Yes, you should add some tarps to your preps

The tarp is not as glamorous as guns and ammo, but having some around after a disaster will make life easier.

Even if you have a tent to sleep in after your house gets flattened, a tarp will come in handy for making a lounging or cooking space to use throughout the day.

If you don’t have a tent, you can make a trap-tent to sleep in.

If your house survived, but your roof is leaking, a tarp can be used as a temporary patch. You can also cover broken windows.

If the area has been flooded, you can use a tarp to make as a container for collecting rainwater to be used for drinking after purification.

You can also use tarps to create a stretcher for the injured. They are also useful for dragging storm debris and can be cut into strips for cordage as well.

There are many more uses, but I think you get the idea. Go into any disaster zone, and you will see them, and for a good reason, they work.

Buying A Tarp

Tarpaulins (Tarps) come in a variety of sizes. They are generally about three to five percent smaller than the advertised size. Thus, a tarp advertised as 20 ft × 20 ft will actually measure about 19 ft × 19 ft.

They come in different colors, thicknesses, and weave counts. Thicker and higher weave counts will be more durable.

Some stores will sell them in generalized categories such as “regular duty,” “heavy-duty,” “super heavy-duty,” etc.

They can also be bought with or without grommets. If you buy them with grommets, I suggest you still buy a cheap grommet kit for repairs.

Black pepper and Dr. Scott’s old-time medicine show

Black pepper is the world’s most traded spice and is one of the most common spices added to cuisines around the world. Its spiciness comes from the chemical piperine, not to be confused with the capsaicin characteristic of chili peppers.

As of 2016, Vietnam was the world’s largest producer and exporter of black peppercorns, producing 216,000 tonnes or 39% of the world total of 546,000 tonnes.

Peppercorns were a much-prized trade good in the past, often referred to as “black gold” and used as a form of commodity money. It was so valuable that it was often used as collateral.

So what can you do with the amazing black pepper that many considered a luxury item in the Middle Ages?

Well, flavoring food is the number one use for black pepper, but there are other uses for it. So let’s get this old school peddler show started and talk about its AMAZING applications.

Gather round folks cause I’m going to introduce to you the black pepper, cultivated in the far lands of Asia.

Friends this black substance can cure cancer and other health issues due to piperine, an alkaloid that gives black pepper (Piper nigrum) its pungency. Studies have shown that piperine exerts protective activity against numerous forms.

Got high blood pressure? I got the answer for that as well. Reports have shown that piperine can lower blood pressure in animals, so why not you?

Have you put on a little extra weight? Piperine can take care of that too. Yes, that’s right, studies have shown the very compound that makes you sneeze, also fights the formation of fat cells.

But that’s not all folks, there’s more! The ancient Chinese used pepper to alleviate coughs and congestion. This multipurpose powder stimulates circulation and mucus flow. Combine it with honey, and you got yourself an excellent natural cough suppressant. Simply mix a teaspoon of powdered black pepper with 2 tablespoons of honey in a cup. Then fill with boiling water, cover, and let it steep for about 15 minutes then strain. Do it three times a day, and your congestion and sinuses will be clear.

And I’m not done folks, this show is just getting started so step in a little closer. This product can also help fight infections and has superb antioxidant effects, Antioxidants fight disease-causing free radicals and boost immunity. In Indian, a study showed that rats induced with oxidative stress showed considerable improvement in their condition when administered with black pepper. Yep, I said it, rats.

Another test conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition in India found that black pepper had the highest concentration of antioxidants in all of the foods they had analyzed.

You got to get you some of this stuff folks because it can also improve your oral health too.

Just make yourself a messaging mixture, and relieve from toothache and other oral infections can be had due to piperine’s antibacterial properties. Simply mix equal amounts of salt and pepper in water and rub on your gums. For a toothache, you can mix black pepper with clove oil and apply it to the affected area.

Now, I know you’re saying to yourself, “Dr. Scott, that’s amazing, sell me some right now!” And I will, but I don’t want you to walk away without knowing about all of the uses for my pepper.

Did you know it can enhance your brain health? Who knew, right? And ladies, if you got a man that needs a little help in the fertility department, then pepper can help you out. It is known to increase testosterone levels as it is rich in zinc and magnesium – two minerals critical for male sex hormones. The zinc in pepper also helps in the development and movement of his little troopers. But go easy with it unless you want one of those big farm families.

Want to stop smoking? It will cure that too. Believe it or not, studies have shown that inhaling the vapor from black pepper can reduce smoking withdrawal symptoms. How’s that for a fix, my friends.

Dang! I’m about out of breath talking about all the benefits of pepper, but I can’t stop now because it also fights wrinkles, dandruff, and a lot of other things.

Its essential oils have anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties that work to reduce muscle injuries, tendonitis, and symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism. It may even help ease the discomfort of constipation, diarrhea, and gas. Now, who doesn’t need help with that? I know I do cause I might just be full of myself today.

So I’ll end this show right here and tell you to take a look at the four pages I referenced for this little post so you can make up your own mind as to what will and will not work.

As for me, I like it on my eggs and grits every morning, and that’s about it.

References Wikipedia, Draxe, Herbpathy and Stylecraze

My wife wanted to know why I bought more salt

My wife asked, “why did you buy more salt?”

And I said smugly, “To cook and preserve food with if the grid goes down. What else would I be buying it for?”

And she said, “Oh, I thought you might be buying it to make industrial chemicals, you know they use salt for that.

It’s used cleaning as well.

De-icing sidewalks, maybe?

How about using it as a poison ivy remedy, or weed killer for that grass in the sidewalk?

You could use it to fix that hole in the laundry room sheetrock if you mix it with a little water and cornstarch.

It’s good for putting out grease fires too.

And since the grids going down, you might want to buy some to put in the water you’ll be using this winter to rinse your clothes with; just a little bit will keep them from freezing on the line,” she said smugly.

And I said… I said nothing because I wanted to live long enough to see doomsday.