Survival Foods - Country of Origin

[A Question of Quality]

In my pantry there are a wide variety of food items: canned fish, legumes, pastas, rice, fruit, meat all in just about every color of the rainbow. After some serious consideration I am now narrowing down my food-search going forward based on the product's country of origin. With some items I feel as though it really matters where the food comes from. Now down the line in a SHTF scenario I probably won't care what country produced and packaged my food as long as it gives me sustenance, but for now I'd like to stay as healthy as possible.

You'll find that some items are very hard to find outside of certain countries depending on where you are in North America or elsewhere. In New England I find it is hard to get certain fruits and vegetables that aren't from Mexico or South America. For example: one of my favorites is avocado, but they are more often from Chile rather than domestic.

Fish products from Southeast Asia and the EU

Basic rule of thumb is try to stick to US and EU foods as they are subject to a much higher standard of quality, especially Europe. Many pesticides and preservatives approved by the FDA in the United States are outlawed in most of Europe, meaning that their food and drink industry meet a higher set of standards. So if I'm getting canned fish from say Denmark or Germany you can bet your bottom dollar it's at the very least as good, if not better than what you can get from the U.S. or even Canada. I've personally eaten in Denmark and Germany and can say firsthand that the quality of food - especially with fish and livestock is very noticeable over what you can find in a U.S. grocery store.

With Chinese distributed foods I feel a bit of unease. China is still a developing superpower - and by that I mean the infrastructure is still evolving and the government still has many holes in it. My main concern is the unknown and very unbalanced set of standards for quality of foods. Not only that, but the prevalent and ever-increasing levels of pollution as well. There's a laundry list of food safety incidents that are worth looking at just for China. With something like canned or packaged tuna from China - pollution and improper handling should immediately come to mind.

Thai Iced Tea bought locally

 
Obviously the same can go for fish from Japan, not that Japan really ever had issues with food quality, but after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster of 2011 all fish should be avoided from Japan and surrounding areas. It may seem obvious, but people still make sushi from fish around Japan that are most likely irradiated. Never underestimate the power of ignorance.

Travel farther south to a country like Thailand and I feel slightly more comfortable about the food. Little has been criticized from Southeast Asia in terms of food quality so it seems to be a safer nook - for now at least. Although in comparison to China quite a few countries look pretty good.

The best thing to do is to learn a bit about different countries and their food standards before buying certain products.

Gas Masks - SGE 400/3 (Update)

[Stereotypical Fear in a Capitalist Regime]

SO FINALLY after over a month the SGE 400/3 Gas mask I ordered FINALLY shipped. I put in the order on October 8th and today, the 21st of November it shipped. Can you believe that? When I called them mid-last month wondering what the status was the sales person told me (in a rather rude tone) that thousands of orders had been put in in a very short period of time and literally everything was back-ordered.

It's the perfect combination of the ease of modern capitalistic consumerism and that classic easy-spun public fear in the U.S. (of Ebola) that lead to this ridiculous situation. And of course shipping may be delayed because of winter storms. Maybe I'll get it just in time for Christmas and conduct a holiday review of it.

Ugh...

Original Post

Living With an Old Truck

[Personal Guide]

There is something to be said about owning an older truck. It can give you a sense of pride, a source of fun and even income if you're handy enough. Now for the sake of this post my definition of an "old truck" is, at this point a truck that is at least 15 years or rather anything pre-2000's.

Why Old Trucks?
For one - old trucks are cool. The boxier, bulkier and louder they are - the cooler they become. If I saw a '78 International Scout rumbling down the street I'd consider that the epitome of "cool". Less complexity - the fewer electronics and electrically-assisted aspects the fewer things to go wrong.  Dogs love trucks, so why shouldn't you? Remember the old Nissan commercials with the adage: Dogs love trucks!

 

Trucks nowadays find themselves the victim of what the rest of the automotive industry has been geared to: conformity. Everyone prescribes to the same designs, functions and features. I understand that there is a level of refinement and evolution from whence we came, but would it kill manufacturers to be a little more unique? I find myself either at first mistaking one truck for another or just not caring because "it looks like everything else".

I like the idea of a blue collar truck that is just meant for working. You haul, move, pull and push stuff around and generally do all the things the regular car can't. This isn't a daily commuter or for milk runs, this is for bringing home heavy duty building supplies and then plowing snow out of your neighbor's driveways.

Challenges
Old trucks rust - A LOT. The robust materials they are built out of are unfortunately susceptible to rust and rot unless you live in a very dry environment. I've lived in New England my entire life and all I've ever experienced is old rusty trucks and cars on the road. Not only do old trucks have the tendency to rust they also have more wear because of their uses and natural habitat.  Every aspect of the suspension gets more use and abuse than the average car because of the weight of the truck and the loads it can haul and tow. Same goes for the engine, transmission and transfer case if it's a 4x4.

Regardless of make or model get used to this sight

It definitely helps to be mechanical if you are going to own and keep an old truck. Most older models will often have a good base market for parts so finding replacements shouldn't be the issue, just make sure you or someone you know can install them properly.

Early implemented electronics are finicky too, but more often than not it's non-essential items.

Do Your Research!
I cannot stress this enough - research before buying! Always know what you're getting into before you smack down that wad of cash for an old truck. Know what the availability and price of parts is, know what breaks the most often and how to fix it and know how far your truck can go.

Personal Experience
I've owned two "old" trucks so far. A 1993 Chevrolet Blazer Tahoe 4x4 and more recently a 1998 Nissan Frontier XE 4x4 (both mentioned and pictured in my Bug Out Vehicle Part 2 post). For the price and effort both had done me well - currently I still own and use the Frontier and just only a day before writing this post I have just finished replacing the oil pan with the help of a good friend.

With all the time and effort it's still worth it especially if you own land or a house. A truck is an key part of being a Do-It-Yourself-er and considering the money you can save it's worth it in the long run. Beyond everything else older trucks are just a joy to own, drive and (usually) work on.