 is not mentally or emotionally difficult to accept and prepare for.
This step involves thinking about no electricity or modern conveniences.  Emphasis is on stockpiling water, MREs, batteries, etc.  You should purchase a water filter, and be prepared to cook without electricity for awhile.  You should also maintain a “stash of cash”.   There are many good resources to help you plan for what may befall you following a natural disaster.  Even many “ostriches” can see the need for this.

Step 2 is for intermediate needs.  I also like to call this “economic insurance”.  It’s a bit harder to prepare for mentally, but is still not too alarming or threatening if you approach it (and communicate it) correctly.
The idea is to accept the fact that we are living in a tough economy.  It is easy for people to lose their jobs, or to have to take a pay cut.  Inflation is also a concern.  Sadly, over the past few years, most people no longer have to be “pushed” into seeing this.  Food and gasoline prices have obviously gone up; it doesn’t take much imagination to see things could get worse.
The solution?  Stock up on food and supplies!  The method I use is to point out that my family is self-employed.  If we should have to shut down, and it takes awhile for us to find new jobs, I don’t want to have to worry about the grocery bill.  I want to have plenty of food and supplies on hand.  We will need the money for other items.
Most people see the wisdom of this.  If you handle the situation correctly, you can get loved ones to “buy in” and over time become supportive.  Being self-reliant is a trait that people instinctively feel good about.  Over time, you and your loved ones can gain confidence and knowledge as you continue prepping.

Step 3 is for long term needs, and is primarily for either TEOTWAWKI, or at least some pretty ugly circumstances.  This involves building a very deep larder, and includes items such as seeds, 5 gallon drums filled with wheat, canning equipment, etc.  It also involves wrestling with the idea of “bugging out” if things get too crazy, or establishing a deeply stocked, remotely located retreat.
I believe this is a psychologically and emotionally difficult process for most people.  The idea of societal collapse is something most folks are simply not prepared to deal with.  It is very easy to become depressed or overwhelmed after taking a serious, realistic look at what the world would look like and what one would have to do to survive TEOTWAWKI.
I believe that prematurely confronting the difficulties of Step 3 is what causes many people to go into denial or become depressed and quit preparations.  This step shouldn’t be seriously considered until someone (at a minimum) has mentally and emotionally accepted Steps 1 and 2.  It is best if they have done their research and gained some practical experience with their preparations.

A few general guidelines when starting:
When prioritizing needs, I would first obtain firearms and ammunition.  This can be easily explained as part of Step 1 preparations; you are defending against potential burglars and post-disaster looters.  I place this item first because given our current political climate, it is almost certain that the current administration will do everything possible to make firearms more difficult to obtain, or more expensive through regulation. 
Obtain as much training as you can.  If you take classes in firearm training, first aid, canning, etc. you not only are gaining survival skills, but you can also find a new hobby.  Don’t think of it (or describe it) as trying to “fill up” holes in your skill set, but a chance to grow and develop as a person.
Learn what things cost, and what they are truly worth.  In order to combat inflation, I recently began to use couponing strategies.  You can save quite a bit of money, and it’s also a good way to stock up on barter items, or additional supplies for charitable giving.
Study economics.  It is difficult to make concrete plans if you have no idea of the economic forces at work around you.  Try and learn not only about basic economics and free-market principles, but what is happening in the world and the likely results. 
It is very difficult for most people to understand that fiat money is not wealth.  It is even more difficult to accept (after a lifetime of “education”) that numbers listed on an “IRA” or “mutual fund” account statement can only provide for a person under certain economic conditions.
During periods of hyperinflation or currency collapse, re-education will be terribly painful as people realize that actual, useful goods (food, tools, seeds, guns, ammunition) are the only true forms of material wealth.  If you can accumulate some gold, silver, and goods that can be easily bartered (Survival Blog has many excellent examples of these) you will be far ahead of most people.
Develop flexibility and realism in your plans.  You may not be able to afford a retreat property, or be able to live there full time with your current job.  You may not have enough money or time to purchase all the items you want or the skills that you need.  Bear in mind that there is no “perfect plan”, and that everyone faces shortcomings of some sort.

Make the best plans you can under your circumstances, and keep a constant eye on the world around you (and at large) to see if you have to make revisions.  If you combine a can-do attitude and self-sufficient mindset with even modest planning and accumulation of needed goods, you will be in far better shape than most other people.
As you go down the path of your prepping journey, at some point you must confront many things you do not want to believe or are afraid of, such as economic hardship or TEOTWAWKI.  Don’t allow this to dominate your life or make you live in fear.  (This can happen if people try to do too much too fast or don’t mentally establish some realistic guidelines of what they need to accomplish).

Continue to go to school, spend time with family activities, and enjoy life to the fullest.  Maintaining a sense of balance in your life will help you develop the mindset and traits you will need should everything come apart.

Most of all develop your spiritual life.  Put your faith in the Lord, and trust in Him.  Develop firm beliefs about how you will behave and live your life, even if things grow difficult.  If you take even a casual glance backward at history, you will see many instances of ordinary people surviving extraordinary times with faith, courage, hope, and mental and spiritual toughness.  Don’t allow despair or fear to cripple your mind or destroy your plans.

Be prepared. This is the core logic of the survivalist movement. We work to be prepared for a variety of situations, from the common natural disaster to outbreaks of disease to TEOTWAWKI. We conduct thorough research, create organized lists and plans, shop while scrutinizing the fine print, test the products we buy, and then carefully store it all away for possible use in the future. A great deal of control and independence is involved. These steps we take to prepare, at a minimum, provide us with a sense of comfort and security. They can also save lives in an emergency.
But what if the worst happens and we find ourselves without vital supplies? It’s the potentially nightmarish scenario of any survivalist, and it can happen at any time. Some would call it a cruel twist of fate for those of us who have taken the time to prepare to suddenly be without. But it’s a very real possibility we must consider in order to ensure our survival in a time of chaos.

Why would you, as a survivalist, suddenly find yourself without supplies?

1. Looters. We’ve seen it repeatedly throughout history in disaster-stricken parts of the world. People take advantage of a society without rule of law. At first the majority of looters will fall on chain stores and businesses because they’re easy to access and literally advertise exactly what they hold. But as supplies dwindle and desperation increases, people will begin robbing one another of their very means to survive. Don’t fall under the false belief that if you have a gun for security then you’re protected from robbery. Some thieves will rely more on stealth than violence and come quietly in the night, leaving you to awaken to empty storage space and bare cupboards.
2. Damage. In the case of natural disasters such as floods, fires, earthquakes, and tornadoes, all or a portion of your supplies may be rendered useless. Your supplies may also be victim to random gunfire in a society without rule of law (an unseen hole in a water tank, for example) or damaged in your haste to bug out. Perhaps you failed to test a portion of your supplies and in the process of assembly, you break a vital piece of equipment. There are countless ways for supplies to be irreparably damaged in an emergency.
3. Inefficiency. Even with testing directly after purchase, there are times when supplies simply don’t work efficiently enough for their purpose and we’re forced to abandon them. Such can be the case with hot plates and camp stoves, battery-powered appliances, and anything else which requires energy to perform. Perhaps it’s been five or ten years since testing and the efficiency has dwindled enough for the batteries, fuel, or heat to be put to better and more efficient use elsewhere.
4. Breakdown. Breakdown can occur to brand new supplies without a reason why, or due to long-term use years into TEOTWAWKI. This is especially permanent when dealing with electronics and machinery. Hand-crank radios, two-way radios, generators, solar-powered lights, fueled stoves, water purifiers . . . eventually they won’t perform anymore. While we might have the skill to repair items like clothing, bicycles, and roof leaks, few people have the knowledge and tools necessary to repair broken down technology.
5. Charity. Most survivalists take charity into consideration when stocking up on supplies, and as they well should. But what if you’ve helped as many people as you planned for, and people in dire need of your help just keep on coming? This isn’t a question you can answer now, as you aren’t presently staring into the eyes of a starving pregnant woman and her toddler on your doorstep. Just know that there’s the possibility your supplies will be used by more people than you originally anticipated.
6. Duration. Few people who prepare for emergencies, even survivalists, will have enough of every kind of essential item to last five, ten, or twenty years into a societal breakdown. The severity of a situation could increase this problem as far as wounded people and medical supplies, outdoor heat and drinking water, strenuous labor and food, and threat and ammunition. Supplies will run out.
7. Budgets. It costs quite a bit of money to stock up on emergency supplies and to restock expired supplies. Survivalists can only stock up as their budgets allow and don’t typically buy everything they need at once. The pitfall of this necessary pacing is that disasters don’t wait for us to be ready. We all have wish lists. We could only be halfway through them when we find ourselves in the midst of TEOTWAWKI.
8. Oversight. You may overlook something. Right out of the gate there may be something you need that you just don’t have. For example, perhaps you failed to take lumber into consideration and your house becomes damaged. Maybe it’s something even more vital than lumber. All the lists in the world can’t prepare you for this moment, as it will be a shock. But no matter how many times you slap yourself on the forehead for forgetting a particular item, it doesn’t change the fact that you now must go without.

There are other reasons why you may suddenly find yourself without supplies. Perhaps you don’t know how to assemble a survival item no matter how hard you try, such as a four-person tent. Maybe you don’t properly clean your supplies and they become too dirty to use over time, such as a particulate water filter. The lack of one item may cause a chain reaction which makes other supplies useless, such as a safe key and a safe with a gun in it. There are limitless reasons why just having supplies in your possession isn’t enough to survive.

Now that the comfort and security of having supplies is all but gone, allow me to replace it with the knowledge that you can, in fact, survive without them. Supplies are a luxury which make our time during an emergency much more bearable, but luckily for the general populace, they aren’t one hundred percent necessary.

How would you survive with no supplies?

Water: Let’s take a brief look at survival with no stored water and no specific water treatment for purifying water.

If water is still coming out of the tap and the emergency situation hasn’t given you cause to question its quality, you must begin collection immediately, as it could be turned off at any time. Fill the bathtub, all kitchen glasses and bowls, heavy duty boxes lined with garbage bags, the washing machine (just be sure to turn it off when it’s full), anything and everything that can hold water. You can even fill garbage cans for non-potable wash water or plant irrigation. Even if you find out afterwards that the water isn’t deemed safe to drink, depending on the situation it may be non-toxic enough for bathing, or at the very least, useful for flushing the toilet. Cover the filled containers with plastic wrap if you intend to drink it in the future.

If water isn’t coming out of the tap, there are still several places to find clean water in your home and the homes of others. One of the most abundant sources is the standard water heater tank, which may hold anywhere from 25 to 60 gallons of water. To access the water, first turn off power to the tank. This could be a gas valve on the tank or a circuit breaker in a panel depending on your set up. Next, close the valve on the pipe which fills the water tank so that no (possibly contaminated) water can flow into it. Now: there’s a valve near the bottom of the tank where the water can drain. Turn on a hot water knob all the way at a faucet in the house so the water in the tank can drain through the valve at the bottom. If there’s dirt in the water you collect, let the water sit so the dirt settles to the bottom and collect water from the top to drink.

Collecting rainwater is an option for people who live in moist climates, as is collecting ice to melt with body heat for those who live in cold climates. For those who live in hot climates, making use of condensation is a viable option, as the necessary supplies are those found in the average garage. A type of solar still can be created by digging a cone-shaped hole with a diameter of three meters in a sunny spot, placing a clean collection container in the center of the hole, and covering the entire hole with plastic sheeting. Anchor the edges and place a rock in the center of the plastic sheeting just over the collection container. The inverted plastic cone should be deep enough that the condensed water runs down the plastic and into the container, but not quite touching the sides of the hole.

In extreme situations you may also drink your own urine. Urine is around 95% water and five percent non-toxic waste products. To safely drink your own urine, you must be free of bladder health problems, such as urinary tract infections (UTI)s). It’s also best to drink it along with another source of water if possible because of the high sodium content. To drink your own urine, you must first urinate for several seconds to clear the bacteria from the urethra before you begin collection for drinking. You must also drink it immediately; otherwise bacteria will begin to accumulate.

Other sources of water include fruit, certain canned goods like vegetables and tuna, ice cubes, water from your pipes, and even the water in your toilet tank (not the bowl) if you have the means to boil it.

It is important to remember that most water can be used more than once, such as for washing clothes and then again for flushing the toilet. You should also reduce the amount of water your body requires by staying out of the sun and limiting physical activity when possible. But however resourceful or conservative you are with water, nearly all sources of water will eventually run dry. It will then become necessary to move on and seek out new sources in order to survive.

No Stored Water (Review):

• If water is still coming out of the tap, fill anything and everything with water.
• The water heater tank is a prime place to find 25 to 60 gallons of water.
• Make use of your climate by collecting water from outside.
• Drinking your own urine can be an emergency source of water.
• Use your own resourcefulness to think about where more water could be.
• Conserve and recycle the water you have.

Food: Let’s take a brief look at survivalism with no stored food and no specific means to hunt, fish, or grow food.

It’s possible to live for at least three weeks without food. Possible, but not realistic. Going so long without food wouldn’t present a problem if we were in the physical condition of our ancestors, but most people today aren’t healthy enough for such a long fast. The strain on the heart would prove too much for those who are obese and would threaten the lives of those who are overweight. When you also factor in how many people are diabetic, having underlying health problems, and are on medications, we’re talking about hundreds of millions of people who simply can’t fast safely.

Luckily there are several alternatives to going hungry, and one of the best is foraging. There’s a great variety of edible plants, berries, and roots hiding in plain sight and edible raw or cooked. Take the ever so common Dandelion, for example. Every part of the Dandelion is edible, from the yellow flower to the leaves (young, small leaves taste better) to the roots. Earthworms are another source of food, and full of protein. Depending on where you live, you may also have access to Cattails which have edible roots year round, the pine needles of pine trees, the leaves of Plantains, or live (not beached) seaweed.

It’s worth researching now what other edible plants are found in your part of the world in case you need to depend on them as a source of food. Here’s a great link for knowledge on how to test a plant you aren’t sure is edible in a time of survival: http://survivalcache.com/wilderness-survival-edibility-test/.

Berries are another nutritious survival food, although before you dive in, there are some general rules you should know. If the berries are yellow, white, or green, then you should most likely stay away from them. About half of all red berries are edible, and dark colored berries are edible nine times out of ten. Most of us remember picking berries when we were children and can easily spot blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries, salmon berries, and other types of berries. The down side to berries is that they’re seasonal and one of the most easily recognized wild foods, which means in a TEOTWAWKI situation, they may be incredibly scarce.

One of the means to obtain food some people may overlook is teaming up with people who have food to feed you in exchange for work. Most likely the work will be hard labor and the food will be carefully rationed. However, working for food will be much safer than being caught stealing it in a world without courts and juries. Furthermore, working in a group provides benefits which go beyond food, such as protection, companionship, a wider range of knowledge and skills, and a greater chance of long-term survival.

No Stored Food (Review):

• Food isn’t as vital as water. Healthy people can fast for up to three weeks.
• There are edible plants all around us. Take time to research those around you.
• Berries are a nutritious addition to any plant-and-root-based diet.
• Working for food may be a practical option during TEOTWAWKI.

Keeping Warm and Staying Cool
Let’s take a brief look at survival with no means to start a fire and no air conditioning.

Warmth is a vital part of survival. Any emergency which causes a power outage could make staying warm difficult. All long term emergencies will eventually result in loss of power, or at the very least, the need to conserve power sources.

Depending on the emergency, you may need to dry off before donning dry, warm clothing. Clothing that will wick moisture away from your body and dry quickly, such as nylon or polyester, is best for a first layer. Most people who have these fabrics on hand will have them in the form of workout clothing for the gym. For bad outdoor weather, wool stays warm even when wet. Put on as many layers as you need and keep in mind that people can lose up to 75% of heat through their head. So on with those winter caps!

Moving around is an effective way to keep warm and if you’re short on supplies during an emergency, you will be doing plenty of it. But there are several ways in which exerting yourself too much could be dangerous. Aside from expending energy you may not have enough food to restore and injuring yourself due to exhaustion, you may begin to sweat and then get chilled when you stop to rest. Pay attention to your comfort level and peel off layers if you need to. The key is to be warm, but also dry.

Seal off one room of your house, preferably the smallest one. If you live in a two-story home, remember that heat rises and an upstairs room may be easier to keep warm.
Create a “fort” about the size and shape of an igloo, where the heat from your family is trapped in the small dome you’ve created. Blankets draped across chairs will work for the inner shell. Crumpled newspaper or pieces of cardboard should be piled on top and around the shelter for a dense layer of insulation. Crumpled printer paper and posters would also work. The outer shell of the shelter should be as impermeable as possible to keep the heat in and the cold out. It can be created using standard garbage bags, even saran wrap or tin foil, and tape. Don’t forget to seal off the sides. Make sure there are plenty of blankets left to insulate the floor of the shelter.

To keep warm throughout the night, have your family to sleep in this shelter parallel to one another so that body heat is shared. You can take turns sleeping on the outside ends if there are more than two of you.

Keeping cool can also be a life-saving survival skill. It can lessen the amount of water required by your body and keep you from developing heat exhaustion, or worse, heat stroke.
Wearing shorts and a tank top (or simply going without clothing as this may be TEOTWAWKI after all) is a good start to keeping cool. If you’re outside, be sure to protect yourself with sunscreen and be careful to keep the integrity of your skin intact. The best place to be inside is in the lowest room of your house. You can also be outside in the shade, relaxing in the breeze. It’s important to drink water whenever you’re thirsty (if you can) so you don’t become dehydrated. Drenching a scarf in second-use water and then tying it around your neck is an effective way to cool off quickly. Last, who could forget those fold-up manual fans? With a little thought and resourcefulness, you’ll come to find that there are many ways to keep cool without air conditioning.

Keeping Warm and Staying Cool (Review):

• Layer your clothing and keep your head covered.
• Move around, but stay dry.
• Create an insulated igloo shelter in which to sleep with your family.
• When wearing little clothing, protect your skin.
• Stay in the shade when possible.
• Drink as much water as possible.

Keeping Conditions Sanitary: Let’s take a brief look at survivalism with no basic toiletries, showers, trash service, or toilets.

Hygiene is something many of us take for granted. We don’t think twice as we wash our face, brush our teeth, take a shower, or put on clean clothing. We also take for granted how lack of good hygiene can make us sick. Here are some ways to stay clean and sanitary with what you already have in the house.

The Basics: There are several basic rules worthy of review, as we tend to disregard them when we have plenty of hygienic supplies at our disposal. First and foremost, keep your bacteria-covered hands away from your head. Don’t rub or pick your nose, wipe your eyes, pick at your teeth, lick your fingers, or put your fingers in your ears. Second, don’t handle food or drinking water directly with your hands; instead, use clean winter or Nitrile gloves. Finally, cover your coughs and sneezes with the crook of your elbow. The only thing more annoying than being sneezed on is developing a disabling cold that leads to life-threatening pneumonia.

Teeth: brushing your teeth with no toothpaste is nearly as effective as with toothpaste. Don’t attempt to use sugar or salt to clean your teeth as this may irritate your gums and wear away the enamel, but you may use baking soda if you have it on hand.

Bathing: First and foremost, know that you won’t be bathing everyday. Twice a week, at most, is how often you’ll be bathing. The easiest way to get “clean” is to collect water from a nearby lake or river and scrub away even if you don’t have soap. The reason you want to collect water for scrubbing down instead of simply jumping in is because you don’t want to contaminate the water source, dirty as it may already appear. When you’ve finished with the water, use it a second time to wash your clothes and then a third time to flush your toilet. If you aren’t located near a water source, you may need to use some of the water you’ve collected from the water tank.

Washing: Any soap can be used to wash clothing. Even if you have no soap, dunking the clothes and rubbing them against each other will be sufficient enough to further dirty the water. The clothing you can expect to wash regularly include the undergarments: bras, boxers, underwear, socks, and tank tops. All other clothing will be of secondary concern and only washed once in a while. I recommend buckets if you have them, as the tub only allows for washing and not rinsing. Once the clothes are washed, simply wring them of excess water and hang them out to dry.

Waste: If you have a septic tank that isn’t full, you may continue to flush the toilet for “number two” simply by pouring a bucket of water into it. Be aware that sewage lines may be damaged in an emergency, in which case your best bet is a shovel. Be sure your pit is at least a football field away from any water source and located in the lowest spot in your area. The deeper the better. Place a board or sturdy plastic lid over the pit so that no one falls into it. A plastic tarp over everything is a good idea if you live in a rainy climate. Cover each waste deposit with some dirt to discourage mosquitoes from breeding in the pit, and don’t allow water to pool in the bottom. You may run out of toilet paper, but leaves, newspaper, and small disposable rags will work fine. Do not flush these items as they may permanently clog the toilet. Dispose of them in a deep pit far from any water supply.

Trash: The best option for dealing with trash is to have as little as possible. Think before throwing any item away. Could you use it for anything else? You’ll need to burn or bury the trash you have. If you don’t have the means to build a fire, that’s alright. Pick up a shovel, a pick, even a metal rake. Allowing trash to accumulate is inviting germs and sickness into your living space. Depending on where you live, you may also be inviting wild animals. Get rid of your garbage as soon as possible.

Cleanliness: Even if you keep your space as clean as possible, eventually you will be faced with the need to abolish bacteria you can’t see. Modern day cleaning products are convenient, but they aren’t they only solution for killing germs. The Provident Living web site is a wonderful resource, where they explain how you can use common household items to create an effective cleaning solution. You can condense these recipes to the amount of water you have on hand.

Keeping Conditions Sanitary (Review):

• Keep your bacteria-covered hands away from your head.
• Soap isn’t always necessary. Scrubbing is.
• Keep waste and trash disposal far and low from any water source.
• Household items can be mixed to create cleaning solutions.

As you can see, there are many ways you can survive without disaster-specific supplies. It would be much more difficult and you would encounter more hardships such as sickness, weight loss, and stress, but you could survive. It’s just a matter of being intelligent and resourceful.

So if TEOTWAWKI or another emergency comes to pass and you’re standing there without a portion of those supplies you held so dear, don’t think about tomorrow. Keep your mind focused on today and the puzzles (not problems) that need solving right now. Make a list, mentally or otherwise, of all the items you have access to and/or around you. Think about how you can use a combination of them to solve your puzzle. With the right attitude and rational, logical thinking, you can survive no matter how many traditional supplies you don’t have.

James Wesley;
I came into the prepper movement (without being aware there was any such movement) by degrees, through religion, a few years ago.  As an old “Latin Mass” traditionalist Catholic, there is a tendency amongst our ilk to look with suspicion upon that which is trumpeted as “progressive” or “liberal” or even “modern.”  Not that we are against real progress in some area, or resist modernity for its own sake, but because a real Catholic ought to be a spiritual man, who rejects much of what the modern world tells him is “good,” since these same things so often hinder spiritual progress, family stability, and focus on salvation and the afterlife (e.g., Television, immoderate or impure internet usage, music which appeals to the base emotions rather than lifting the mind to God, etc).

It would probably not surprise you then to learn that, with this suspicious gaze fixed at the modern world, there are many amongst us who focus that suspicion on world politics, economic issues, and social trends.  One among us, Bishop Richard Williamson (of the Society of St. Pius X), being a broadminded pastor of souls, is charitable enough to comment upon some of these “not strictly or directly religious” matters, because he understands that nevertheless, these socio-political-economic matters will have a direct bearing upon the ability of us to work out their salvation.  And so he speaks frequently upon matters such as gold/silver as wealth preservation assets; gardening and food storage; 911 as an inside job (I.e., warning of the police state, and those who control this nation’s foreign policy; etc).

So one day after Mass, this guy I knew started talking to me about buying physical gold and silver, and from there I progressed to learn about food storage, guns/ammo, and the whole “shebang.”
Not too long ago, I read "Patriots" and recommended it to several people who also read it.  I will read it again soon.  The appeal of the book for me (other than that it served as a very practical checklist of things to consider in my own preparations) was that it was set in a good versus evil context.  The men and women who were the Patriots were good, moral people.  Their enemies were those who were evil-doers.  I took from the book that the “collapse” was portrayed as a chance to start this country over again, and an opportunity to remedy many things that fly in the face of Christian morality and Constitutional government (i.e., No collapse was not desired, but if it must come, the survivors would have to rebuild this country into……something).
About that time, I broadened my list of regularly visited survivalist internet sites.  What I saw from those that contained chat forums was heartily depressing: I was shocked to learn that most preppers had a hatred, contempt, or at best a heavy distrust of religion and God.  It made me wonder: If there is a collapse, what kind of country would these survivors rebuild?  Would such men really be of the caliber depicted as Patriots in the book?  How would they be any different than the biker gang depicted if things ever got tough?  Can Godless men really be good men (that is, Godlessness was tried in communist Russia and China, and also in Nazi Germany with less than flattering results). To me, that the atheists (if there really is any such thing; mostly they are those who believe in, but hate, God) have the ascendancy in the prepper movement is worrisome: Modern secular Godless society is disgusting enough in many respects.  What do you think a post-collapse society of atheists would degenerate into?  So the primary purpose of this article, then, is to exhort--even at the risk of minor OPSEC violations--fellow Christians to spread the prepper movement amongst themselves, to ensure that if we ever have to rebuild, there will be something better than Mad-Max to look forward to. 
Here are a couple things that I do, for what its worth, toward this end:

1) Network with people at Church: Generally, these people tend to be of a higher moral caliber than those who disregard Church (Yes, there are legions who fall short of attaining to the morals they profess, but at least they are in the fight; at least Christian morality is important to them, and as Archbishop Fulton Sheen once commented: If the Church had to be as perfect as you seem to want it, you wouldn’t be welcome to join it!).  Generally, they are people you already know something about, which will make your prospecting more productive.  To a higher degree, you will know who will be worth the time to talk to, and who won’t than if you spoke, for example, to people at work or school.

2)  When talking to those you know to be irreligious preppers, do not wear your religion on your sleeve (which is not to say you hide it either).  Try to impress them with the integrity of your character.  Most people--religious or not--respect this in people.  If someone respects you as a person, they have a better chance of being receptive, and seeking out, your opinions.  As St. Francis of Assisi used to say: “Preach always, and if necessary, use words.”

3) Write!  I would view myself as a hypocrite having such concerns, but never doing anything to try and turn the tide.  There are so many internet forums, magazines, newspapers, etc which are overrun with anti-Christian preppers that one would think prepping itself was somehow at odds with Christianity.  Instead of despairing, formulate your opinions and get them out there!  Do not let the Godless hordes out-maneuver you.  They are organized in a unified hatred of even the natural law (i.e., those things all men know to be right and wrong, until their consciences are indoctrinated into confusion).  If you want to live in a better post-collapse world, you need to be prepared and organized to put a plan into place, and this means heightening awareness through the various media outlets and personal communication.  You need to write.  The globalists, Masons, atheists, etc all have plans ready to go.  What do we have?  Little bunker ghettos and isolated retreats, but no plan as to how to remake a better society.  If collapse happened today, we would be snuffed out fairly easily.

I want to end with you all dwelling on the three preceding points.  If the Christian preppers do not increase in proportion, and coordinate and communicate with each other, what is the point of surviving a collapse?  The barbarism that follows will be much worse for them than dying in the initial conflagration (Have you ever seen "The Road”?).

JWR,
As I was reading the letter about the Vancouver riots, the part about the homeless man reminded me of one of the ways I rotate the food in my bug out bag (BOB). I know that a lots of people don't like to give money to beggars, because they don't want them to just buy booze. I also know that many people don't use the food in their BOB (I've personally seen some rather old, funky smelling granola bars). Yes, I know you can use them when you go camping or hiking for practice, or just have MREs or freeze dried food that doesn't need to be rotated very often, but I don't have the money for MREs and I like to eat better than that when I camp.

So what I do is when I rotate things that expire, like granola bars or fruit leathers, is I put them in my car and/or my purse. Then, if I see someone asking for handouts, I ask them if they would like some food. I've never had anyone turn me down. That way the food doesn't go to waste, and you feel good about helping someone in need. This is a "win-win" solution. - Sarah M.

Mr Rawles,
I first posted this in a Survival forum I frequent often in response to the widespread, violent riots that broke out in Vancouver after the local hockey team lost in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

I just was reading up on it this morning and you got to ask yourself: If your "countrymen" would essentially devolve into barbarian hordes over a stupid game - what do you think they'll do when they have no food, water, heat, electricity and no government to bail them out or keep them in their place?

I was speculating this morning that Vancouver is a pretty extreme Canadian case, with the disparity between rich and poor being so large that it shouldn't come as a surprise that something like this would happen. The slightest excuse and the thin veil of civilization can come undone.

I might add that as something to consider - while it's an undeniable, logical fact cities are worse than rural areas if TSHTF - some cities might (and I do mean, might) fair better than others.

I'm reminded of the 2004 playoff run between Calgary and Tampa where after the game 7, the mood was more dampened, but people were still happy and there wasn't much in the way of civil disobedience besides a few women flashing and a few drunkards being idiots in the street.

I'll also note, having some experience volunteering and donating to local charities that while Calgary has a big disparity between rich and poor, we also have a great deal of non-profit, non-governmental services available for the poor. The Drop In Centre, for example, is the largest homeless shelter in the country (something I'm quite proud to say for the city I live in).

I'm a big fan of Rawlesian survivalism, especially because of his emphasis on Christian charity - that being the obligation (but not a requirement to "earn" salvation) for voluntary charity to the less fortunate.

Last year when my wife and I visited Vancouver, I was very disgusted when walking down a very busy, ritzy street I saw a disheveled homeless man on his knees in a street corner, holding a Styrofoam plate and hundreds of people just walking past him as if he didn't exist.

Poverty is no excuse for what the rioters did last night. However, at the same time, wealth, and the belief that wealth elevates an individual to a transcendent level over the poor is no excuse to deny charity to your fellow man.

This is why one of the best preparation for when the SHTF is to foster a charitable spirit, to help build up your community so when it does happen, your community doesn't devolve (or is more resistant to devolving) into a brutish, survival-of-the-fittest, war zone like Vancouver did last night. - N.L.

James has a family of two which include his wife and four year old son. He loves them both very much and would do anything to see to their well being. Given the recent events in Haiti, Thailand and most notably Japan, James has decided to prepare himself and his family for a natural disaster. Living in the Southern California area, he has focused his preparation for an earthquake and possible tsunami. In his home he keeps enough canned food and fresh water for his family to survive for at least one week. This week long time frame is about the length of time it would take for emergency services to come to grips with a major disaster and restore some form of normalcy. Various forms of equipment are included in his survival kit that include basic hand tools, water filters, sleeping bags and tents should the need to vacate his residence become a necessity. He has also instructed his wife to keep at least a half a tank of gas in her car at all times and that an emergency kit be kept in the car as well.

James has shared his efforts with close friends and has advised them to prepare themselves for a natural disaster along the same lines as he has taken. After all, it does not cost much and takes little imagination to prepare for the worst. The advice given by James is met with skepticism and is really not given much more thought by his friends.

On a Friday night at just past 10 PM the worst happens. An earthquake in the range of 8.7 hits the Southern California area. Subsequent to this a large tidal force makes its way to the coast of Southern California and Baja as the quake was centered offshore. After shutting of the gas and power lines to his house and making sure his family is safe and uninjured, James takes stock of the situation. The house is still standing and safe, emergency rations and equipment are undamaged and accessible and the cars are in perfect working order. Without power and without information, James turns on his battery powered radio and learns the magnitude of the quake and that the low lying areas off the coast have been flooded by a tsunami. Luckily, James and his family live on top of a mesa that overlooks the swelling seas. A few hours after the quake with candles burning, James looks at his sleeping family and counts his blessings. Just then a knock come at his front door. Rising to answer it, James expects to see a uniformed officer or fireman. Instead he is greeted by a close friend and his family. At the threshold, his friend tells him that his house was washed away in the flood and that he barely had time to throw his wife and child in the car and make it to high ground. This friend did not follow the advice about preparing for a natural disaster and came to James’ door for help. The friend knew that James was prepared and looked for a reprieve from the ensuing disaster. James told his friend that he had few supplies and that he should take his family to a shelter. James told him where the shelter was and told him to drive there as they could provide real relief and medical assistance. The friend came to James’ house with a car that had less gas in it than a lawn mower and barely made it to his front door. They would surely not make it the twenty miles inland to the nearest shelter. James’ friends asked for an open door and help.

Dilemma: Should James let his friend and his family into his home?

Given the situation, let us identify the people involved. James, his wife and four year old son along with his friend , his wife and three year old son. All of them have something to lose. There are no neighbors, police, rescue workers or resources of interested to speak of. Just the six of these players and the situation that they are in are all that are involved.

James has a few ways to look at this situation that could help guide him to making the right choice. From a teleological standpoint, this case has many variables that could be considered. Let us assume that James simply has food and supplies for his family for one week only and that for whatever reason outside help from anyone is absent for the period of one week. Also assume that no other help is available to his friend and his family in the immediate area. Given that James has the choice of either letting his friends in his home or turning them away.

If James lets his friends in a few things are going to happen. By doubling the amount of persons in his home to look after his food, water and supplies basically get cut by 50 percent. This means that his supply window has become three and one half days instead of the comfortable seven days. This could mean that after the fourth day he, his family and friends would be without food or water. While the adults could make it another three days without supplies the children certainly could not. Moreover, in their weakened condition on days four through seven, fighting off looters and taking care of unforeseen events could become difficult. While the entire unit would be flush with supplies for the first three days, the last four days would be met with hardship and possible death to some or all of the members. This option seems a tough path to follow as James prepared to take care of his family while the other family did not even with warnings from James.

Alternately, James could simply turn his friend and family away. This would mean that James and his family could comfortably survive until services were restored. However, shutting the door on his friend and family would mean that they would be out of doors on their own, on foot, with no food or water. With no real survival training and with a three year old child in tow, it would seem that they have little chance of making it twenty miles to the nearest aid station. In reality, James friend and his family would meet serious trials on their way to the aid station. These trials would most likely be too much for he and his family to handle. James knows that by closing his door to them that it would mean almost certain death for at least one member, if not all members, of his friend and family.

In this situation, given that James thinks that by closing his door to his friend and his family they would have a chance, it is important to explore what James is required to do by law. There really is no rule that says that James must open his door to his friend. All of the food, water and equipment that James has are his and he is free to do with them what he wants. No law forbids him from closing his door. He has the right to protect what is his and given the situation has the right to vigorously protect what is his. The concept of justice in this area is interesting though. James would, of course, hope that his friend would open his door if the tables were turned. With that, James advised his friend to prepare for such an event and asked for no favors. James really has done all he could for his friend up to this point. No debt is due to his friend. No favors to be cashed in.

James knows that he could simply shut his door to his friend. He knows that he is well within his rights to do so and knows that he would guarantee that his family would survive the next week. He also knows that his friend and his family would endure incredible hardship. James must now look into himself and demonstrate what kind of a man that he is. In this moment, all of the character of his being will be demonstrated.

By taking another look at the concept of justice, James’ could do a few things. Justice really is doing to others what they deserve. James warned his friend to take care of preparations in case of a disaster. He advised his friend that with just a little forethought and planning that he could provide for his family when the unthinkable happens. From this view point it is apparent that James’ friend is going to get what he deserves. On the other hand, it would be hard to imagine that he and his family deserve to be let out in the cold under such dire circumstances. He and his family would surely meet with hardships that most could not endure and it is very possible that someone could become hurt, injured or even die. James’ friend has done nothing to him that would warrant that type of justice. James’ friend and his family do not deserve to be put in a situation that could result in death.

However, is it justice for James to let these people into his home knowing full well that he is now putting his family in danger by cutting their supplies in half? James and his family deserve to be taken care of because preparations were made at no cost to anyone. James did it all on his own and took no favors.

In interesting aspect of this dilemma is that James believes in God. He is what most would call a religious man. James also knows that to be holy he must act as Jesus would have acted. James must also act as Jesus would because he wants to not because he has to. He also knows that his longing to be holy makes him accountable for his actions. James needs to act with moral purity (Hill, 26-28). A holy man trying to emulate Jesus would not turn his back on someone in need, especially a friend.

Love is another concept that James has to come to grips with. The people knocking on James’ door are friends. A positive relationship has been created between them. Closing his door to them would not be an act of love. James needs to take care of his friends not because he has to but because it would be an expression of love. Turning his friends away might cause them to meet with hardship and death. With that, James needs to be empathetic to his friends and imagine what it would be like to be standing outside in the middle of a disaster zone with your family (Hill, 53-56). No food, no water and only one hope. This hope is that you will let them in and take care of them.

What of the love for James’ family? James surely has love for his family. In this instance he prepared to take care of them. He took pains to make sure that they were safe in the face of an emergency. It would not seem a very loving thing to do to take three and a half days worth of food away from his family. Because by letting his friend in, that is what James will do. By expressing love for his friend and empathizing with his predicament, James must to consider the effect on his family. He must place himself in his families’ shoes and see things from their perspective. At once his family felt safe knowing that everything was taken care of and that they would survive this disaster. With the knock at the door the possibility of survival potentially just got cut in half. James’ family does not feel as safe as they did and James knows that. If James is to express love to his family he must take care of them. If James lets his friend in, he is placing his family in danger. Putting his family in harm’s way is no expression of love.

James faces another subject for thought when it comes to making a decision about what to do about his friends at the door. James knows that he has a duty to care for his family. He cares greatly for them and does whatever he needs to do to make sure they are safe. After all, they are the closest thing to him. Close to are his neighbors and friends. James must exhibit the same caring for his neighbors and friends that he does for his family. This ethics of care demands that James care for the well being of those near to him (Velasquez, 59-60). This includes his family, neighbors and friends. James’ character is made up of all the experiences in his life. His character is crafted by the inputs from his family, friends and neighbors. His character is defined by his religious beliefs. In ignoring the ethics of care in this situation, James is ignoring everything that he has learned in his life and the definitions of his character. James has a duty to care for those around him and failing that would be to fail his own character.

This ethics of care brings up an interesting question. Just how many friends and neighbors does James let into his home? There will come a point when all that he has prepared for will be consumed in just a few hours if he opens his doors to everyone. Knowing that his resources are finite James would have to make some choices. Is one neighbor better than another? Is one friend’s life worth more than another? How much food will he take out of his family’s mouth to feed those around him?

James could turn away everyone that comes to his door. He has the right and reason to. The more people that he lets into his home the less time his family has to survive. James is normally a caring and virtuous individual. He gives of himself and of his time to his friends, neighbors and family. He is also active in the community and always has a kind word to say to anyone he encounters. Thrust into the situation that he is in James rationalizes that in this situation that it is alright to show some cruelty with the excuse that if he cares and lets his friend in that it will take away from his family. Surely no one could fault him for that. Given the circumstances he is well in the right to turn his friend away and put his caring nature completely towards his family.
While this rational is not necessarily wrong, it does bring up the concept of dual morality. James is normally a caring and loving person for all people and things. As a God fearing man he knows that this reasoning for turning his friend and his family away is fundamentally flawed. He would demonstrate a dual morality by insisting that he is a caring man normally but in this instance he has the right not to be. This thinking is ethically flawed. If James is in fact a religious person then his dual morality is attacking the basis of his belief system (Hill, 71-74).

Weighing all of the facts together and looking at all of the pros and cons of this dilemma, James decides to let his friend and family in. This decision was not made lightly. From a cost benefit stand point only it is clear that by letting his friend in that James’ family would be put into danger. James also has no law stating that he must open his door to his friend. No disaster rule exists that makes it a duty of James to open his door as well. Rule of rights also tells James that his friend has no claim to his preparations as he did not help in the construction of this kit and that none of the equipment James has is borrowed from his friend and that his friend has no contractual right to any of James’ equipment. James also could claim that his friend is getting what he deserves by being left out of James home because his friend was advised to create a disaster kit and emergency plan.

However, James is a man of character. He knows that while a view of justice tells him that his friend would get what he deserves by not listening to James in the first place, he knows that his friend has done him no harm. His friend made no demands of James but simply asked for help. Looking at justice from another angle shows James that no one deserves to be put in a situation where severe hardship would be endured. James can see how by letting his friend find his own way is no justice at all.

Further, James decides that he needs to show an ethic of care here. He needs to ensure for the well being of those around him. These people are his friends and James is duty bound to take care of them. James also has a duty to his family as well. James must balance what he gives to his friend and what he needs to provide to his family. James decides that only the rations that were intended for him should go to his friend and his family. In this way James is taking care of his friend and taking care of his own family.

This rationing method also answers the question as to how many people James would ultimately let into his home. What if another friend or a stranger came calling for help? In that instance James can only give what he has. He can give from himself but cannot take from the mouths of his family.

The decision to let his friend in is also influenced by holiness. James is trying to walk in the same path that Jesus did. James is trying to emulate Him in as many ways as he can. James knows that Jesus would never turn away someone in need and especially a friend.

This holiness also brings up the question of dual morality. James knows that he is a caring man and that he cannot put that caring away in certain situations. By doing so, it would undermine the entire idea of ethical behavior. James stands on the pillars of holiness, justice and love. To act with a dual morality base would weaken the very foundation of what makes up James’ character and ethical thought (Hill, 16). 

In the end James’ ethical dilemma comes down to a question of his character. Justice, holiness and love as well as an ethic of care outweigh the cost and rules in this case. James knows that his decision could save some lives, add comfort to a friend in need and will shape his entire ethical life. James is also showing a positive example to his family and to his friend. If everyone could learn by this example there would be much less pain and suffering in the world. In the end, it is just a few days of food that is coming out of James’ mouth. James can take comfort in knowing that his good deeds and ethical reasoning will keep him fully nourished during this dark time.

References:
Hill, Alexander. Just Business. Second Edition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press., 2008
Velasquez, Manuel. Business Ethics Concepts and Cases. Sixth Edition. Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. 2006