CRICKETS FOR SURVIVAL
Crickets live in shallow tunnels dug beneath stones or dirt or in clumps of plant matter. Males can often be heard calling females for mating at night when they are more active. Most species are found in grasslands and forest, but many others can also be found near seashores, in marches, trees and caves.
TELLING THE TEMPERATURE WITH A CRICKET
A cricket’s chirp can help you determine the temperature. Crickets won’t chirp if it is warmer than a hundred degrees or less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Count the number of chirps sounding in a 15 second span of time. To this total, add 40. Your result will be the temperature in Fahrenheit. To determine the temperature in Celsius, count the chirps heard within 25 seconds, divide by three, then add four.
LIVE BAIT
Using crickets as live bait, you can catch fresh fish. Cricket fishing is well suited to shoreline fishing as it is most effective within 15 feet of the banks of small lakes.
Secure your hook to the fishing line and then place the cricket onto the hook. Firmly grasp the cricket between your fingers and thumb while you insert the hook. I’ve found some instructions that recommend inserting the barb behind the cricket’s head, into the thorax, and then pushing the hook along the length of the body, exiting the barb just beneath the tail, at the rear of the abdomen. This is in contrast to experienced fishermen that state the hook should be inserted at the rear, threaded through the body and exit just behind the head, through the thorax. Fish will attempt to suck your bait off of your hook and this method helps prevent loss of the cricket without hooking a fish.
A discarded can will serve well as a fishing reel. Anchor the free end of your fishing line and cast the baited hook into the water. Wrap your line around the can to bring the hook back. Continue to cast and reel in your line until you have a fish.
A SOURCE OF FOOD
Crickets reproduce twenty times faster than cattle raised for food. Over the span of three or four weeks, over 1,000 eggs can be laid by a female. Crickets require a fraction of the space and food needed to raise other forms of meat. These insects are twice as efficient at meat production as pigs or chickens. They can supply meat at a rate that is four times that of sheep and six times that of cattle, after deductions for trimming and dressing.
The meat from crickets provide protein and other nutrients. One hundred grams of cricket meat contains 3% carbohydrate, 6% fat and 21% protein in addition to 21 mgs calcium. For each gram dry weight of cricket meat there is 63 to 122 milligrams of fatty acid (linoleic acid & a0linolenic acid), copper, magnesium and iron. All of this is available for the cost of vegetable table scraps.
HERDING CRICKETS
A series of large trenches would be dug by the Paiute people as a means of catching crickets. Dry straw would be placed over this. Then the crickets would be driven into the trenches. Next, the straw was set ablaze and the crickets were roasted. Bushels of the roasted crickets were then gathered to be ground into flour used to bake protein-rich bread.
FARMING CRICKETS
Raising your own crickets will ensure that you have a ready supply that hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides or chemicals. Put about two inches of soil in the bottom of a large aquarium. Egg cartons can be placed inside to serve as roosts. Provide water by placing wet cotton balls inside. Grated vegetables and scraps of grains should be left inside for food. Take the time to lightly mist the soil every few days. Secure the aquarium with a tight-fitting lid because crickets are escape artists and will try to get away whenever you open the lid.
PREPARING TO EAT
Place in a colander your selection of crickets. Use cheesecloth or wire screening to quickly cover this and keep the insects contained. Run water over the top to rinse them thoroughly. Shake the excess water from the container. Seal the crickets in a container and place this in the freezer for 15 minutes. While this length of time will be enough to kill the crickets, it will not be enough time to freeze them. Take them out of the freezer and rinse the crickets once more. Depending on your personal preference, the legs, wing cases and heads can be removed. The legs can be painful to swallow and will sometimes get stuck in the teeth. Crickets can be consumed raw, but they can also be dehydrated or roasted and incorporated into your recipes.
TAKE PRECAUTIONS
Be careful when selecting crickets for food. Avoid those found near or in residential areas as these might have been exposed to chemical insecticides or herbicides.
Below Ray Mears demonstrates using a can as a fishing reel.
It's towards the end of this short video:
HOW TO MAKE A MUSTARD PLASTER
Plasters made with mustard can be used to effectively treat coughs and congestion. Additionally, this treatment can help ease pain and aches that arise from inflammation. The mustard plaster’s vapor helps ease congestion. The warmth of the plaster increases blood flow and oxygenation of the area.
MAKING A MUSTARD PLASTER
In a small container, place 2 cups of flour and combine with 4 tablespoons of dry mustard, blending with a fork. If you haven’t any dried mustard, you can use prepared mustard. While you continue to stir, add a little warm water until you have a paste-like consistency. Smear this paste onto half of a swatch of flannel or cotton cloth (about 12 inches by 6 inches). Fold the cloth in half so that the paste is sandwiched in the middle. Heat your oven to its lowest setting and warm the cloth on a baking sheet inside for 5 minutes. Don’t leave it longer as the plaster could overheat or harden. Remove the warmed plaster from the oven. NEVER MICROWAVE YOUR PLASTER.
HOW TO USE YOUR PLASTER
To apply your plaster, wear a thin undershirt and place the plaster on your chest. The plaster should never make direct contact with the skin. If preferred, you may make two plasters and apply one to your chest and one to your back. On top of this, place a blanket or towel and relax for fifteen to twenty minutes.
CAUTIONS
Remove the plaster if you detect irritation, blistering, red or painful skin. The plaster treatment should not last longer than one half hour. To save ingredients, you can use half as much of the recipe for small children. Children younger than six years old and fragile older persons aren’t usually good candidates for this treatment.
Wait 4 hours between applications which can be continued until symptoms improve.
DISCLAIMER
The purpose of this article is for information only. Persons utilizing these methods assume all liability. This article is not a substitute for the care of a trained health professional.
SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR EARTHQUAKE SURVIVAL
When the ground is rumbling every second counts. There is no time to panic. Refusing to panic can save your life. If you are close enough to feel the tremor, you are close enough to the quake (or explosion) for buildings in your area to be damaged. It is possible that the following suggestions may help you survive.
BASIC SAFETY
Within reach of your bed and your work station, keep sturdy shoes and a working flashlight. A set of clothes you can quickly put on should be at your bedside. If the shaking starts while you are in bed, remain there until it stops. When the tremor ends, quickly put on clothing and shoes. Bare feet are no match for broken glass, and light shoes won’t last long in rough terrain.
DUCK, COVER & HOLD
IF YOU ARE LOCATED INDOORS kneel next to an interior, weight-bearing wall. Get beneath something solid such as a strong table. Use your hands to protect your neck and head. Take a firm hold of the object you are beneath to keep yourself steady.
IF YOU ARE LOCATED IN A HIGH-RISE get beneath something sturdy. Use your arms and hands to shield your head and neck. Grasp the object shielding you to steady yourself. Use the stairs when you exit. Elevators should NEVER be used during a fire or earthquake.
WHEN OUTSIDE
Quickly note the location of large trees and power lines. These could be a threat to your safety if they fell. Avoid overhead hazards such as these. Try to position yourself in an open space in order to avoid falling objects. Move away from high buildings. Two to thirteen feet of broken glass can crash onto streets beneath high-rise buildings.
IF YOU ARE IN AN AUTOMOBILE
Don’t exit the vehicle. Locate yourself beyond the reach of overhead threats. Don’t park under any extensions. Remain in your car even if it is beneath a bridge during an earthquake. The vehicle’s tires act as insulation and will cushion the blow of any heavy debris that lands on your car. On an open road, you will want to pull over to the shoulder without blocking the thoroughfare. Wait for the quaking to end. Use your radio to track reports and get further instructions.
IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH
Realize that aftershocks are likely: prepare to DUCK-COVER-HOLD – again! Examine yourself for injuries. Secure your flashlight. In the event of gas leaks, a flashlight will be MUCH safer to use than a candle. If you are at home, locate everyone in your household. Move everyone to a safe place that you’ve agreed upon beforehand. Once you’ve accounted for everyone, walk around the perimeter of the house, checking for structural damage such as large cracks or obvious leaning.
Wait for instructions from authorities before attempting to shut off natural gas. Tune in by radio to the emergency broadcast network for information on relief efforts.
Locate any pets you own. Soothe and reassure them. To protect them from running away, restrain them or place them on a leash until it is certain they are no longer afraid. This will also help prevent bites that occur due to anxiety.
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
Respect the role that instincts play in survival. Pay attention to what you see small animals and insects doing. In 2008 there was a mass migration of frogs crossing roads in China that began on a Monday (May 5th). A few days later (May 12th) a 7.8 magnitude quake killed nearly 10,000 people in central China.
TAKE HEED
These measures are offered as guidelines. Considering your course of action ahead of time will increase your likelihood of survival if you find yourself in an earthquake. This advice is not meant to take the place of professional emergency aid. All liability is assumed by the person that utilizes these measures.
HERBS USED FOR INCENSE
Historically, sick rooms were once cleansed using the smoke from burning sage and rosemary. A fragrant wood, Cedar is known to have expectorant, antifungal, antiviral and lymphatic cleansing properties. The needles from Pine, Spruce and Fir trees contain the main ingredient in Tamiflu (a medicine used to treat the bird flu) called shikimic acid. Respiratory ailments have been helped with the application of incense made with Frankincense. Other similarly beneficial herbs are Eucalyptus leaves and Mullein.
The slow burning of plant materials release essential oils into the smoke which – when inhaled – are then carried into the lungs. Bronchial inflammation can be relieved by beneficial herbal properties that are directly applied to the tissue using this method.
I know of one instance of a woman that was left struggling for air, choking and vomiting from a strong cytokine response during the flu. The man of the house closed the damper on the wood stove and placed cedar in the fire box, which produced a cleansing smoke. The cytokine storm stopped right away. Twenty minutes later, she had no more mucus and was relieved of her flu symptoms. Since that time, they have used this same remedy on other family members to good effect (of course, they air the house out afterwards).
Native Americans often used the smoke of Cedar to cleanse their homes. Smoke can be used in rustic conditions as a cleanser to rid a person, bedding, clothing or shelter of vermin, viruses and harmful bacteria. The last part of Leviticus 14 records that priests were instructed to cleanse a house of the plague using Cedar.
HOW TO USE HERBS FOR INCENSE
Carefully place a hot ember or coal from a hardwood fire (use tongs) onto a heat resistant surface. Assemble the herbs around and onto the ember and watch for smoke. Allow the smoke to waft over you and inhale. Be careful that the plant material does not burst into flames but only smokes. The smoldering is accomplished by using hot coals rather than an open fire; you can also tie your herbs or wood into tight bundles.
Herbs tightly bundled for incense are called smudge sticks. In some cases, leaves and stems can be tightly braided. If you only have dry leaves, these can be tightly wrapped in unbleached paper and tied with cotton thread. To use smudge sticks, light one of the ends. Extinguish the flame by gently blowing on it, leaving the smudge stick to smoking. These smudge sticks make it easier to direct the smoke and they tend to smoke longer than loose plant material.
WARNING
Never inhale or come near the smoke of a plant to which you are allergic. The purpose of this article is for information only. Persons utilizing these methods assume all liability and are encouraged to use safety guidelines. This article is not a substitute for the care of a trained health professional.
FRANKINCENSE – AN AMAZING HEALER
Frankincense is an impressive healing tool. It is an item I would choose to have in a survival kit. If you find yourself fighting an advancing infection, this gum resin is an invaluable tool.
Frankincense is retailed as a powder, little bits of hardened gum, or as an essential oil. The pebbles of gum and powder are not heavy. In my opinion, the granules are easier to carry and can be crushed to powder if this is needed.
As a steam inhalation, Frankincense is a helpful treatment for colds, bronchitis and other breathing difficulties. I’ve witnessed its benefits help in the recovery process of pneumonia. We use it in our home in a crock pot with dried mullein and eucalyptus leaves, add filtered water and heat to introduce a healing steam into the room. Frankincense can also be used as incense, releasing its beneficial properties in a fine smoke, as the granules are placed on a hot coal in a fireproof container.
Frankincense is regenerative, restorative, rejuvenating and quite valuable as a topical wound dressing. Its astringent properties make Frankincense infused oil a selection by some for a post-natal uterine tonic and massage oil. Frankincense is an anti-inflammatory and promotes healing when used to treat blemishes, scars, sores, skin ulcers and wounds. In some parts of the world, Frankincense is regarded as a treatment for leprosy. (See HOW TO INFUSE OILS)
In one case, a weeping leg injury had developed an odor. The infection was advancing as evidenced by the inflammation and red lines. Although good wound care was applied, this seemed to do little to make the infection retreat. Frankincense was used after other methods failed. The patient immediately felt the difference. A physician was surprised that the leg did not require amputation, but only stitches to help close the healthy tissue. His experience had been that such cases ended with the loss of the leg.
I observed a burn wound to an arm that had touched a hot oven rack. The wound was immediately dressed with honey and some olive oil infused with plantain. The area was kept clean and bandaged. The burn was about one fourth of an inch deep and one inch long. Though a second degree burn, there was only slight blistering. Although the injury seemed to be healing well, it became infected. Swelling, pain and red streaks soon appeared. A garlic poultice helped, but did not reverse the inflammation. Frankincense infused olive oil was applied resulting in the reduction of pain and inflammation in less than twelve hours. In the space of a day the wound began to heal from within and the pain stopped. By the second day, the swelling had gone, the wound was closed and was a healthy pink as the lower layers of skin were rebuilding By the week’s end, there was only a faint scar.
When available, Frankincense can be an effective wound care tool. If you use essential oil for medicinal purposes, take the time to insure that the product you select was steam distilled or alcohol extracted as chemical solvent methods are not safe for this application. Many manufacturers will gladly receive telephone inquiries. Methods of manufacture can change with time (even with the same brand), so re-check your information periodically.
This article is for the information of the reader. Nothing here is intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical examination and care. Utilize these processes at your own risk.
