Back to Basics

Episode 124: Season 3 ep 43

Erika and Vince deal with the repercussions of the Federal Governing Board decision. Dale and Lisa Goodwin, hosts of The Survivalist Prepper Podcast, join my husband, Brock, and I to get back to basics and discuss all the interesting prepping solutions we have been learning on our journeys.

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"The plan is to mobilize to handle the aftermath. No one has any idea what to do with more refugees."

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Back to Basics with Dale and Lisa

After discussing some of the intricacies of crafting The Walls of Freedom story, our conversation turned to the basics of prepping and tidbits we have picked up along the way. One of the first topics that we addressed was wilderness versus urban survival and the different tools that may be applicable to each but not necessarily both. A crescent wrench, for example, would be much more useful in a city environment than a wilderness one.  

Continuing on with the back to basics theme, we discusses fire starting. We decided the number one thing you should be doing right now is stocking Bic lighters in mass quantity. Regardless of how many lighters you store, you should also know how to use a ferro rod. One of the neat tips Dale has picked up is using a chemical known as Potassium permanganate. This nifty chemical is an antiseptic for wounds, will clean your water, and it can be used as a fire starter. It is also important to learn how to actually get a fire going. Your spark will have to be nurtured into a flame. It is harder than you think and it takes practice. Another good tool for fire starting starts with a cotton ball. You can take the ball of cotton, rub it in petroleum jelly and wrap it in squares of tin foil. Then when you want to start a fire, you cut a "x" pattern into one layer of the tinfoil and pull out a tiny bit of the cotton. Light the small amount you have pulled out and the cotton will burn for a while. Alternately you can use jute string that has been soaked in wax. It works like a wick and is water proof. 

The next topic we discussed was shelter building. Every go-bag should have a tarp in it. Take the time to practice different construction methods. Walking stick can be a useful tool on the trail and provide you with a tent post for the evening. Improve your knot tying skills, especially the ones you will be relying upon the most. This differs depending on geographical location. There is a big difference between building a shelter in an urban environment versus a wilderness one. In an urban environment you will have a much larger amount of useful supplies available. However, in an urban environment you need to be aware of the structural integrity of the buildings, depending on the type of disaster. In either case, you do not want a big shelter. You want one just big enough for your team to fit snugly. Look for an area where you can build a fire and reflect the heat back off of a concrete wall or rock outcropping. 

The basics of survival always involves water purification. There are many methods available but none of them will work for some types of chemical contamination. You have to know where your water has been. With any filter it is next to impossible to really know how well it is working. Distillation is the best method of removing contamination. It is still not effective for some types of chemical contamination. Once you learn the principles of how this process works, it is easy to build a distiller. Find creative ways to do it through practice. Basically, you are capturing the steam from the boiling process. Distilling does take a lot of work compared to some methods but it is the best. Individuals in an urban environment should begin thinking of areas that contain water: water heaters, pipes, hoses, swimming pools. That water will still be there when the grid goes down. 

It is essential that you are responsible for your food supply and starting to build an emergency stash now. Patriot Supply has some fantastic deals on emergency supply kits. Augason Farms also makes quality long term food. Canned goods substitute the long term food supply well. Remember though, it is important to eat what you store and store what you eat. Don't store something you don't normally use. Store what you normally use and rotate your products every time you add more. 

Dale and Lisa Goodwin

"In early 2013 Lisa and I decided to create SurvivalistPrepper.net and become a bigger part of the preparedness community, we are not the overboard tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists, we are just like you, everyday Americans that enjoy the freedoms that this country offers.

Lisa is more of the prepper and I am more of the survivalist or outdoor type and we write articles ranging from first aid, to food storage to primitive and wilderness skills…basically anything that involves preparedness and survival." - Dale Goodwin

Visit Dale and Lisa at SurvivalistPrepper.net

10 Things You Should Never Buy Again

Book A, Prepping A To Z

 Sara F. Hathaway

Sara F. Hathaway is the author of the The Changing Earth Series: Day After Disaster and Without Land. She also hosts The Changing Earth Podcast which blends her fictional stories with educational survival tips. Sara grew up in the country where she developed a profound interest in the natural world around her. After graduating with honors from The California State University of Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, she launched into a career in business management. In her fictional novels her research and experience with survival techniques and forgotten life-sustaining methods of the generations past come to the forefront in a action packed adventures. She has used her background in business management to pave new roads for fictional authors to follow and she delights in helping other achieve the same success. She currently lives with her husband and two sons in California where she is at work on the sequel to her first two novels. For more information and a free copy of “The Go-Bag Essentials” featuring everything you need to have to leave your home in a disaster visit: www.authorsarafhathaway.com

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Dangers of a Two Party System

Episode 123: Season 3 ep.42

In The Walls of Freedom story, Erika begins stands before the Federal Governing Board with Vince. In my book I used a three party system to illustrate my disdain for the two party system.  Our guest today, Dave Shestokas, discusses how this system came into being and the dangers of continuing to rely upon it. Dave has been a practicing attorney for over thirty years and is the author of Constitutional Sound Bites and Creating the Declaration of Independence.

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“We did what we thought was right for our loved ones."

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Two Party System Lessons from Dave

Now-a-days our political system in America focuses around two parties: Democrats and Republicans. The dual party system exists because of the presidential elections. It hasn't always been Democrats and Republicans. George Washington was a Federalist and he was succeeded by a Federalist. However the powers at be realized a long time ago that you couldn't elect a president without a large group of people behind you. It took a massive effort to win the majority of the electoral college.

Originally the number one electoral vote winner became president and the second runner up became vice president. Once competition intensified for the presidential role, it was decided that this was a bad idea. Competitors would become partners and this did not work out well. History has shown a long pattern of nitty gritty competition between the two dominate parties for control of Washington. Although, it may seem worse now-a-days it is not. There is more media coverage to bring us a play by play of every moment, which makes it seem like there is more conflict. 

The Federalists eventually evolved into the Wiggs.  The Wiggs party eventually split into the North and South during the Civil War. Lincoln founded the Republican party in 1856 from the Northern Wigg party. The current Democratic party was started with Andrew Jackson.

Although other parties exist they don't get as much air time. The Democrats and Republicans have become one "in charge" party. The image of competition keeps the populous entertained while they manipulate laws to favor keeping their parties in power. For example, the parties set political entrance deadlines with arbitrary dates that only someone planning a career in politics would be aware of. These types of rules favor the currently established career politicians who can make politics a full time job. 

The current political parties do their best to block the entrance of any new parties. It is true that independents do make it onto the ballets through state dictated signature requirements but rarely do they make it all the way to a national stage. Usually if the independents have a quality idea, the idea is consumed into one of the major parties that may or may not act upon it. 

Technology may be the best friend of new political entrants, currently. Technology has made it possible to reach individuals on a broad basis without the assistance of traditional media outlets. For example the Libertarian and Green Parties have gained quite a foothold due to this emergence of technology. 

In Mr. Shestoka's opinion, President Trump has been doing his very best to follow the laws of the Constitution and only make decisions based on the rights afforded him through the Constitution. If there is a major decision that needs to be made and the Constitution does not allow him to make that call he has been asking Congress to step up and do their job. Mr. Shestokas feels that if another major party is going to be created anytime soon, it will probably start with Mr. Trump. During his presidential election he broke a lot of molds to get elected and this momentum could help him to start a new successful political party.

David Shestokas

David Shestokas earned his B.A. in Political Science from Bradley University in 1975 and his Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School, cum laude, in June of 1987. In 1986-87 he served on The John Marshall Law Review. He studied law at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

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Mr. Shestokas has been admitted to practice law before the Illinois Supreme Court in 1987, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1988, the Supreme Court of Florida in 2004, and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in 2006.

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Mr. Shestokas founded the Law Office of David Shestokas in November, 1987. After practicing in areas such as criminal defense, corporate law, real estate, and business financing, he later served as Assistant State’s Attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in Chicago, IL, from 1994 to 1998, involved in over 10,000 criminal prosecutions. During that time he also worked on the Felony Review Unit, participating in police investigations and making charging decisions in over 400 felony matters.

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In 1992, after the Republic of Lithuania regained its independence from the Soviet Union, Shestokas

joined attorneys of Lithuanian heritage from around the world as a member of the First World Congress of Lithuanian Lawyers. The Lithuanian President, government officials, and the Lithuanian Bar worked with that Congress to restore the rule of law and a constitutional government after four generations of Soviet occupation.

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Along with volunteering at the Salvation Army providing pro bono legal services for the homeless, David has also given his time at the Quality Life Center to educate at-risk youth about the values ingrained in America’s Founding.

His latest book, Creating the Declaration of Independence,  takes you into the minds of Richard Henry Lee, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in the weeks before July 4, 1776. Experience Lee’s trepidation as he knows when he proposes American Independence to the Second Continental Congress that he is literally risking beheading. Join Adams and Jefferson at City Tavern as they begin crafting the Declaration and follow the story of how Jefferson came to reluctantly draft the Declaration when few others, including Adams thought that Jefferson’s assignment was important. You’ll even learn a shortcut Jefferson used to craft a document of such immortality on such short notice and how that short cut affects the work of the Supreme Court today.

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He has worked with Dr. Berta Isabel Arias on the Spanish language translation of Constitutional Sound Bites: Cápsulas Informativas Constitucionales . This work represents, in a format that modern media consumers prefer, a long tradition of informing citizens about the country’s founding documents in their native languages. In 1787, fully one third of Pennsylvania’s residents were German speakers. Accordingly, of the 4500 copies of the proposed Constitution that legislature ordered, 1500 were printed in German. Everyone understands important ideas best in their native language, and Cápsulas Informativas Constitucionales recognizes the growing importance of making available crucial aspects of America’s Founding and Heritage to this growing community of Spanish speakers in America.

Shestokas.com

Sara F. Hathaway 

Sara F. Hathaway is the author of the The Changing Earth Series: Day After Disaster, Without Land and The Walls of Freedom. She also hosts The Changing Earth Podcast which blends her fictional stories with educational survival tips. Sara grew up in the country where she developed a profound interest in the natural world around her. After graduating with honors from The California State University of Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, she launched into a career in business management. In her fictional novels her research and experience with survival techniques and forgotten life-sustaining methods of the generations past come to the forefront in a action packed adventures. She has used her background in business management to pave new roads for fictional authors to follow and she delights in helping other achieve the same success. She currently lives with her husband and two sons in California where she is at work on the sequel to her first two novels. For more information and a free copy of “The Go-Bag Essentials” featuring everything you need to have to leave your home in a disaster visit: www.authorsarafhathaway.com

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Wild Foraging: Thistle

Thistle: Milk Weed (Silybum Marianum)

If you live in the west the Milk Weed Thistle is a plant you will know well. It invades everything that gets disturbed: roadways, pastures, etc. It's thick spiky stalk is a challenge to take down with the weed eater and darn near impossible to mow. As you wack it with the weed eater it sprays out a milky substance that leaves you drenched.

History

Gregory L. Tilford states in his book, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West,that the native peoples of North America used to treat liver disorders and it is still used for that purpose today.

 Identifying The Plant

Milk Weed Thistle is another plant that will pick the heck out of you if you try to pick it. You must wear protective clothing or use needle nosed pliers when harvesting this plant!

The nettle plant can grow up to seven feet tall in favorable conditions. The milk weed thistle has a webbed pattern on the leaves. They are deeply lobed and grow in an alternate pattern. The leaves are often spiny and the stems can be up to two inches wide. The flowers vary depending on the species and can range from while to purple, resembling a mini artichoke. The plant blooms in April through July.

Eating Milk Weed Thistle

Milk weed thistle is edible in small amounts. The flowers are edible but the spines need to be removed. You want to eat the fibers. They are twelve percent sugar and are sticky and sweet. The roots and leaves are also edible. Most varieties are bitter and remembered only when needed for survival.

*Some thistles contain carcinogenic alkaloids. Do not consume this plant in large quantities.

Other Uses

The dying flower make excellent fire starters.

Medicinally

Milk weed thistle has tonic effects on the liver. The active ingredient, Silymarin, is found in the seeds. This chemical has been proven to strengthen, protect and regenerate liver cells. How do you know if you or your group member is suffering from liver disorder? Common symptoms include: frequent constipation, abdominal bloating, rapid mood swings, menstrual disorders, red, itching palms, small red abdominal spots or sore itchy eyes.

Attention Use At Your Own Risk

I am not medically trained in anyway. I am simply a student. I read and experiment with ancient herbal techniques. I am simply passing on the knowledge I have gained from studding many texts on the subject and I am in no way responsible for anything you do with this information. 

For this article I used these resources the most:

Ody, Penelope. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1993. Print.

Simillar Articles:

Bee Pollen, The World's Only Super Food
Peppermint: Not Just a Christmas Candy 
Yarrow: A Medicinal Essential 
Burdock: Lots of Vitamins and Medicinally Valuable 
Acorn Tea: Warms the Body and Soul
Sprouts
Curly Doc
Plantain 

Sara F. Hathaway

Sara F. Hathaway is the author of the The Changing Earth Series: Day After Disaster and Without Land. She also hosts The Changing Earth Podcast which blends her fictional stories with educational survival tips. Sara grew up in the country where she developed a profound interest in the natural world around her. After graduating with honors from The California State University of Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, she launched into a career in business management. In her fictional novels her research and experience with survival techniques and forgotten life-sustaining methods of the generations past come to the forefront in a action packed adventures. She has used her background in business management to pave new roads for fictional authors to follow and she delights in helping other achieve the same success. She currently lives with her husband and two sons in California where she is at work on the sequel to her first two novels. For more information and a free copy of “The Go-Bag Essentials” featuring everything you need to have to leave your home in a disaster visit: www.authorsarafhathaway.com

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Emergency Power

Episode 122: Season 3 ep 41

Erika and Vince arrive at the new capitol of The United States of America in The Walls of Freedom story. They marvel at the various ways the city produces power. Dale and Lisa Goodwin, hosts of The Survivalist Prepper Podcast, join us today to discuss the various methods you can utilize to produce emergency power in survival situations.

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"I'm as ready as I'm gonna be."

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Emergency Power Pointers from Dale and Lisa

Before we look at examples of current alternative energy options, you first have to know how much you "need" vs how much you can produce. You will not be able to produce what you use currently, unless you have endless funds. If there is a SHTF situation and you are able to produce everything your household needs to operate the same way it currently does, you will be a beacon in the dark, attracting all kinds of elements to your residence. 

With that said one of the biggest threats is losing meat that you have stored in freezers. Freezers use a lot of power and running them will be very difficult. Can your meat now because you will have limited time and fuel after a long term power outage. 

All power production requires some type of fuel. What type you choose relies a lot upon your geographical location. You can use sunshine, gas (natural gas, propane, diesel), wood or human power. In the past we have explored the gasifier option. This option utilizes wood to run generators, vehicles, tractors and much more. 

As Americans we are pretty spoiled when it comes to gas and energy options. We are used to stopping weekly at the gas station. Using easily accessible propane or natural gas to supplement energy supplies. Installing low cost solar options to cut power bills. Even kerosene is easy to come by in the US. In a future where these options become limited, life will be very different. In many areas of the nation staying warm in the winter or cool in the summer is a matter of life and death. Medications can enhance the effects of these climate threats. Also, some medicines require climate control to keep them viable. Even small scale disasters can be a threat to individuals who rely upon these medications and power to preserve them. 

The average car battery equals about a thousand watts of energy. There are conversions for estimating how many watts you need to run minimal power at your home.  At the most minimal level everyone should own a 600-700 watt power inverter. This is a link to a 1000 watt inverter that is reasonably priced on Amazon. It will hook to your vehicle like jumper cables allowing you to plug in power cords into your vehicle's power supply. This is only a short term solution. It takes about 1/3 of a gallon of gas per hour to power items this way. However, it is very useful to have. For example if you have a wi-fi hotspot you can plug it into your vehicle's power supply to connect to the internet and find out what is going on or connect with loved ones. It is a very useful tool to have on road trips or when bugging out. 

You can also create your own solar generator. The link provided will explain how to craft this small solar generator. It is essential that you know how much you are using vs how much your battery can take. If you over tax the battery you will reduce its life significantly. 


Another major consideration, if you have one, is your well. Well pumps require a lot of power to run. You will need to find a way to power the pump so you can still use it when you need it. There are solar options, hand pump options, or generator options.

You should have a quality solar phone charger as well. Dale recommends the Goal Zero products. They make a very good one that has a small solar panel and a battery. It is versatile enough to use at home and small enough to bug out with. Dale also recommend the Goal Zero Switch 10. You need something small and efficient but look out for deals that are too good to be true, usually they are. Skimping on your purchase here may come back to haunt you later.    

Decide now, do you want to rely upon others or upon yourself. Relying upon yourself means you need to know the basics of power production. Start small with batteries, small solar chargers, and kerosene lanterns and build from there. Learn to make your own solar setup so you can replicate it when you need to. It also would not be a bad idea to have a member of your MAG (Mutual Assistance Group) who is an electrician.

If you have a solar setup it is not difficult to maintain. Bigger panels are build to stand up to the toughest weather conditions. Small solar systems will need to be charged often or the batteries will slowly drain over time, leaving them dead when you need them. With the larger systems you will need to know more technical information. For example, the larger systems have limiters on the batteries so they do not overcharge. It can be complicated so start small and build from there.

The battery you choose also deserves a special mention. It is better to invest in a deep cycle marine battery rather than a car battery because they are made to be fully drained and recharged rather than maintained at a balanced level. Your goal of power production and use is to maintain the balance between the two but sometimes usage can outweigh production and the deep cycle battery will last longer. 

Additional Takeaways

• If you know how to produce power and maintain these systems in a long term survival situation, your skills will be highly sought after. 
• If the power grid in the US did receive major damage, it would not be easy to restore. Transformers are very expensive, produced overseas and not stocked for emergency situations.
• Solar is the easiest source of power to utilize, but it depends on your geographical location. If you were on the plains, you may want to utilize wind power. If you are by a river, you may think of utilizing hydroelectric power. You need to get creative. What does nature provide that you can utilize? For example, gutter turbines may be a great source of power in an area that receives a lot of rain. 
• Learning the motor process of power creation is the essential takeaway of practicing power production. Once you have mastered that, you can apply it to many different types of power production methods.  

Dale and Lisa Goodwin

"In early 2013 Lisa and I decided to create SurvivalistPrepper.net and become a bigger part of the preparedness community, we are not the overboard tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists, we are just like you, everyday Americans that enjoy the freedoms that this country offers.

Lisa is more of the prepper and I am more of the survivalist or outdoor type and we write articles ranging from first aid, to food storage to primitive and wilderness skills…basically anything that involves preparedness and survival." - Dale Goodwin

Visit Dale and Lisa at SurvivalistPrepper.net

10 Things You Should Never Buy Again

Book A, Prepping A To Z

 Sara F. Hathaway

Sara F. Hathaway is the author of the The Changing Earth Series: Day After Disaster and Without Land. She also hosts The Changing Earth Podcast which blends her fictional stories with educational survival tips. Sara grew up in the country where she developed a profound interest in the natural world around her. After graduating with honors from The California State University of Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, she launched into a career in business management. In her fictional novels her research and experience with survival techniques and forgotten life-sustaining methods of the generations past come to the forefront in a action packed adventures. She has used her background in business management to pave new roads for fictional authors to follow and she delights in helping other achieve the same success. She currently lives with her husband and two sons in California where she is at work on the sequel to her first two novels. For more information and a free copy of “The Go-Bag Essentials” featuring everything you need to have to leave your home in a disaster visit: www.authorsarafhathaway.com

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Head Injuries in a Long Term Survival Situation

Episode 121; Season 3, ep 40

Description of Today's Episode: As The Walls of Freedom continues Erika finds herself in a sticky situation while trying to obtain more legal information. Here to discuss treating head injuries in a long-term survival situation is Dr. Ryan Chamberlin, author of The Prepper Pages.

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Featured Chapter Quote:

"That's one tough chick you got there."

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Head Injury Lessons From Dr. Chamberlin
The first thing you need to assess with a head injury is whether the person is conscious or not. If they are unconscious you can't ask them questions about what happened and if their neck hurts. The neck is a major concern. If it is fractured and the neck moves fragments into the spine it can sever the spinal cord causing permanent paralysis. The neck must be stabilized until a collar can be applied. Normally the patient would go to the hospital and receive x-rays. 

If the patient is conscious but has a laceration, put pressure on it to stop the bleeding. It's going to bleed A LOT. It can be stitched up. Limit the patient's movement to limit brain swelling. Wake up the patient every hour for six hours and then every four after that. Check for changes in mental status. Use a flashlight to check for eye dilation. One pupil may get very large, indicating that the nerve has popped off the brain stem. If there is a change in mental status you will need to find a doctor. If you suspect extreme blood pooling is happening in the brain a doctor may want to drill a hole in the skull to remove pressure. Do not give this patient Aspirin or Advil! Tylenol is okay.

In the long term if you've been waking them all night the next day they will be very groggy. If in two to three days things aren't back to normal, this can indicate a traumatic brain injury.  PTSD or similar psychological changes may take place. If the patients had a lot of concussions over a long period of time, problems can arise as well. 

There are some special items you may want to pack in your go bag:

• A c-collar
• Flashlight
• Tylenol
• Sutures but if you don't have them, superglue or a stapler

You can suture this injury but stitching was only designed to decrease scar formation and help the wound heal quicker. Nature will leave it open and heal itself from the bottom up. If you develop a scab leave it alone, unless you can see puss underneath. If you are concerned about redness surrounding the injury mark it with a pen to track it's growth. As long as it does not grow, you are okay. If the wound edges can be brought together with no tension, you can superglue skin to skin over the laceration. Do not get superglue in the wound. The body can't heal with plastic in the way.

5 Life Threatening Injuries That Are Totally Survivable During a Disaster: Pin of the Month 

5 Life-Threatening Injuries That Are Totally Survivable During a Disaster—if You Know How

Dr. Ryan Chamberlin

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Dr. Chamberlin was born and raised near the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State. After graduating from Washington State University he attended the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona California, and in 1995, graduated as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery. During his post-doctoral training he became interested in Survival Medicine and in developing a way of quickly training preppers to become self-sufficient medics. In the years since he has authored four books on DIY medicine, his first being The Prepper Pages: A Surgeon's Guide to Scavenging the Necessary Items for a Medical Kit, and Putting Them to Use While Bugging Out.Dr. Chamberlin is a Professor of Biomedicine living in Portland Oregon. He has written four guides on survival medicine, and blogs on a number of subjects including emergency preparedness, Wilderness Medicine, and First Aid kit building.

ThePrepperPages.com

Sara F. Hathaway 

Sara F. Hathaway is the author of the The Changing Earth Series: Day After Disaster and Without Land. She also hosts The Changing Earth Podcast which blends her fictional stories with educational survival tips. Sara grew up in the country where she developed a profound interest in the natural world around her. After graduating with honors from The California State University of Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, she launched into a career in business management. In her fictional novels her research and experience with survival techniques and forgotten life-sustaining methods of the generations past come to the forefront in a action packed adventures. She has used her background in business management to pave new roads for fictional authors to follow and she delights in helping other achieve the same success. She currently lives with her husband and two sons in California where she is at work on the sequel to her first two novels. For more information and a free copy of “The Go-Bag Essentials” featuring everything you need to have to leave your home in a disaster visit: www.authorsarafhathaway.com

Purchase