Planning and Planting Your Hidden Survival Garden

If you plan to start growing your own food in a backyard garden and at your bug out location, you will be way ahead of many people when the economy collapses and SHTF. We all know growing our own food is a lot of work, but it will be crucial to survival post-disaster. But how can you grow and maintain a garden post-SHTF and keep it protected from those who are hungry and seeking any food they can find?

In a traditional garden you have to prepare the soil each year, plant your seeds, water everything, weed at least a couple times weekly, and keep all the pests from eating the plants before they are ready. Post-SHTF, the scarcity of resources will challenge many gardeners who rely on store bought help in the form of perfectly balanced planting soil, fertilizers, store bought seeds, and pest control formulas.

Plants Need Nutrients

Regardless of what you choose to grow and whether it’s in containers, your backyard, a greenhouse, or a twenty-acre piece of paradise, you need to have good nutrients. For plants to grow, they must have the right combination of essential nutrients. Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Carbon are nutrients that are produced naturally through photosynthesis.

There are twelve additional minerals plants need that can typically be managed by the farmer or gardener. Each mineral regardless of quantity is crucial. Plants lacking any one nutrient are negatively impacted in some way. So one key to strong healthy plants is to create a growing environment or supplement the growing environment to ensure the proper combination of nutrients is available to your plants.

It’s highly doubtful that you will be able to just run to the nearest Lowe’s or Tractor Supply to pick up your bags of perfectly mixed soil post-SHTF. So to have a survival garden in the NWAWKI (New World As We Know It), you need to make sure that you can still create that great nutrient filled environment for your garden.

Gardening and growing crops has always been a very unpredictable undertaking. There are so many things that can impact your food production. Store bought fertilizers and pesticides won’t be available to strengthen and protect your plants post-SHTF. Pests can invade, rain and drought can wreak havoc on your growing season, soil in your area could be contaminated, and post-SHTF, your garden could be ransacked.

Natural Nutrient Management Methods

Composting

In a post-disaster or NWAWKI scenario, growing your own food won’t just be a hobby or something you do to relax in your spare time. Being able to RELIABLY grow enough food to feed your family or small group could be the difference between life and death. One way to ensure healthier plants and increase the reliability of your food production is through composting.

Composting adds organic material to your garden and enhances the soil’s ability hold and drain moisture and to battle disease and pest invaders. It also adds important nutrients. All of this means plants grow healthier and stronger which in turn means when bugs invade or something with the weather does go amiss, such as a dry period or cold snap, your plants will be better able to bounce back and survive.

Traditional composting involves adding “brown materials” (carbon) and nitrogen (green materials) to a bin that is approximately two square foot in size. Materials rich in carbon, such as paper towels, newspaper (not shiny ads), cardboard as well as dried corn stalks, hay, old leaves, and straw will make up the majority of your compost. Some people also choose to chop up and till under their dead garden plants at the end of each season or add the chopped up plants to their compost bin.

Nitrogen filled materials will be things such as fresh lawn clippings and manure droppings. Kitchen waste is also nitrogen filled and includes coffee grounds with the paper filters which also have calcium and magnesium, eggshells for calcium, banana peels for potassium, and any leftover vegetable and fruit scraps.

Compost Management Tips:

• If you’re compost pile smells, you’ve added too much green materials or too much water.
• If it’s not getting hot, you’ve added too much brown materials.
• Water the bin only if it’s really hot or has been very dry.
• You can also add animal manure to your compost pile.
• To speed up the composting process, you can turn or flip the pile with a pitchfork or shovel.

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting or worm composting means using worms to convert organic waste into wonderful black, nutrient filled earth that will help you to grow healthy plants. This process can also be called worm humus or manure, worm castings or vermicast.

The average two-person household will have approximately 3-4 lbs of kitchen waste each week. A two-foot square and approximately eight-inch deep box that is aerated is a suitable size for a worm bin. Some people keep their worm beds under the kitchen sink, others keep them outside or move them around the garden.

Once you have built your worm bin, you’ll need some bedding. You can use manure, leaves, strips of newspaper, or shredded cardboard without wax or plastic on it. Now add your worms. You then simply empty your kitchen waste into the bin and let the worms do what they do.

Tips for Vermicomposting

• There are several different types of worm bins you can construct depending on your needs. Research before choosing one.
• Wood is typically the best for constructing bins.
• Red earthworms or red wigglers are better for worm composting, they multiply quickly and are known to convert large amounts of organic material daily.
• Keep worm beds out of direct sun, in a shaded area as it shouldn’t be allowed to dry out and harden.
• Newly added worms can convert half their body weight daily. Add new food once old food has been processed. Once worms are settled in, healthy worms can convert their entire body weight in kitchen waste daily.
• To prevent bothersome insects and small rodents, used a closed worm bed or avoid including meat scraps in your kitchen waste.

Use the rich healthy soil created by composting or vermicomposting when you need it to build up your backyard soil or BOL garden soil and ensure a healthy mix of essential nutrients.

Free Range Poultry

When it comes to gardening, many people use free range poultry such as chickens and guinea fowl to aid in soil management. Poultry manure is great for developing rich earth. Chickens and most poultry will naturally return to their coop at night so this makes it easy to let them range free during the daytime hours.

Chickens will also scratch up the ground and eat bugs and insects to keep them from overrunning your garden. You can turn them loose in the fall and they will clean up leftover plant materials and scratch up the ground. Guinea fowl are actually great for tick control and although they don’t bark, they are quick to alert you of anything or anyone strange on the property.

Hydroponics or Aquaponics

If you believe that soil in your area could be compromised or otherwise unusable long-term for gardening, you may want to research and consider how to grow plants in water, gravel, or sand as through hydroponic production.  Survivalists will also want to learn about a form of hydroponics that grows food in water using fish waste as the nutrients needed for plant growth as described in this video:

Keep in mind that both hydroponic and aquaponics methods of gardening will require some form of energy to run the pumps. They may also be more difficult to camouflage from trespassers. If you decide to go this route in a post-SHTF, you will need to get creative about how to hide it. Perhaps build the system in a pit greenhouse or walpini to keep it from view and research quiet pumps.

Plant Quality Non-GMO Seeds What Should You Plant?

There is some controversy about GMO versus Non-GMO Seeds. GMO means genetically modified organism. GMO seeds have been altered genetically, in a way that cannot occur naturally. Consumers who buy produce in grocery stores like nice looking fruits and vegetables. The GMO process produces that look consistently. It can also prevent some of the common problems that make production unpredictable.

Keep in mind that many experienced gardeners feel that GMO seeds tend to produce less and less produce each year. This isn’t crucial when you can buy new seeds at the store or online if you need them each year. But in a SHTF scenario, using GMO seeds mean that you could find that after a couple years the seeds you save from each plant produce less and less each year. That can be fatal and there’s no way to know until it starts to happen.

My recommendation is that you make completely certain that the seeds you are saving to use for a post-SHTF scenario are completely non-GMO which means they have not been altered unnaturally. We also recommend that you only plant organic seeds for survival gardening, ones which come from plants that have NOT been chemically treated with fertilizers or pesticides. For more information on backyard survival planting watch this video:

How to Find Seeds

Organically grown, non-GMO seeds will give you the best chance to grow quality food for your family that will produce fruits and vegetables with seeds that can then be used for future planting.

You can generally find seeds locally now through small businesses and organizations such as local farms, produce stands, family owned garden centers, or gardening co-ops. Do not assume that seeds are organically grown especially if you buy them online. Question use of practices for fertilizers and pest control to be sure. If you must order online, make certain you are ordering organically grown, non-GMO seeds or plants.

When buying seeds, buy from companies that have the Safe Seed Pledge. This is generally an indication that seeds you are purchasing are non-GMO. Seeds can be heirloom, heritage, or hybrid. A hybrid seed or plant does not automatically mean it is GMO. There are natural ways to cross pollinate plants to create better results. A seed labeled heritage or heirloom doesn’t guarantee that it is non-GMO.

Natural Pest Control

Attract Beneficial Insects

Use companion planting to actually attract beneficial insects to your garden that will reduce the number of destructive insects and other pests in your garden. For example, vegetables such as carrots, parsley, and celery grow flowers that attract predatory wasps that will actually eat the caterpillars that like to feast on your leafy plants.

Other Natural Methods

There are many other natural methods for pest control. For example, use a mixture of one quart of water and two tablespoons baking soda in a spray bottle to treat any fungal diseases that may show up on your plants. Spray plants every couple of days until the fungus is eliminated.

To deter deer, you can mix a whole egg into about ¼ cup of water and stir thoroughly. Spray this mixture over your plants. Mixture will need to be reapplied after heavy rains. My grandmother also swore that stuffing a pouch of cheesecloth with a bit of human hair from her hairbrush would also keep deer away.

Off-Grid Methods of Irrigation

One very important thing to consider when growing your own food in a post-SHTF scenario is how to make sure that you have an ample supply of water available for your plants. Plants need water to grow and in many gardens, watering is a daily undertaking. Make sure you check local zoning and state laws before using off-grid methods to avoid a potential legal battle later.

Rainwater Collection

Rainwater collection is one way to collect additional water to use for watering your garden. The best place to start collecting rainwater is from the top of your house roof and the rooves of any outbuildings, such as sheds or garages. If you aren’t using the water for drinking, you don’t even need to worry much about filtering it. Simply collect the water into a large tub or other container as it comes off the roof and then use that water on your garden every day.

Greywater Diversion

Greywater is another way to collect water that you can use on your garden. Greywater is any water that drains from your home, except your toilet water which is considered “blackwater”. So greywater includes kitchen and bathroom sink drains, the shower or bathtub drain, even the washing machine drain.

Simply divert those drains coming out of your home so they go into your collection point and then use that water on your garden. Switch to all natural cleaners as much as possible and be cautious of any chemicals that could get into your greywater and harm your plants.

Good soil, composting, pest control, planting, weeding, irrigation, and finally harvesting sounds like a lot of work right? To top it off, post-SHTF everything else will require so much energy and time. You will be using a lot of time and energy on the other survival skills you learned so you can survive in these chaotic times.

Okay so you’ve figured out how to get the nutrients your plants need, which seeds to buy, how to protect them from pests and disease, and keep them watered post disaster. But what if I told you that having a garden will actually put you and your family in danger by making you a target post-SHTF?

It’s true. Having an obvious backyard garden could make you and your family a target in a post-SHTF situation. There will be mobs of desperate and hungry people moving through most areas. People trying to get out of town will run out of gas on the major interstates and will quickly abandon their cars. This will put many of them on foot and in search of food and water.

Everyone, even someone who has never set foot in an actual food garden, knows that those rows or that large rectangular or square area of dirt means food is or will be growing there. If you are in an urban area or within ten miles of a major interstate or highway, your backyard garden makes you a target for these masses of hungry people.

They will have no choice but to come past your home or farm. If you are lucky, they will come in the cover of night, take as much as they can carry from your garden, and leave without harming your family. But it’s entirely possible that you will wake up one morning to find your entire garden ransacked from a group of people that moved through in the night.

Even if you live farther out from main highways, an obvious food garden puts your family at risk from hungry, desperate people who may pass be passing through. Or worse, you could be confronted by a group of people with guns who want to force you to leave so they can take over your food laden location.

Shocking Survey Finds That Americans Find More Meaning In Life From “Money” Than They Do From “Faith”

What gives you a sense of meaning and purpose in life?  That may seem like a very unusual question, but I believe that it is a very important one considering how deeply unhappy our society currently is.  Everyone needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning, because there wouldn’t seem to be much point to living a life that was completely void of meaning and purpose.  So what motivates most Americans to do what they do?  Well, a new survey that was just released by the Pew Research Center has some rather startling results.  When people were asked an open-ended question about what gives them a sense of purpose and meaning in life, 69 percent mentioned family, 34 percent mentioned career, 23 percent mentioned “money” and only 20 percent mentioned faith.

In other words, Americans find more meaning and purpose in life from money and from their careers than they do from faith.

Wow.

I have previously written about the stunning decline in church attendance in America, but I still would have figured that more than 20 percent of all Americans would mention faith when discussing what gives them a sense of meaning and purpose in life.

And the question was not limited to just one answer.  If you will notice, the combined total for just the top four answers was well over 100 percent.  So respondents could have actually chosen to mention as many factors as they would have liked.

But only 20 percent mentioned faith at any point during their answers.

As you can probably guess, conservatives were far more likely to mention faith than liberals were…

Spirituality and faith are commonly mentioned by very conservative Americans as imbuing their lives with meaning and fulfillment; 38% cite it in response to the open-ended question, compared with just 8% of very liberal Americans – a difference that holds even when controlling for religious affiliation.

That is a huge gap, and I think that it helps to explain some of the division that we are witnessing in our nation right now.

Of all of the religious groups, the survey found that evangelical Protestants were the most likely to mention faith in their answers…

Spirituality and religious faith are particularly meaningful for evangelical Protestants, 43% of whom mention religion-related topics in the open-ended question. Among members of the historically black Protestant tradition, 32% mention faith and spirituality, as do 18% of mainline Protestants and 16% of Catholics.

Millions of Americans find a sense of meaning and purpose in the Christian faith, but so many others have been burned by hypocritical religious leaders that do not live out what they supposedly believe.

For example, check out what just happened in San Francisco…

San Francisco police on Tuesday announced a sweeping child-porn bust that netted five suspects, including the senior pastor at a Sunset District Lutheran church who allegedly possessed hundreds of pictures and videos of children engaged in sexual acts and was sharing them on social media.

The suspect, the Rev. Steven Sabin, 59, is senior pastor at Christ Church Lutheran on Quintara Street, where he has been since 2001, according to the church’s website. Church officials did not return multiple phone calls or messages.

Nobody wants that kind of sick behavior from our faith leaders.

But just because there are some really bad people out there, does that mean that Americans should abandon faith altogether?

In “Living A Life That Really Matters”, I lay out a blueprint for what a truly faith-filled life can look like.  There is a reason why hundreds of millions of people around the world find meaning and purpose in the Christian faith, and no matter what has happened in the past, God can take the broken pieces of your life and turn them into a beautiful thing.

If your meaning and purpose come from your career and your bank account, what happens when you lose your job and your money dries up?

Or if your meaning and purpose come from family and friends, what happens when they let you down?

People change, and so do circumstances.  And if you allow your sense of meaning in life to be based on such temporal things, it is a recipe for disaster.

Today, Americans are more anxious than ever before.  The following comes from an outstanding article for The Week by Damon Linker entitled “American Anxiety”…

The United States is a country consumed by anxiety. This has been true for a very long time. But it’s getting worse.

Be honest: You sense it in yourself. The vague mist of worry that always lurks in the background, ebbing and flowing through the day, the sense of creeping inadequacy that prompts you to work ever-harder. You can detect it in the agitated drive to do ever-more to protect those you love from an endless stream of dangers and threats — and in the urge to keep up with friends, acquaintances, and news online during almost every waking moment, perhaps even crowding out sleep, making it impossible to settle down or drive away the subtle sensation of insufficiency.

And Linker also shared some statistics to back up his bold assertions…

Nearly one-third of adolescents and adults suffer from some form of anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. A poll released in May by the American Psychiatric Association, meanwhile, found that 39 percent of respondents were prepared to describe themselves as more anxious than they were just a year ago. Another 39 percent say they are equally anxious, while only 19 percent feel less anxious now than they did in the recent past.

Right now, more Americans are on anti-depressants than ever before in our history, and the suicide rate has risen 34 percent since the year 2000.

What we have been doing is clearly not working.

We desperately need a different path as a nation, and let us hope that people start waking up while there is still time to do so.

About the author: Michael Snyder is a nationally syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is publisher of The Most Important Newsand the author of four books including The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters.

Teamwork In Prepping

There is a great fallacy in some circles that the lone wolf is the person who will have the greatest chance of survival if things ever go downhill. Being prepared for any level of disaster or emergency is definitely something that should be a family, group or team effort. One way to look at this is to equate the survival of a group versus individual survival as a baseball game in which one team is complete and the other team has a pitcher that has to cover the outfield, too. This is not only impractical but would completely exhaust the pitcher in a short amount of time. So what does this mean from a preparedness perspective for you?

Get Your Team On Board

In many families or groups, a small percentage of the group can be considered dedicated preppers. There may be only one person who fits the bill. Others could be either half-hearted in their efforts or even all-out resistant to the idea of preparing for disaster. As it was once relayed to me, “If everyone else is unprepared, too, we will fit right in.” It seems that it has become clearer in recent years that if individuals do not prepare themselves, no one else is going to come take care of them, at least for a period of time. So what can be done about this?

There is certainly no single answer to this question; but from my experience, the best approach to take is to be open and honest and help those who are important to you see how preparedness matters so much to you, your family and your inner circle. If you are truly important to your family, friends and community members, they will seriously consider what you have to say.

If you are a lone wolf type, take into consideration finding some like-minded people who are in close proximity to you so that if there is an emergency or disaster situation, you are not forced to go at it alone.

Select A Group Of Skills Everyone Will Master

In almost any organization there are core skills that every member of the team must know. In an office it might be how to use the copier. Every mechanic knows how to change the oil in a car. There are also universal skills that every member of a team that is preparing for survival should know. The only exception would be those who are not of an appropriate age, lack the capability or do not possess the maturity for certain tasks. Examples of these mandatory skills could be:

• Marksmanship: How to properly fire, clean and maintain a gun.
• Cooking: How to prepare a meal for an individual or the group.
• Communication: Using a CB or walkabout radio to communicate.
• Animal husbandry: How to milk a cow or collect the eggs from the hens every day.
• First aid: How to care for an injured or sick person.
  
• Gardening: How to properly water and harvest fruits and vegetables.
• Firefighting: How to properly use a fire extinguisher.

While this concept may seem far-fetched to some, there are many things that can reasonably be expected from almost anyone. Even a 3-year-old can be taught to throw sawdust on top of the pile in the composting toilet, for example.

Determine Roles And Responsibilities

Each person in the group should have a primary and secondary responsibility or specialized skill when possible. If your group has two people, the situation may dictate otherwise. But in a normal family-size unit of two adults and at least two children, this should be feasible. And if you are part of a larger group of families, this is definitely doable. In fact, once primary and secondary roles have been mastered in a larger group, then the group should work on cross-training in each others roles as well as taking on the responsibility of learning new skills.

Examples of potential individual roles/responsibilities include:

• Security.
• Power.
• Water.
• Food.
• Medical.
• Communications.
• Maintenance.
• Logistics.
• Sanitation.
• Gardening.

Of course, this is not an all-inclusive list. It does cover some of the major areas and systems of support that are an area of concern in a survival situation. The roles that must be assumed will depend on the capabilities and systems that are available to your group. To avoid burnout among the group in performing routine chores and tasks, a “duty roster” or rotational schedule of these tasks could be established to assign different ongoing responsibilities to team members.

In addition to determining who will do what, it is valuable to select a leader to oversee the command and control of a group. For a family this leader will likely be the dominant parent. A group that is not a family should likely look to who the most natural leader is, who is the most experienced in managing tasks and people, or perhaps even who is the most liked person in the group.

Discuss What To Do If Something Does Go Wrong

If one person’s role within the group is to be in charge of the generator and emergency power systems and that person is ill, then what will the group do? These types of situations need to be discussed and alternate plans need to be made to address such problems. This is where secondary responsibilities and cross-training come into play. The subject matter expert in each area will assist the group by teaching his craft to an apprentice.

If the size of your family or group dictates one person taking on every responsibility, this is where strategic partnerships and community building comes into play.  No one person can do everything. Sometimes, it is better to rely on a trustworthy member of your community or inner circle than to try to be the jack-of-all-trades. A prime example where networking is invaluable would be dealing with a downed tree. It is great to know how to cut up a tree with a chain saw. This is a valuable skill to have, but it is not on the same level as trying to remove a tree that has fallen on top of your garage. Taking on this task without the specialized skill necessary could easily wind up getting someone seriously injured or even killed.

Document, Document, Document

As roles are determined, individuals should update the group documentation or create this collection of documentation. This is a great way to get your survival documentation updated and not put the burden all on one person. Each person takes a folder, binder, journal, etc. and compiles all the information he can about his responsibilities and how they fit into the group. This binder should include manuals/operator guides for any pertinent equipment, standard operating procedures, decision points for bugging out or other key events, expansion plans and ways to deal with changes in group size or locations, etc.

There is certainly much more that goes into making sure that your family or group is prepared to appropriately react to an emergency or disaster, but hopefully this serves as grease to help get the wheels turning. The team approach is necessary, and it certainly eases the burden of preparing that is on the group leader or head of household. Lastly, keep in mind that in order to remain effective, a team should always play to its strengths, maintain balance, operate under common goals or a vision, and communicate openly and honestly.

Gray Man Strategies 101

How much thought have you given to how you might act, dress, or move during a period of civil unrest? Are you going to project the appearance of a victim? Are you going to be wearing tactical pants, Oakley’s, and combat boots? There are many out there that feel that not being noticed at all will be the ticket to survival.

Moving through the city during a “loss of civility” (government-speak for breakdown) can be extremely dangerous, even life-threatening. Sadly, there will be many predators who wait for just such occasions to prey upon those whom they perceive as weak. We call them “opportunivores.” Opportunivores only obey laws because they fear punishment. When law enforcement is removed from the equation, opportunivores become a law unto themselves.

Avoiding these predators may require different strategies. One is to move in a large enough force, and to be threatening enough, that the predators move on to easier targets. Another is to move when the predators are not vigilant. A third and more flexible method, is to learn to blend into a crowd and not do anything to draw attention to oneself.

Blending into a crowd is called becoming a gray man.

There are people moving around us every day whose physical presence is so non-stimulating that we ignore them. They are for all intents and purposes, invisible to us. The gray man is the one we want to emulate in a disaster. The problem is, people have never seen a true gray man, unless you’ve been taught to see them. Because if you casually noticed him, his gray man-ness is in dispute.

So who is the gray man and how do we find and emulate him? It will require some time observing crowds of people. The process is based on an understanding of how your mind remembers what it sees.

RAS (Reticular Activating System)

The principle is simple. The mind remembers whatever significantly stimulates it. If there is no stimulus, there is no noticing. Breaking this idea down further, the brain contains a filter for all sensory input called the Reticular Activating System. It’s a part of the brain that filters sensory data. For example, your eyes send a complete stream of data down the optic nerve. The RAS scans that feed and determines what parts of the process to filter and what parts to pay attention to. This allows the brain to conserve energy by not having to process all the visual data.

What does the RAS filter and what does it send through?

The brain is looking for first, threats. The RAS will send data related to fast movement, threatening movement, movement on vectors that will intercept your own. It also looks for bright colors, human shapes, reflections, bright light, implied movement and other similar things that STIMULATE the brain. The RAS ignores areas of continuous color, shadow, dull, natural colors, slow movement and off vector movement.

The RAS is a very effective movement for sound input as well. It filters sounds that are unnecessary for us to notice, such as the sound of the refrigerator running, but alerts us to sounds that may represent a threat, such as the sound of someone trying to jimmy a window at night.

I have a friend that lives in New York city. I was on the phone with him one day and just outside, an ambulance went by on his end. The sound of the siren via the phone, was incredibly loud in my ears. I interrupted him and told him to wait till the ambulance went by. He said,”What ambulance?” The sound of the ambulance was so common that he filtered it out completely.

So what does the RAS have to do with being the gray man? Simply this. To make yourself invisible to predators, don’t trip their triggers. If you do not create a stimulus that the predator keys in on, you are invisible to him. Just like my friend who could not hear the ambulance, a gray man moves around our awareness without triggering any alarms.

The Art of Blending

How is this accomplished? It seems simple enough. Just blend in. But there is actually quite an art form to this.

Size

Height is an element of being a gray man that we have little control over. The best gray man is ordinary in every respect. He’s of average height and weight. He has no obvious physical features that draw attention, ie, big nose, bald head, facial hair, etc. For example, I have a very hard time being a gray man because I am a big man. I am 6’2” and “husky,” as they say. People remember me as “that big dude.”

Dress

Dress is an element within our control. For the most part, natural and neutral colors work best; Browns and grays. Nothing to create a memory like a T-shirt with a saying or photos. Style of clothing tends to be very conservative. Nothing showing skin, nothing too fashionable, nothing to out of fashion. Ordinary is the key word here.

The standard “uniform” for military’s civilian wear consist of 5.11 Tactical pants, (referred to by some of my friends as “shoot me first pants),” a khaki cotton button-down shirt with epaulettes, Oakley shades, desert combat boots, and a shaved head. Add to that a nice MOLLE backpack, and you have target written all over you. No one doubts that you have some very cool gear in that pack and they will want it. But as cool as that looks, it will draw the attention of both LE and predators.

Mannerisms

Since the gray man attracts no attention, his mannerisms must be small and discreet. No sweeping gestures. Energetically, the gray man is withdrawn. He does not project confidence. He does not look around much, he avoids eye contact.

I stood with a friend on the top level of the Galleria mall observing a class exercise involving foot surveillance. He nudged me and pointed to a guy on the escalator, “Fed!” I asked how he knew the guy was a federal agent. He told me to watch where he looked, what he looked at. Very discreetly, the man in question turned his body to the left and did an almost imperceptible head sweep that allowed him to see behind him. Then he did an adjustment that allowed him to sweep the area on his right. Without having it pointed out to me, I probably would not have noticed. However, the man displayed a now obvious level of awareness. This is one of the reasons I do not do gray well. I am always too curious. When I walk into a room, my head is on a swivel. It is a hard habit for me to break. Consequently, I have a hard time doing gray.

Movement

One of the key elements of camouflage is learning to match your movement to the baseline. If you spend any time in a city, you will notice that every neighborhood has a unique flavor. We call that the baseline. It refers to the sound, motion, activity level of the neighborhood in a normal situation. The speed at which people move, the way they gesture, the volume and speed with which they speak. All these elements and many more make up the baseline. You can learn the baseline for a given neighborhood by sitting somewhere and watching.

The element of matching the baseline is probably the single most important element of personal camouflage. Learning to walk like the natives walk will hide you better than just about anything else.

Related: Survival Techniques That Tackle the Unexpected

Route

A key element in avoiding trouble is not to go where trouble tends to be. This means you must know the terrain like a native. You must know what neighborhoods are safe (relatively) and which ones to avoid. You must know roads and routes, locations of police stations, gas stations, convenience stores and emergency clinics. You should know what areas have street lights at night and which are dark. Know where the choke points are and where LE is likely to set up blockades. Being a gray man means avoiding trouble by not going where trouble is, unless necessary.

Learning to See the Gray Man

The following exercise was one I developed for the Urban Escape & Evasion class I teach. To learn to see the previously invisible gray man, go to a public area with lots of foot traffic. Sit back and watch the crowd. As a person walks by, notice the stimulus that drew your eye. In your mind (not out loud), create an insult about that person’s stimulus. The more outlandish the better. Before you all get offended here, the purpose is to pound into your consciousness the stimulus – what you notice about each person. “That guy has a huge nose.” “That guy has completely bizarre taste in shoes” “Do they sell men’s clothes where he bought those pants?” “Wow. That almost looks like he got dressed in the dark.” Remember your purpose is to identify the stimulus.

Then after a few minutes, someone will walk by and you will not find anything. Nothing to make fun of, nothing to ridicule. Pay attention to that person. Observe them carefully. See how they move, what kind of energy they project. See how they interact with others, what they pay attention to (or not). If possible follow them for a bit. Observe them move. I am sure from having done this myself and observing as classes do this, that the key to becoming a gray man lies in your ability to observe and mimic.

Summary

The gray man is the person who moves around the periphery of our awareness without creating any stimulus. This makes that person invisible for all practical purposes. Being invisible will greatly reduce the risk of falling prey to the two legged predators who will make life so “interesting” when this thin veneer of society peels away and reveals the pure ugly evil that lies underneath.

Recognizing and Resolving Common Vitamin Deficiencies

Ideally every person from birth through old age would get all the nutrients they need from the food they consume, but deficiencies occur. There are times when the optimal amount of nutrients from food intake are not possible. People who consume energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods can develop a marginal micronutrient intake and low serum concentrations of vitamins. In times of food shortages or limited access to fresh foods, nutrient deficiencies can become even more common, especially vitamin deficiencies.

What are vitamins?

Vitamins are organic molecules required in small amounts to prevent deficiency signs and symptoms. The most concern is for water-soluble vitamins—the B vitamins and vitamin C. These are essential nutrients the body cannot make. The body does not store water soluble vitamins in large quantities. You should consume them every day. Water-soluble vitamins are lost during processing because they are fragile. This increases the risk of inadequate intake even in times of plenty. This article will focus on the most common B vitamins and vitamin C.

Water-soluble Vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins bind to proteins in food. Vitamins are generally digested, absorbed and transported similarly. Even when using supplements, water-soluble vitamins are rarely toxic as they are not stored in the body in large quantities. They are absorbed mostly in the small intestine and stomach and are highly bioavailable, depending on nutritional status.

Bioavailability

Bioavailability means the amount of a nutrient that is absorbed across the gut wall into circulation and usable by the body. The more depleted of nutrients a person is, the more absorption occurs. Other nutrients may compete for absorption and some substances in food, such as can decrease bioavailability. Medications, age, illness, and alcohol use can also change bioavailability.

Water-soluble Vitamin Destruction

Water-soluble vitamins are easily destroyed in cooking and storage. They are susceptible to water, as they dissolve in water. Water-soluble vitamins degrade from heat, light, changes in acidity (pH), and oxygen exposure. You can see this happen when cooking vegetables in boiling water. The water takes on the color of the vegetables, as the nutrients move from the vegetables and into the water. Losses of nutrients can be minimized with proper handling, preparation, and storage of foods.

Nutrient Deficiencies That Result in Disease

The most common nutrients that result in deficiency diseases will be reviewed one vitamin at a time with deficiency signs and symptoms and then common sources of the nutrient will be listed. Then information about the use of vitamin supplements will be provided.

Vitamin B1- Thiamin

First on the list is B1, also called Thiamin. The deficiency disease of thiamin is called beriberi. It is common in parts of the world that rely on unfortified, milled rice as a staple food. It causes weak and impaired immune function. There are two types of beriberi. The first is known as dry beriberi, which is characterized by progressive wasting, numbing, and weakness of the extremities, and chronic infections. Wet beriberi is characterized by difficulty breathing, pitting edema, and eventually circulatory collapse. Thiamin is found in beef liver and pork, legumes, nuts, seeds, and eggs. Also, powdered milk, fortified cereals, and grain products are all good sources.

Vitamin B2 – Riboflavin

A deficiency in vitamin B2 or riboflavin causes ariboflavinosis. The first signs of deficiency can be reddening of the lips with cracking at the corners (cheilosis), an inflamed and sore mouth (stomatitis), tongue inflammation (glossitis), eye fatigue, and sensitivity to light.

Vitamin B2 is highly susceptible to photo-oxidation, exposure to light, and begins to degrade within about 20 minutes of exposure to light. Riboflavin is not susceptible to heat degradation. However, it can be lost into the water when cooked. Ariboflavinosis is a common deficiency seen in severe alcoholics. Excess supplementation will cause urine to become bright yellow. Sources of riboflavin are milk and dairy products, including powdered or canned. Beef liver, lamb, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes are also good sources.

Vitamin B3 – Niacin

Vitamin B3 or niacin deficiency results in the disease known as pellagra, which translates to “rough skin”. Diarrhea is one of the first signs. Dermatitis, then dementia, and ultimately death follow. Gastro-intestinal distress will manifest first. This deficiency is seen in chronic alcoholism, poverty, and food shortages. Sources of niacin include turkey, grass-fed beef or wild game, and mushrooms. High doses of niacin supplements can cause transitory flushing or redness of the face and neck, which can be uncomfortable. High doses of niacin, as a supplement, may be harmful to an infant during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Vitamin B6

A deficiency of Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine deficiency, causes red blood cells to be small and pale, which results in anemia with poor stamina and fatigue due to decreased oxygen availability in tissues. As with B2 or riboflavin deficiency, B6 deficiency also causes cheilosis, glossitis, and stomatitis. Deficiency also causes dizziness and can lead to early stroke. Malnutrition is the main cause of this deficiency disease. Women of childbearing age are higher risk for developing deficiencies of B6. People with inflammatory conditions and smokers are also high risk for developing deficiency of B6. Food sources of B6 include fish, (our favorite) liver, and starchy vegetables. Supplementation can be problematic if taken in large doses, leading to toxicity. B6 toxicity leads to severe neurological problems, such as numbness in the hands and feet.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, deficiency causes pernicious anemia. Signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency are fatigue, difficulty sleeping, numbness, memory loss, and severe neurological disturbances, such as hallucinations and paranoia. B12 deficiency usually occurs over an extended period of time and may go unnoticed until signs and symptoms become severe. Medications that decrease stomach acid can interfere with B12 metabolism and lead to deficiencies. B12 only comes from animal products, making vegans and vegetarians higher risk for B12 deficiency. Sources of B12 are animal products, including dried eggs, powdered milk, and dehydrated meats.

Folate

Folate deficiency causes large immature red blood cells. This deficiency occurs commonly in alcoholics, people with intestinal diseases, and the elderly. Deficiency during early pregnancy can cause neural tube defects, which can lead to death of the infant during birth. Folate deficiency causes birth defects to occur often before women know they are pregnant. Women of childbearing age should ensure that they have adequate intake of folate before becoming pregnant. Intake of Folate can “mask” B12 deficiency. Misdiagnosis of B12 deficiency is dangerous, especially for babies. It causes severe neurological damage and possibly death. Good sources of folate are dried legumes, peas (including dried), and leafy greens, such as dandelion greens, which are readily available in most wild areas.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy. Signs and symptoms are bleeding gums, skin irritations, and bruising for seemingly no reason. Poor wound healing is another sign of low vitamin C intake. Vitamin C is available in citrus fruit, which is not always readily available. However, scurvy can be prevented using dried berries, peppers, mango, and brussel sprouts when citrus fruits are not available. Food and drinks containing caffeine can inhibit the bioavailability of vitamin C by increasing urination and depleting vitamin C. Antibiotics and aspirin inhibit the bioavailability of vitamin C. Vitamin C intake should increase if antibiotics are needed. An additional concern for vitamin C status is stress. High levels of physical or mental stress increases the body’s need for vitamin C and can cause deficiency even while consuming the amount of vitamin C that prevents scurvy. Watch for signs and symptoms and increase intake accordingly.

Vitamin Supplements

The use of heavily processed foods where nutrients are lost during processing, stress that depletes nutrients, high energy expenditure, special growth circumstances such as adolescence, pregnancy and lactation, and aging can all lead to inadequate nutrient intake. During time of food shortages or lack of fresh foods, nutrition supplements can be used to augment food intake. Vitamin supplements are not meant to be food substitutes, as there are phytonutrients and trace nutrients in foods that are not available in supplement form. However, supplements can play a role in a preventing the most likely nutrient deficiencies when food supplies are limited for whatever reason.

You may need to adjust the level of supplementation according to individual need. For example, the minimum recommended amount of vitamin C for a male 18 years old or older is 90 milligrams. However, a person under high stress and/or expending more than normal physical energy would need a minimum of 125 milligrams to prevent scurvy.

Use of Vitamin Supplements

For specific nutrients, an alternative to finding fresh foods or using stored foods is the use of vitamin supplements in the form of capsules, tablets, powder, or liquid form can be used to prevent deficiencies. There are some basic guidelines you should understand prior to taking any type of supplement. Do use nutritional supplements in moderation as large doses of some nutrients, as mentioned above, can be harmful. Do use supplements as one way to improve nutrient intake, while finding access to the nutrients you need from fresh foods whenever possible. Drink plenty of water when taking nutritional supplements. Remember that water-soluble vitamins need water to increase bioavailability.

Storing Vitamin Supplements

You should store vitamin supplements separately in sealed containers. Vacuum sealing devices work well for sealing small quantities of vitamin supplements needed for a 2 to 3 weeks’ supply. Supplements will degrade when exposed to air. For long-term storage, use vitamins that are not packaged with minerals, as the minerals can cause oxidation and degradation (loss of potency) of the vitamins. Be sure that oxygen absorbers have been used in the packaging. Store the sealed vitamin supplements in a cool, dry, dark place to avoid degradation from heat and light. They will be preserved longer than you think!