What's Your Threat? What's the biggest threat to you and your family? Check out some amazing blogs and how they attack their biggest threats to being more prepared and more self-reliant!
I was very excited to opt-in with a bunch of my wonderful peers to write about “What's Your Threat?” and I have to say it took me a while to wrap my head around this. What really is my threat?
I feel this can vary a LOT based on your perspective! Fear can play a big role, negative media, naysayers, our economy and so much more, but I feel that as long as there is evil in this world there will be a threat of one kind or another not to mention the possibility of natural disasters.
My view on this subject may appear to be from behind the “Pink Shady Glasses”, but I also take my faith very strongly so I feel that if we have faith, trust and take it upon ourselves to prepare as much as we possibly can for all of our threats and as much as is humanly possible, that is all we can do and is the best preparation! Stay with me a while longer while I explain a bit further on this…
For those of you that are new to my page, my family and I have lived in the middle of the wilderness in Idaho, very traditionally off-grid for the last 4 years. We started this venture in a canvas wall tent to which we lived for 8 1/2 months from spring to winter while we built our home on raw untouched wilderness land. There was a foot of snow on the ground when we were able to move into our home. It was the absolute BEST time of my life. Why? Because it could not have been simpler and we depended on our skills and knowledge to achieve our daily projects.
All our belongings were in a storage unit while we lived in the tent, we each had a tote with a few articles of clothing and our necessities. The more I was in the tent the less I needed what was in the storage unit. Today, as each day goes by – I eliminate more and more of our belongings because they really aren't necessary.
I saw a quote yesterday that really seemed fitting of this post.
The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less. – Socrates
Now I know that quote says the secret to happiness, but I feel this is also the secret to survival and the two can go hand in hand. So I am going to make up my own quote…
The secret to survival, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to need less. – Tammy Trayer
Less of the things you don't need and more of the things that are important, including skills. Don't get me wrong, there are important things you will need to have and some in abundance, but the focus to me is learning to live simpler and to begin to practice this now. I also feel that in addition to living simpler, knowing traditional and primitive skills could save you in most natural and man-made disasters, if not all of them. We live this way day to day currently, using traditional and often times primitive skills on our homestead and each day learning new things and increasing both our knowledge and the necessities that we will need to have on hand.
Our vacations as a family is heading into the wilds with our packs on our backs, setting up camp and living off the land for 3 or more days. During this time we enjoy each other's company, fine tune our skills, learn new skills and thoroughly love our surroundings.
Here in Idaho, a big threat is forest fires. We have a plan in place in the event that a fire would be heading in our direction. Being prepared and having a plan is half the battle. If our plan were to fail and we were to lose everything, I know my family would be ok. It would be devastating, but we do not put a lot of value on personal physical possessions and we live currently with less.
Our move here was in an effort to be more prepared and in a good location and in doing so, this has provided us with a freedom that nearly eliminates the worry.
Let's talk about some of the things we do here on our homestead and the things we have put a lot of thought into.
Water
If anything were to ever happen to our well, we live close to water. Knowing how to filter and sterilize water is an important skill to which everyone should know. You can only go without water for 3 days.
Foraging, Raising, Growing and Harvesting
We currently forage, harvest, raise and grow all our own produce and meats. We feel it is an important skill to know how to identify plants in the wild, how to hunt and trap your own meats, how to raise your own animals, how to grow your own garden and save the seeds. When there is no longer food available to you, where will you turn?
Food and Alternative Methods of Food Storage
We hunt as a family and put up as much food as we possibly can each year. We butcher and process all our own meats. We utilize everything from the animal – lard, sinew for cordage, bone broth, heart, liver, bones for tools and arrows, brains and the hides. This past year we canned 113 quarts of venison for our canning shelves and had a moose in the freezer. We built a log smoke house to cure our meats in the event that we would no longer have a freezer accessible to us and also for the taste. Knowing alternative methods of preserving your food is important, from curing, dehydrating, canning, pickling and even storing some foods in a root cellar. In addition, we purchase all our food in bulk and we no longer eat any processed food. Everything we eat we make, including our condiments and therefore we purchase large bulk quantities of raw ingredients to which we continue to keep replenished and well stocked.
My survival pack includes heirloom seeds as does my food supply. If you have heirloom seeds you can grow food for yourself and save the seeds each year.
In addition to growing produce we also grow and forage our herbs for teas, tinctures and other medicinal purposes which we also incorporate with essential oils.
Useful Skills
As I mentioned above we utilize the hides from the animals we harvest by brain tanning them and making bags, shoes, clothing and varying other projects. We know how to make traditional and primitive tools for all purposes and the Mountain Man is a blacksmith which is a great skill to have in making all sorts of things that may be necessary for our survival. He currently makes our knives, tomohawks, gardening tools, etc. I make our soaps, personal hygiene products and cleaning products.
Shelters
As a family, we have made a traditional log smoke house and a traditional log guest house by hand. We are very versed on varying types of shelters and when we are out in the wilds for a day of fun we work on fine tuning these skills and are continuously learning how to build different types.
Important Survival Skills
Knowing how to build a fire using primitive, traditional and modern methods is very important. You never know what situations you may be in and how limited your supplies may be. Even here on our homestead we have essentials in our pockets and on our person that would get us by if for some reason something happened. Those items would include a lighter, paracord, knives, a handgun, extra shells, etc. Having just those simple items we could do a lot.
Preparedness
Preparedness for us is a lifestyle to which I would not trade for anything. Our lifestyle allows me to see the threats, but also feel comfortable with our preparation and removes the worry. I encourage you to get rid of the fear and worry and just embrace your dreams and being more prepared. If you are waiting for the perfect time or waiting until you have a certain amount of money, good chance that just won't happen. If you are new to this, you may be overwhelmed and not sure where to start. My suggestion is to start out slow. For example, take $5, $10, $20 a week (whatever you can afford) and start stocking up on bulk food items such as rice, dried beans and even canned goods to get you started. Look in the sales flyers each week to see where your money could best be spent.
Start looking in the thrift stores and antique shops for some of the equipment you may need. I found an antique hand crank meat slicer last week for $12.00 that is in perfect working order and will add to our butchering tools. Look for sales on items you are in need of, go to sales, auctions and look on craigslist.
If you need additional help, we are always an email away at survive@trayerwilderness.com or feel free to leave a comment below. We are always happy to help.
I am really glad that you joined me today here at Trayer Wilderness and my hope is that you have gotten something from the information that I have shared here.
On just a little side note, our son is high functioning autistic and has overcome 98% of his autism tendencies with our lifestyle. I share this because we love to share our success stories with those that may be in need. We homeschool and have helped our son with a 100% gluten free and casein free diet for the last 10 years as well as natural remedies such as essential oils, herbs and supplements. If this may apply to you, feel free to reach out to us. We would love to be able to help you in any way that we can.
Feel free to subscribe to our newsletter in the sidebar and if I might ask you a question or two before you leave…
What is holding you back? What is your biggest struggle or fear? Is there something you might be seeking help or more knowledge on?
If you have an answer to any of those questions, please either emails me personally or leave me a comment below. I would really love to hear from you!
Thank you again for joining me! Be sure to visit the other bloggers below for additional information!
God Bless you and yours!
Tammy Trayer ♥ †
Push Past the Fear and Just Do It!! – Mom with a PREP
Living in Tornado Alley – The Busy B Homemaker
{Forest Fire Safety} – Mama Kautz
Why You Need Food Storage – Food Storage Moms
Break in the Supply Chain – Homestead Dreamer
Economic Downturn – Apartment Prepper
Medical Emergencies at Home – Preparedness Mama
Surviving a Tornado – Survival at Home
Rising Food Prices – Common Sense Homesteading
Economic Collapse – Timber Creek Farms
A Personal Job Loss Situation – Food Storage Made Easy
7 Tips for Keeping Your Family Together in an Emergency – Food Storage & Survival
Massive Blackout– Trailerpark Homestead
How to Overcome a Lack of Motivation to Prepare – Home Ready Home
The Unexpected – Are We Crazy, Or What?
Our Threats Are Many, But Our Worries Are None – Trayer Wilderness
Food Storage Without a Plan – My Food Storage Cookbook
Hurricanes and Nor'Easters – Backyard Pioneer
Hurricanes (What I Wish I Knew Before it Hit!) – Prepared-Housewives
A Financial Disaster – The Surival Mom
Love your quote, Tammy! “The secret to survival, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to need less.” – Tammy Trayer I agree whole-heartedly with not only the quote but your advice in this article.
Lovely article, thanks for sharing this one.