What is compost?

Garden guides often describe composting as natures way of recycling. Composting is indeed a natural way of recycling, harnessing natural processes rather than machinery and man-made chemicals, but it takes people to do it.

Soil maintenance is at the heart of organic growing: don’t feed the plants, feed the soil — the plants will look after themselves. The extremely complex subject of soil maintenance can happily be summed up in one word: composting.

A smelly hole at the far end of the garden filled with putrefying kitchen wastes and flies buzzing round. That’s what compost isn’t. No stinks, no flies, though kitchen waste is welcome.

Compost is not just decayed organic matter. Composting is applied microbiology at its most complex, involving the interactions of thousands upon thousands of different species of micro organisms in a highly complex ecosystem.

What can I compost?

If it can rot it will compost, but some items are best avoided. Some things, like grass clippings and soft young weeds, rot quickly. They work as activators or hotter rotters, getting the composting started, but on their own will decay to a smelly mess. Recycle your plant-based, kitchen and garden waste by making it into compost.

Older and tougher plant material is slower to rot but gives body to the finished compost – and usually makes up the bulk of a compost heap. Woody items decay very slowly; they are best chopped or shredded first, where appropriate.

A container or brown bin is not an absolute necessity as you can make perfectly good compost in a free standing heap as long as it is large enough. You will see later why this may be a drawback. Assuming then that we need to make a container we are faced with many choices.

Why not make or buy a compost bin? They’re usually cheap to buy, and are available in wood or recycled plastic (that might otherwise be in your local landfill site). If you’re keen you could combine it with a wormery or use a shredder which increases the amount of compostable waste. Do not compost foods such as dairy produce, meat, bread etc as these attract flies and vermin.

How do I know when its done?

That depends. What was a pile of plant material will gradually, from the bottom up, turn into a pile of dark stuff that looks like brown dirt. Eventually, none of the items you put in there will be recognizable. If you’re using it out in the garden, a few small recognizable bits won’t hurt – they’ll finish composting in the garden. If you’re using it for houseplants or to start seeds, its better to wait until its well finished so you don’t have microbes attacking the fine rootlets of new plants.

Dig it in to have a healthy, fertile garden and your fruit and vegetables can be organic. Don’t assume the waste is harmless and bin it. Putting it in landfill costs money and it will produce methane gas; it may also possibly pollute the groundwater.

Compost waste often comprises about 20-30% of your total household waste and the impact on recycling is significant.

If you’re interested in the best available options for quick and easy compost creation, check out these composters.

Do you have a composter of your own design? Please let us know about it and how it has worked for you.

When I first began learning survival strategies in the early 90’s, it was for recreational use in the event I was stuck in the woods on a hunting trip. As a result, the few books I had were focused on the basics; building shelter, staying warm, finding your way out the woods, etc… Basic as my skills were, I’ve had to implement them on more than one occasion.

Now almost two decades later, I’m no longer studying survival tactics for finding my way out of the woods; I’m looking at possible long-term survival scenarios. As a result the basic survival books of the past are not comprehensive enough in their scope for long-term survival. Other types of books must be studied to make a modern survivalist. Below is a list of subjects, with a brief description, that any serious survivalist should become acquainted with.

Edible and Medicinal Plants

One of the greatest assets available to modern survivalists is the growing list of books and articles written about edible and medicinal plants in your local ecosystem. When my wife and I began collecting books on this subject, I was astonished at not only the variety but also the availability of dozens of healthy plants and fruits within our area. Now on our trips to the woods, we now have fun with our children seeking out new sources of food that were previously unknown to us. Should we ever be forced to survive in the woods, whether short or long term, I am confident we would have a well balanced diet available.

Local Wildlife and Their Habits

Everybody takes for granted that virtually every wild place in America has the same basic host of animals; deer, rabbits, squirrels, coyote and a variety of birds. Despite this rudimentary knowledge, few people take the time to better understand the habits or diet of these animals. Aside from this, some areas of this country have poisonous and or dangerous animals that can pose a serious threat to the your survival strategies. Therefore, I highly recommend finding books that will acquaint you with the variety of animals and their habits in your local area.

An example I give my children is this. If you were limited on your supply of ammo and trying to eke it out in the woods, what would you do in a show down with a large predator, such as a cougar? Instead of wasting precious ammo, it would pay to know how to thwart the predator from attacking and scare it away for good.

Hunting and Fishing Skills

Coupled with learning about the animals within your local area, is the idea of how to capture or kill any of these animals for food. By this I don’t mean just sitting in a tree and waiting for a deer to pass by. A well rounded hunting or fishing book, should teach you the essentials of trapping small animals, making fish traps, spear fishing, taking large animals and last but not least how to properly prepare a meal in the field.

Stories About Mountain Men of the Past

Many would be surprised to learn that mountain men of the past lived primarily on small animals, from squirrel to the occasional weasel. They realized that having to much meat can go to waste, and draw unwanted scavengers to their campsite. Aside from this, the toughness of these men of lore gave root to many a tall tale. I’ve admired many of these old timers having to survive on limited food, cold coffee, often in the least favorable weather conditions imaginable.

Food and Seed Storage

One of the subjects I’ve recently begin researching is storage for food and seed. Within this arena is the idea of dry food bunkers, root cellars, keeping your seeds dry and keeping animals out of your food. While this subject requires more resources than many survivalists may have access to in times of emergency, pre-planned preparation is the rule of thumb for this subject.

Homesteading

The idea of homesteading almost died soon after people began leaving the farm last century. However, homesteading began increasing in popularity in the 70’s, with it slowly building steam until now it is a popular subject again, as more and more people desire to leave the confines of the city and live a rural agrarian lifestyle. In the event of long-term survival scenarios, the information gleaned from the many wonderful resources on this subject is invaluable. Most of the popular books have information about various cabin building techniques, electricity production, drilling water wells, gardening, animal husbandry, making clothes and a plethora of other homesteading subjects.

Health and Well Being

While this subject alone is one of the most complex to wrestle, it is essential for survivalists in mid to long-term situations. Occasionally this subject is tackled in the books about wild food gathering, but often time’s additional resources are necessary. A sampling of topics that should be considered is; daily nutritional needs, how to ward off illness, how to treat sickness, how to treat wounds and what foods are highest in vitamins.

While there are undoubtedly more topics that could be added to any survivalist’s library, this list is a good start. The next question is where to find such resources? I have purchased some books online or at bookstores brand new. However much of my library has been found at garage sales, library book sales, used book stores and thrift stores. It is a joyful experience to find a handful of great survival resources for only a few dollars.

My suggestion is to start of simple, get only a few basic books pertaining to each of these subjects, then from there dive in deeper with more complex resources as time and finances permit. Your time in educating yourself in these subjects will not be in vain; you’ll be surprised at how often you will find yourself applying what you’ve learned to your life.

By Justin Cottrell

SUNSET – We first featured our backyard adobe oven in our August 1971 issue. It’s modeled after mud-brick ovens used around the world, from the Southwest to Mexico, Italy, and France.

Building it takes about two days of grubby work; it speeds up building to have two or three people making the thick-walled adobe shell, the mass of which stores the heat of the fire. The reward: wonderfully rustic pizzas, roasts, vegetables, and crusty loaves of bread from your own backyard.

Materials and Tools

You’ll find most of the materials you need at a home center or building supply yard, except for the cardboard barrel, often used by movers. (You cut it in half lengthwise and use it to form the oven’s curving top.) Look in the yellow pages under Barrels & Drums for a local source.

• 14 concrete building blocks (8 by 8 by 16)
• 14 concrete cap blocks (8 by 2 by 16)
• 68 firebricks (2 ½ by 4 ½ by 9)
• One 28- to 30-gallon cardboard barrel
• One empty 1-quart can
• 6-foot square of 6-inch wire mesh (used to reinforce concrete driveways)
• 10 feet of 30-inch-wide chicken wire
• 4 feet of rough-sawed redwood 2-by-4
• 2 feet of redwood 1-by-3
• 16 1 ½-inch deck screws
• 3 feet of 6-inch-wide aluminum flashing
• Eight large wheelbarrow loads of adobe soil (heavy clay garden soil)
• Three bags Portland cement
• 1-foot square of ¼-inch galvanized wire mesh
• Exterior latex paint
• Optional: 24 precast 1- by 2-foot concrete steppingstones

You’ll also need a tape measure, hacksaw, pencil, circular saw with masonry bit, wire cutters, saber saw, drill, screwdriver, large wheelbarrow, hoe, shovel, sturdy rubber gloves, sponge, small piece of scrap lumber or plywood, old towels, and plastic tarp.

View  step-by-step building instructions »

Adobe oven heating guide »

If you have the property and the means to begin a vegetable garden and an orchard, I strongly suggest preparing for this today. There are plenty of resources and gardening communities available online to help you get started. From photo groups on flickr, to gardening forums.

If you do not have land, the most you could do is store the ingredients for a crop now, should you need to Get Out Of Dodge and hunker down. The Survival Seedbank offers a variety of heirloom seeds that cover an acre. While supplies last, they’re going for around $145 a seedbank.

“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.”
- Ben Franklin

If you’re a country music fan, you’ve probably heard ol’ Bocephus singing A Country Boy Can Survive. It’s a great classic song that rings true with many Americans who were fortunate to grow up in an area that taught self-reliance.

I will post more about collecting silver as I learn. If anyone has any expertise in this area please add your wisdom. I know that buying silver can be a little tricky as the price of silver is usually more than what the market worth per ounce is.

I know that if you are survival enthusiast you have seen the list of 100 Items that would disappear in a TEOTWAWKI situation on other sites. If this is your first time seeing this list then great! What I want to stress is that if there is ever an event that results in a “Jericho” type of situation, paper money will be useless. Gold and silver may even become worthless. Your best bet is to stock up on these items and use them to barter. Find a hidden, safe, dry place to stash your surplus. Remember, during a economic collapse on a national scale, there is going to be a sudden surge of crime. Anarchy could be the law of the land… at least until the baby blue helmets of NATO arrive to take away our guns. People will turn to crime in order to survive. Look at what happened in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Multiply the chaos 1000 fold. I’ll let that sink in a bit… now go start your stash.

100 Items to Disappear First in a National Disaster

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy.target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 – 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice – Beans – Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY – note – food grade if for drinking.
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk – Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes.buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {“Strike Anywhere” preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, “No. 76 Dietz” Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting – if with wheels)
49. Men’s Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles.Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. “Survival-in-a-Can“
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress’s
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors/BEER! (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens
Big Stick’s 101. LOTS OF BIBLES!
Buffalokill’s 102. Swedish Firesteel

Welcome to Survival Digest! If you take a look at both definitions of the the two terms, SURVIVAL and DIGEST, you will understand exactly what we are about here. We are fathers, husbands, brothers, and uncles who care about our loved ones enough to understand that SURVIVAL training and preparation is key. Whether its just a simple power outage, a natural disaster, or full on economic collapse, we want to be prepared to keep our families safe and alive.

Here at Survival Digest you will find organized resources, commentary, and instruction on surviving the most volatile senario. May God bless you and keep you safe!