Practice Like It's Real

 A phrase heard often during sports training is, "You play like you practice."  The idea being, the level of commitment you put into your training will be reflected during the real game.  If you only do your drills half-assed, you'll play the actual game the same way.  Generally, that means you'll end up on the losing end.

The same can be said for most things.  Actors have rehearsals.  Novelists write drafts.  Boxers have sparring matches.

For some reason, when it comes to self-defense practice - especially with lethal weapons - we somehow feel we're at the "top of our game" by simply going to the range and firing a box of rounds at a stationary target from a steady benchrest position.

The chances of having to use a gun AND being able to calmly line up your sights are virtually non-existent.  Come "game time," you will be lucky to get a decent sight-picture, let alone having a stationary target.
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Finding a facility where you can do some realistic training can be a challenge - particularly here in California.  Unless you're a member of a club that has an IDPA or IPSC training facility, you're generally restricted to firing at a stationary target while standing in your own "shooting point" at the range.

Make the most of what you have to work with.  These are some of the routines we teach in our Advanced Pistol classes:

1.  Don't make hitting a perfect bulls-eye your objective.  Shoot at a 6 or 8 inch target, and consider any hits on the target as a success.  Your objective is to put all of your rounds on target in as short of a period of time as is possible.

2.  Use ranges that have targets you can set at different distances.  This generally means you need to use indoor ranges.  Set your targets starting at 5 yards.  Once you can put 10 consecutive rounds on target, move the target out 3 yards.  Repeat.

3.  Start from the "high compact" position - the gun is held near the front of your chest with the muzzle pointed down range.  Extend your arm(s) towards the target at eye level and fire once you have a sight picture.  Practice this until you can fire your gun as soon as your arms are fully extended.

4.  Practice this strong side and weak side, both two-handed and one-handed.

I'll share some other techniques in later posts.
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One way to add some of the adrenaline-rush of a "live fire" situation is to play paintball.  I particularly like type where you are out in the woods (as opposed to the more rigid X-ball style).  You learn all about concealment and paying attention to your surroundings so you know when it's safe to shoot.

You shoot and are shot at without lethal consequences.  As long as you don't get into the "spray and pray" style of play, you can pick up some very practical self-defense skills.

Using air-soft guns at home in your garage or backyard is a wonderful way to improve your point-and-shoot skills.  While you cannot accurately duplicated multiple-shot drills (since you're not getting the recoil from an air-soft gun), you can significantly improve your first shot accuracy.  And you can do it very inexpensively.

Accept The Challenge

There is nothing more important than protecting your life, or the life of a loved one.  Don't give yourself a false sense of security by telling yourself that by shooting a box of cartridges at a target every 6 months means you a proficient with your handgun.

Every owner of a handgun should practice with it at least once each month.  Make the most of your practice time by developing skills you will most likely use if the need for self-defense ever arises.

Practice Like It's Real.
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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Long-Term Storage Options

I store a lot of dry goods in our home emergency preps stores.  Rice, beans, pasta, sugar, spices and the like.  And a LOT of grains - mostly wheat and corn.

Generally speaking, I purchase my grains at a feed store that's about an hour away from where I live.  I can get a 50 pound sack of either grain for around $15.

Before a friend brought this store to my attention, I used to buy from Walton Grains in Idaho.  While their price-per-pound was good, the shipping was a killer.  For instance, I just checked their site, and a 50 lb double-plastic bag of Red Winter Wheat is $12.05.  The shipping to my home is an ADDITIONAL $24.63, for a total of over $36 a bag.

I can get two sacks for that price including the $6 for round-trip gas.

That's not a dig on Walton.  It's just a fact of life. 
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I do my long-term storage a bit differently from other folks, I believe.  I take my 50lb sacks and break them down into 2- or 3-pound portions. 

I just sealed up a 50 lb sack of dent (or field) corn in 3-pound batches.

I vacuum seal the grains, mark down what they are, how much they weigh and the date I sealed them up.

 I used to add an oxygen absorber to the packs but have since discontinued the practice.  Obviously, the reason you add the absorbers is to remove oxygen from the packs.  That's what the vacuum sealer does!  Even if there happens to be a bug or eggs in with the grain (as is VERY likely), they will die very shortly from the lack of oxygen.

I've been asked why I break down my grains into smaller portions - why not just pour them into mylar bags in plastic buckets?

I have a few reasons:

1.  Portability - if I need or want to have my grains in multiple locations (as I do), I can more easily store 3-pound bags than 50-pound buckets.

2.  Barter - If things ever get truly ugly, I have my stores conveniently broken down into managable sizes.  I don't need to haul out a big old bucket each time I want to trade some grains for something else.  I also don't have to bring everything with me, and worry about getting hit over the head and all of my stuff being taken.

3.  Charity - at any time, I can easily give a neighbor or our church a few pounds of grain, beans, sugar - whatever - in convenient packages.  If it is dire times, I don't have to show or disclose the amount of food we have, while still being able to help someone out.  And again, I don't have to open up and break the seal on a larger bucket.

4.  Less spoilage - I only need to open up what I'm going to use in the short term.  I don't need to worry about a whole bucket getting kicked over or contaminated if someone accidentally drops something into an open bucket.

The downside of doing this is it takes up more space.  After I seal up the bags, I put the bags into a plastic bucket - this gives me some additional protection against rodents and insects getting at our stores.  But instead of a bucket being able to hold 45-50 pounds of grains, they can only hold about 30-36 pounds.

You also need to be careful with what you put in the bags.  Pasta, for instance, seems to always have some sharp edge that pierces the bag, rendering the vacuum seal useless.  You have to be careful not to over-stack the bags or have them packed with other pointy objects.

I think the benefits outweigh the negative side, but you need to make up your own decision on this.

Accept The Challenge

As I understand it, the Mormon Church (awesome preppers, BTW) recommend you store enough to eat 25 pounds of grain per person, per month.  That includes whole grain wheat, flour, rice, corn meal, oats and pasta.  They also recommend another 5 pounds of beans per person, per month.  That all sounds about right.

How much have YOU got stored away?  A couple of years?  A few months?  Two weeks?  Anything?

It is never too late to start.  If cash is tight, pick up a little bit each time you go to the store, and squirrel it away.

Don't be left unprepared.  Take responsibility.
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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Knotty Problems

We use knots virtually every day.  We tie our shoes.  We tie a necktie.  We tie an apron.  We tie one on (oh wait, that's different!).

There are a handful of "specialty" knots, that, if you can perfect them, can make things better around the house or the yard, plus have the added benefit of having developed a survival or emergency skill.

These knots are my choices for the very MINIMUM everyone should know how to tie.  They are all very easy to do, and they are all very easy to practice, practice, practice.

Oh, and this is MY list.  I'm sure someone may come along and say, "Well, you should have included XYZ knot."  I'd say that there is no way to ever come up with a definitive list.  It's like when you have discussions about what is the best shotgun, handgun, or 4-wheel drive.  Everyone's got their own choices.

Obviously, if you have some specialized hobby or job, your list will be different.  For instance, I fly fish.  So, in addition to the Trilene knot and surgeon's loop I'm including on my list, I'm very good with a blood knot, nail knot and many others.

This list is for general purpose, regular human being needs!

BTW, the absolutely, positively BEST place to learn how to tie knots is AnimatedKnots.com.  You pick the knot you need, and they have very clear and accurate animations on how to tie the knot.  It is an invaluable asset to have in your preparedness arsenal.

The List:

Square knot - your basic, everyday knot for tying two pieces of similar sized rope together.  It's not an overly secure knot, but it gets the job done in most instances.  For a knot that does the same thing, but is virtually "bullet proof" for holding together, consider learning the Double Fisherman.

Bowline - makes a very secure loop at the end of a rope.  This can be used for snares by running the other end of the rope through the loop to make a noose, or in conjunction with other knots, such as the Truckers Hitch for securing loads.  The knot won't slip as long as it has tension on it, but can be undone easily once the tension is released.

Trucker's Hitch - is an incredibly versatile knot.  It is used to secure loads, generally in the back of a truck.  It allows you to tie everything down, then tighten up the line to make sure it is secure.  If you're taking a load of garbage or yard waste to the dumps, the Trucker's Hitch is what keep the load secured in the back of your truck bed.  It is also used for stringing a line between two points.  For instance, if you have two trees or stakes in the ground, you can make a bowline loop at one end of the rope, run the line through the loop and around the first tree, then use the Trucker's Loop on the other tree and tighten the line between them.  Hang laundry or use it for the top ridge of a tarp tent.

Trilene knot - is used for attaching a fishing line to a hook or swivel.  It is the very basic and most important knot for a fisherman.  If your hook doesn't stay attached to the line, you're goin' hungry!

Surgeon's Loop - another very versatile knot.  I use it to make loops in fishing line to hold hooks and swivels, and to place loops in the middle of a multi-hook line, such as a Trot Line.  I also use it for the middle loop in the Trucker's Loop.  Like the Bowline knot, it can also be used for making a noose for snares, and is much easier to tie.

Accept The Challenge

Learn these knots and any other knots you feel you may need because of your hobbies, interests or situations in which you may find yourself.  Practice these knots at least once each month.  I set a reminder in my computer calendar to "Practice Knots".  I spend an hour tying stuff up (my dogs really hate me around this time) and keeping my skills sharp.

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Emergency Communications

In the middle of any kind of emergency or disaster, keeping in touch with "the outside world"  - anything outside of your home - can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Most people have some sort of battery-powered radio in their homes.  People who are a bit more forward thinking have radios that have a hand-cranked dynamo so that they're not dependent upon batteries.  These are all good things to have.

But what if the emergency is simply in the development stages?  Something like a riot or a train car derailment.  You still have power and all normal utilities coming into your home.

The first place most people will go is usually their television set.  While beneficial, you need to understand that the content is edited and not always timely.  You can go directly to the source via police and fire scanners.

If you don't want to spend the money on a scanner, you can (most likely) get a live feed via the Internet at RadioReference.com.  Very cool.

Go to the site and click the Live Audio link.  Click your state and see if there is a feed in your area.  For instance, I am able to get a link to my sheriff's dispatch and another for the local police and fire.

We had a huge fire in our area a few months ago, and the TV information was virtually useless.  It was clear from observing the smoke plume that the fire was moving towards my house, but there was no information available about the exact location of the fire or if it was under control.

The TV helicopters just kept showing the massive flames but didn't provide much information.  Having this scanner information would have been fantastic for knowing the real status.
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Since this is Internet based, you are not restricted to your locality.  If something is brewing somewhere else in the country, you can simply select the state and location where something might be happening.
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It's a bit addictive, and a little disturbing.  These broadcasts are the actual discussions going on between the officers and the dispatchers.  Drivers licenses and names are broadcast, for instance, when someone is pulled over by a police officer.

They were obviously talking in Radio Code, and I had no idea what they were talking about.  I found this site that gives you all of the codes that are used between the officers and the dispatchers.

Accept the Challenge

Knowing what's "coming your way" can save your life.  Consider a portable scanner for your vehicle in the event you need to relocate - bug out - on short notice.

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

What's It Gonna Take?

When are people going to wake up and realize that they ALONE are responsible for their own personal safety?  More importantly, when are people going to demand of their elected officials that the legal restraints on law abiding citizens arming themselves be removed?

We've had two horrific shooting incidents in the last two days that have gotten national exposure - the shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, and the still-unfolding incident in Tampa, Florida.  Since the specifics of the Tampa incident are not yet published, I'll focus on the Fort Hood murders.

When I heard that in excess of a dozen soldiers had been killed and 30+ had been wounded - on an Army base  - I first assumed that the killer had walked in with a fully-automatic rifle and just sprayed the place down.  It later came to light that this crime was perpetrated by a single individual with two, semi-automatic handguns.  WTF?

How could this be possible on, of all places, an Army base?

It seems as though most military posts are "gun free zones" for the most part.  Aside from guards and sentries, no one was armed.  Having never been in the military, this surprised the hell out of me.  Most of the weapons on base are in locked armories.

The murderer, being a Major in the Army, knew this.  He took advantage of this when he entered buildings that had upwards of 400 soldiers present.  Honestly, it's amazing more weren't killed.  This dog was finally stopped by a civilian police officer who was called and arrived 10 minutes after the shooting started.
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How many fewer soldiers would be dead if they had all been armed?  How many fewer students at Virgina Tech would be dead if someone were armed?  Pick your "favorite" mass shooting and ask the same question.

Gun control advocates will NEVER address that question.  Somehow, in their warped brains, taking defensive weapons out of the hands of law abiding citizens will make them safer.  It seems - time and time again - as though the bad guys never get the memo that they're not supposed to be armed, and they instead target all of these gun-free zones.

Funny how that works out, huh?
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Here in the state of California, we have a "May Issue" law for concealed carry.  The state has left it to the whim of the local sheriff to determine who is worthy of a permit.

In most cases, unless you're somehow politically connected, you're SOL.  Someone like fellow Californian and anti-gunner Senator Diane Feinstein is apparently worthy -

"Less than twenty years ago I was the target of a terrorist group. It was the New World Liberation Front. They blew up power stations and put a bomb at my home when my husband was dying of cancer. And the bomb didn't detonate. [...] I was very lucky. But, I thought of what might have happened. Later the same group shot out all the windows of my home. [...] And, I know the sense of helplessness that people feel. I know the urge to arm yourself because that's what I did. I was trained in firearms. I'd walk to the hospital when my husband was sick. I carried a concealed weapon. I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out, I was going to take them with me."

So, her life is worth protecting, but yours and mine are not.

A few years back, I obtained a Utah non-resident Concealed Carry Permit.  Every time I've ventured out of California and had a gun with me, I have somehow restrained my "inner beast" from going on a shooting rampage.  It's amazing, but true!

All kidding aside, that's the case across the nation.  If you're in the mood for some statistics, go to Gun Facts and read all about it.  States with "Shall Issue" laws are significantly safer than those with more restrictive laws.
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The sheriff in my county is not running for re-election.  There are two candidates up for the position.  I've sent both of them letters requesting their position on CCW laws and our recently passed AB962, which will now require all ammo buyers to be fingerprinted with each purchase, and prevent Californians from buying ammo online.

I've promised to share their positions with my 1,400 member gun club.  We all vote.

You may have noticed the Life and Liberty Insurance link over on the sidebar.  I think I'll buy each of them one of the 2010 calendars and circle Election Day...
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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Long-Term Food Preservation - Jerky

I've been trying different kinds of food preservation. I've been focusing on techniques that result in foods that don't need to be refrigerated after they've been prepared.

I started with canning. Jackie Clay at Backwoods Home Magazine was my inspiration with her Full Meal canning. Instead of doing a jar of peaches, you do beef stew. It's fast food, you know what's in it, and it keeps for years and years.

I've done the aforementioned beef stew, salsa verde (pork in green chile sauce - sucked!), clam chowder, BBQ pulled pork, and tons of chili con carne. You pop a lid, 1 minute in the microwave, and you have a great meal. It works well with college students in the house.

I have also canned beef - both chunks and hamburger (the burger is better, IMO) - pork stock, veggie stock and simply awesome strawberry jam.

The problem with canning - glass jarring, really - is three-fold: It takes a lot of fuel to produce, you need some specialized equipment (pressure canner, jars, lids, etc) and the product isn't very portable. You can't realistically fill your backpack up with a week's worth of canned soup, for instance.

Drying foods seemed like it might be a solution. It would address at least 1 of those three problems. Portability would be greatly enhanced. And, depending upon the technique used, the other two problems - fuel consumption and specialized equipment - could be eliminated or lessened.

I've made jerky for the past couple of years. I've always taken some sort of low-fat chunk of meat - like London broil - sliced it, marinated it, then put it in the dehydrator.

The product has been very well received. It is usually all eaten in a couple of days. Because of the process used, it also has very good storage longevity as well.

I made a batch for a fishing trip this past June. I had a package I had forgotten in some bags I was going through this past weekend. I cut it open, and it was just as good as the day I made it.

I decided to try making jerky from ground meat. I had a couple of un-cooked pieces of pork and beef left over from two other meals. I cut it up into chunks in preparation for grinding.

I broke out my Family Grain Mill and attached the meat grinding attachment. I put the meat through it once, and it was still too coarse. I ran it through again, and it was the perfect consistency. Very smooth and both meats were fully incorporated in the bowl.

I decided to break it into two different piles to try two recipes I got off the Internet.

Both recipes had directions for drying the meat. They suggested taking a ball of the meat, and using a rolling pin to produce a thin slab of meat. Instead, I used this jerky-making gun that I picked up at Wally World for $5. You fill the tube with the mix, and it squirts out perfect strips, right on to the dehydrator trays.

My dehydrator has 6 trays. I was able to get about 3 pounds of meat mix into the whole thing. After one hour, you need to open up the dehydrator, flip each strip of meat, and dab them with a paper towel to sop up some of the oil that seeps from the meat. This is not something I've had to do with the whole-meat version.

The strips dry for another 4 hours (5 hours total), and you end up with a bunch of perfectly formed strips.

I weighed the jerky afterwords, and it had reduced in weight by two-thirds - my 3 lbs of meat mix was now 1 lb of jerky.

One batch was a "standard" mix. I'm not too crazy about it. To me, it tastes like dried meat loaf! I think it was the Worcestershire sauce in the mix. The teriyaki/hot sauce batch was excellent.

It is supposed to last for up to 2 months in a zip lock bag. I'd expect it to last longer if I put it into a vacuum bag like I did with the whole-meat jerky I mentioned earlier.

Accept The Challenge

Aside from saving you tons of money, preserving your own foods gives you a skill that can be used if a true disaster or emergency ever hits.  Protein, in particular, degrades very quickly without some sort of preservative addition or process.  Teach yourself how to can (jar), dehydrate, smoke, pickle and cure.  Preserve your bounty.
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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Choosing The Correct Self-Defense Tool

From our September 24, 2009 Newsletter - 


Before we get into the "what", let's think about the "why".

Why do you need a self-defense tool?

I think of them as insurance. We buy homeowner or renter insurance as protection. We don't expect our place to burn to the ground, but we know it's a possibility, so we protect ourselves financially by buying insurance.

The same goes for selecting and training with a self-defense tool. We don't expect to need it, but have it available should the need arise.

How often might we need this?

Here are some sobering 2008 FBI crime statistics (click here to get more detail):

A property crime is committed every 3.2 seconds.
A violent crime is committed every 22.8 seconds.In particular there is:
... an aggravated assault every 37.8 seconds.
... a rape every 5.9 minutes.
... a murder every 32.3 minutes

OK - we've recognized the need to get ourselves some "insurance". How do we select the right tool? We have 5 things we want to consider: Situation/location, Your physical limitations, Distance from the attacker, Legal considerations and Price.

Anticipated situation/location. Where do you think problems might arise? In your home? While walking your dog? While jogging in the park? While walking down the street? While at work - such as being a real estate agent, a bartender, a store clerk or deliveryperson?

Physical limitations. Do you have full use of your body? Are you restricted to a wheelchair or use a cane? Do you have adequate hand strength to pull a trigger or depress a spray plunger? Do you have long fingernails, large hands or fingers that may interfere with properly using your chosen tool? Are you on oxygen or have lung problems that might be complicated by using a defensive spray?

Distance from attacker. In your anticipated situations, how far away will you likely be once you recognize your threat? With many defensive tools, their effectiveness has limitations based upon the distance between you and the assailant.

Legal considerations. With few exceptions, any non-felon has the ability to own most self-defense tools. Still, there are limitations on where you can possess thems. For instance, if you determine that a handgun is your best choice, most Californians are limited to possessing them only in their homes or permanent places of business. Defensive sprays and stunning devices have certain limitations as well (though much less restrictive). For these reasons, most people will have multiple defensive tools at their disposal - one for the home, and one for when they are in public or traveling.

Price. This should be the least important consideration. As with most things, try and get recommendations from friends and trusted associates about where to get the best value for your money. While you don't want to overpay, you don't want to sacrafice quality for a few dollars.

And of course, get trained on how to use whatever tool you decide to purchase! Knowing how to properly use your defensive tool is half the battle.

Accept The Challenge

The key to maintaining your safety is to always have your defensive tool close at hand and ready to be used. A pepper spray or stun gun left in the car will not do you any good if you are attacked while jogging in the park. You must have your defensive tool within immediate reach at all times.

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Adding the "Comfort" To Comfort Foods

A good deal of emergency prep foods leave a lot to be desired. While they meet their goal of providing for our basic nutritional needs in a disaster, they can sometimes be a bit difficult to enjoy.

This is most easily remedied by ensuring an adequate amount of spices and dried herbs are also stored. The obvious salt, pepper and sugar should be augmented with things like oregano, chile powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, dried mustard, dehydrated onions and garlic (both chopped and powder forms), thyme, fennel seed and sage. All of these can be purchased very affordably from the bulk foods section of most grocery stores and either vacuum sealed or placed in food grade containers.

For short-term emergencies, these will be adequate. But, if a disaster situation persists, being able to prepare meals with a bit more "comfort" will go a long way in helping your and your family.

Sauces and gravies to the rescue!

For some reason, sauces and gravies have an aura of mystery to them. We've become so conditioned to buying our sauces in a jar that the skill of making them has all but disappeared. The one exception to this rule seems to be tomato sauce. It seems that everyone has a recipe for that!

But you can only take so much food smothered in tomatoes before you start getting the itch for something different. Here are two very basic recipes that can be tweeked dozens of way to keep a bit of variety in your life.

Basic Gravy

2 Tablespoons fat or oil
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup liquid
1 teaspoon bullion

Makes one cup of gravy

In a sauce pan, heat the oil, adding the flour slowly while stirring. You want to cook the flour enough to lose the "raw flour" taste. You are making what is called a roux ("rooo"). This is what ultimately gives the gravy its thickness.

The longer you cook the roux, the more flavorful will be the gravy. If you're making gravy for beef or pork, this is a good thing. It might not be appropriate for a light gravy meant to be used with chicken or fish.

Once you have the roux ready, add the liquid fairly rapidly while stirring. It may clump a bit while you're adding the liquid - don't worry. Keep adding the liquid and keep stirring. Add the bullion if the liquid you added has no distinct flavor or salt - like water or milk.

You want to bring the mix to a boil. You'll notice that it is now nice and thick. If you want it thicker, cook a little longer. Add more liquid for a thinner gravy. Also, as the gravy cools, it will also thicken a bit, so your final product should be a bit thinner than you want the final product to be.

That's it! Use milk for a cream gravy. Add cooked sausage for sausage gravy. Add the drippings from your roasted pork, chicken, beef or turkey. Separate the fat from the liquid and use both of them in your gravy. Add whatever spices you have to match the meal. Use fish stock for a sauce for baked fish.  Sauteed mushrooms. Chopped onions or garlic.  Add some grated cheese for a cheese sauce.  Use what you've got.

If you double or triple the liquid but use the same amount of fat and flour, you can make your sauce into a creamed soup!  It allows you to stretch your fresh veggies and meat while still giving everyone enough to eat.

Mayonnaise

Mayo? Are you nuts?! That's only available in nice little blue and white jars!

You can very easily make the BEST mayo you've ever eaten.

I find that when I home-can meat, regardless of the technique I use (hot or cold pack), the resulting meat is very dry. Even though it's sitting in its own juices, the fats and moisture have been cooked out of the meat itself, resulting in a dry, canned tuna-like texture.

If the flaked meat is added to stews, barley or rice dishes, it can be quite good. Or you can smother it in gravy.  But in almost any other form, it is just too dry to enjoy. Ya gotta have mayo!

1 whole egg
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt (add more to taste if necessary)

Makes one cup

Get out the blender you use to make your Margaritas. Put in all of the ingredients except for the oil. Turn the blender on medium-low. Slowly drizzle the oil into the blender. After a very short while, the mix will start to come together (emulsify). I find that after adding about 3/4 of the oil, the mayo becomes too thick to continue sucking down the oil. Turn off the blender, stir everything up with a spoon, turn the blender back on and add a bit more oil. Repeat as necessary.

You can make this without the blender, but it's much more difficult.  You will need a whisk and most likely, another person.  You have to continually whip the mixture.  The "burn" in your arms will hit very soon, so you want to have one person drizzle the oil, and one to whip.  Swap jobs when needed.

Oh, and I've made this with freeze-dried eggs.  If someone has issues with eating raw eggs, this might be the way they want to go.

I like this best with a very light vegetable oil, but you can use olive oil (the BEST long-term storage option for your preps) or any other type. Just understand that those oils will impart their own flavors, so you won't end up with your standard, generic mayo.

Mayo goes in EVERYTHING. When you're finished, you can add a shot or two of ketchup, a pinch of sugar and a teaspoon of relish, and you have Thousand Island salad dressing.

Add some fresh herbs and you have a smooth herb sauce to use on fresh or steamed vegetables.

Accept The Challenge

Practice making gravy and mayo NOW.  You don't want to be in the middle of a long-term emergency while developing the skills to make them.  Practice while you have the opportunity to make mistakes and find out which of your creations your family likes the best.  In addition to being much less expensive than store-bought foods, your family will appreciate the flavors and freshness that comes with cooking from scratch.

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Defense Of Your Home

From our September 19, 2009 Newsletter -

You're On Your Own

On our website, we have a page titled, "Why You Should Get Training." In it, we talk about how long it takes for the police to respond to a 911 call. While they're incredibly quick in their response time, you've got anywhere between 4 and 7 minutes - at least - to fend for yourself.

A lot of bad things can happen in that short period of time.

Think about that teacher at Yale University that's now in the news. She was in a high security building - it had 75 cameras and swipe-card access to every door - and she was still strangled in her own lab.

There's not a residence in America with that kind of high-level security, yet for some reason, we feel we're magically protected from the outside world once we enter our homes.

A call to the police for help is not going to keep you safe. You cannot delegate responsibility for your personal safety.

When considering how to protect yourself in your home, there are a number of factors to include -

1. Do I have tools available to me - regardless of my location in my residence during a break in - to help increase my odds of success? Telephone (cell phones are best), a defensive weapon (firearm, pepper spray, stun gun), flashlight, etc.

2. Am I alone in the home, or are other family members present? Strategies for survival are significantly different for each of these situations.

3. Cover, Concealment and Barracades - What are they and do I know how to use each of these to my advantage?

Being in California, we have (at least) three other things to consider -

1. Non-felon adults are allowed to own and possess a firearm in their home. Do you know how to select and operate the best option for your lifestyle and skill level?

2. Unlike many states, California is NOT a "Castle Doctrine" state. You are only able defend yourself against intruders that pose a threat of significant bodily harm or death to you or others. Do you know how to identify these situations - knowing when you can legally fire a weapon and when you cannot?

3. Any type of self-defense weapon - be it a firearm, pepper spray or a stun gun - must be securely stored to protect against unauthorized access. If children, in particular, gain access to your self-defense weapons, you may be held criminally liable for anything that happens if it is misused. Do you know how to safely store your self-defense tools, while still ensuring you have quick access to them if needed?

Safety Tip: If at all possible, install some sort of alarm system at your residence. If you own the home, you can get a monitored service which may alert the police to your situation if you are unable to call 911. Renters can use mobile alarms that are available for people that travel and who wish to alarm their rooms. At a very minimum, an alarm will buy you valuable time to prepare yourself against an attacker.

Accept The Challenge

Don't wait until you have a break-in to decide to address security at your home.  Take a local course such as our Defense Of The Home or ones offered nationally, such as Refuse To Be A Victim (tm).  Speak with your local police department about safety tips they may offer.

Get educated.  Get prepared.  Take responsibility.
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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Get Home Bags

With the weather changing into the colder winter months, it is time to review and update our Get Home Bags.

What are Get Home Bags (GHBs)? As the name indicates, they are bags all of my family members keep in our cars to enable us to get home in the event of an emergency. Living in Northern California, we are prone to a number of natural disasters. Mud slides, levee breaks, and of course, earthquakes.

At a minimum, all of our bags contain enough food and water for two adults for 3 days. In regards to these items, as you'll see from the contents, this isn't "Living at the Ritz"! It is basic, minimal food and water to sustain ourselves, not to thrive.

What won't be shown below are the things that are kept in the car regardless of the season.  These include a heavy-duty 10' x 20' tarp, a fold-up shovel, hiking shoes and socks, and a hat.  The update from summer to winter will involve swapping out a light-weight jacket for a heavier rain slicker and fleece pull-over.

All right, on to the bag!

The bag is a heavy-duty day bag. It has padded shoulder straps and a chest strap to keep it from bouncing around. It has 3 main compartments, along with two external side pockets and a couple of minor zippered pockets.

The contents -

At the bottom of the main compartment is the food and water. I keep 2, 2400-calorie emergency bars, two dozen water pouches and two pouches of Gatorade powder.

As I said, this amount of food and water is not intended for us to thrive - just to give us enough calories and hydration to get home.

If things are bad enough that we're required to spend the night where ever we may be, we've included items to make things a bit more bearable.

Five light weight carabiners (for hooking stuff to the bag), 3 flashlights and batteries, 10 thirty-minute glow sticks, 300 feet of 550 lb paracord, 100 feet poly cord, two Sierra cups, a 2 quart bota bag, signaling mirror, two whistles, water-proof matches, magnesium sparker, disposable lighter, Vaseline-soaked cotton balls, two pill bottles with fire wicks, Altoid can survival candle, Leatherman Wave multi-tool, two pocket knives, a survival chain saw, and the blue thing is a knife sharpener.

To round out the rest of the bag, I've included the following items - Starting with the black box in the upper center: Being this is the People's Republic of California, you are not allowed to have a weapon in your car unless you have it unloaded, in a locked case AND you have a "legitimate" reason (BTW, in California, Self-Defense is not considered a legitimate reason). That's a .38 special with 3 five-round speed loaders filled with Hydroshock rounds. Below that are 3 inside the waistband holsters, a compass, 20 gauge snare wire and an old pack of cheesy crackers. The last row has a Katadyne Hiker water filter, some water purification tablets, an emergency sewing kit, lotion, compact binoculars, two emergency mylar blankets, a tooth brush, two emergency ponchos and a first aid kit.

So how do I meet the California, "legitimate purpose" requirement for having a handgun with me almost all the time?  Virtually any time I leave the house, it is work related.  I'm going to a class or workshop or some other event where I am "talkin' guns".  If I'm not doing one of those things, I'm most likely headed to the range for practice. This means that I will usually have my complete range bag with me as well, so I'll have plenty of magazines/speed loaders and ammunition in my possession.

In instances where this is not practical - such as holidays - I keep a pepper spray canister attached to the bag (somehow, that didn't make any of the pictures).

Accept The Challenge

Put together a Get Home Bag.  If you consider how much time you spend away from your home - either at work or while on the road - you most likely spend more time away from home than actually in your home.  If an emergency happens, you don't want to be left without any resources.  If you take public transportation to work, you should have some sort of emergency bag that you leave at work, and another (perhaps) smaller version that you can keep in your purse, backpack or brief case.

Don't allow yourself to become a "refugee" simply because you're away from home.

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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com