December 13th, 2011 at 3:31 pm (survival skills, urban survival, the human path, green homesteading, self sufficiency farming, long-term food storage, disaster preparedness, readiness, health and nutrition, economic collapse, power shortage, survival scenario, self sustainability)
While prompting readers to try a 23-day challenge of self-sustainability, writer and mother of 3, Andrea Muse is preparing her family for their own 90 day test where they will put the self-sustainability model into action. Born from a desire to be independent of consumer-driven 'needs', the author of the website Frugally Sustainable is building a community of like-minded people to support one another in their own journey to become more self-reliant, creative and happy.
Sam Coffman and Andrea discuss:
- What is one item that is almost impossible to find a substitution for?
- How has that one item grown to faciliate interaction between like-minded people who are practicing self-sustainability with discussions, an unlimited knowledge base and place of support?
- How does history play an important role in devising substitutions for items?
- the 23-Day Frugal Living Challenge, what is it, what does it include and how does it work?
- What is THE toughest thing about changing from a consumer-driven lifestyle to one that is more independent?
- Andrea's personal preparedness in event of a life-changing disaster
- The importance of both neighbors and community
- What is the most important core principle of preparedness that so many people have neglected?
- How dependence on society's 'safety net' has rendered the majority of people incapable of basic survival skills like getting food, purifying water and coping with disaster
- re-defining 'wants' and 'needs' is the key to becoming self-sustainable
Andrea is Registered Nurse turned frugally sustainable homemaker. She left her full-time career in order to live out her passions as a wife, a homeschooling Mom to three young children, a homemaker, and a blogger. Together she and her family live in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. They are all about designing a deeply enjoyable and rewarding life that is interdependent on like-minded others, ecologically responsible and centered around the home.
Andrea blogs at Frugally Sustainable. There you can read about her family’s counter-cultural journey away from consumerism. You may also be interested to join the growing community of like-minded individuals on her Facebook page or follower her on twitter @FrugallySustain.
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December 12th, 2011 at 1:45 pm (survival skills, urban survival, the human path, green homesteading, self sufficiency farming, long-term food storage, readiness, health and nutrition, self sustainability)
When many people are so busy they can't take on one more project and can barely maintain the lifestyle they have, often they feel like something has to give. Busy mother of 3, author and RN, Andrea Muse realized this same thing; and her family underwent a dramatic change to become more self-sustaining and stepped off the hamster wheel of consumption.
Sam Coffman and Andrea Muse discuss the transition between a mainstream hyper-consumer-driven life to one that is simpler, slower and richer at the same time.
- how her family made the transition from 'consumer' role to that of a 'producer'
- what initial changes they found they could do without: gym memberships, attending every social event on their calender, participating in all the sports for children, etc. and how it affected the family
- how coping with a passion-less job drives people to seek distractions to make it do-able
- the time obstacles with a more sustainable lifestyle and how making that shift requires creating your own 'time-zone' instead of the hectic rat-race pace
- how dependence on the consumer consiousness causes cultures to lose their sense of ingenuity and creativity in favor of 'stuff'.
- some things Andrea has done on the road to becoming more in control of her own life: gardening, saving seeds, using alternatives to high-energy sucking appliances, making her own products, repairing their own cars and raising their own food, etc. etc.
- becoming self-sustainable is a gradual process that doesn't have to be overwhelming and instead, can be freeing as people find their own creativity, the ability to self-teach and the importance of nurturing real relationships of substance.
Tomorrow, we'll finish up the podcast with how Andrea makes this possible.
Andrea is Registered Nurse turned frugally sustainable homemaker.
She left her full-time career in order to live out her passions as a wife,
a homeschooling Mom to three young children, a homemaker, and a blogger. Together she and her
family live in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. They are all about designing a deeply enjoyable and
rewarding life that is interdependent on like-minded others, ecologically responsible and centered around the home.
Andrea blogs at Frugally Sustainable. There you can read about her family’s counter-cultural journey away from consumerism. You may also be interested to join the growing community of like-minded individuals on her Facebook page or follower her on twitter @FrugallySustain.
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December 9th, 2011 at 2:03 pm (survival skills, the human path, texas outdoor education, herbology, outdoor survival, trauma medicine, field medicine, health and nutrition)
As Sam Coffman and Nicole Telkes continue their discussion on herbalism in the 21st century, they cover some more general concepts and move into a few specific medicinal plants as well.
- Does the energetic approach to understanding the healing properties of plants, work? What exactly is it?
- Real-life examples of how herbal medicine has worked for treatment of injuries and illness
- What are some of the medicinal plants that are showing themselves in central Texas as we move into winter?
- What are some of the nutritional and medicinal uses (and preparations) of Chickweed (Stellaria media)? Is there another plant it can be easily mistaken for in central Texas?
- What are some of the organ and body systems that Cleavers (Gallium aparine) effects?
Interested in studying plant medicine with Sam Coffman or Nicole Telkes?
Check out The Human Path Level 1 herbology course in 2012
or check out Nicole Telkes' website for her upcoming herbalism classes
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December 8th, 2011 at 2:42 pm (survival skills, the human path, herbology, the combat medic, health and nutrition)
In today's podcast, Sam Coffman and Nicole Telkes discuss herbalism in today's society. There are many aspects of plant medicine that have changed over the past century, and most of them are based more on our cultural perspective of plant medicine than are based on the actual effectivess of medicinal plants.
Nicole and Sam discuss:
- The changes that our cultural/societal awareness has gone through regarding plant medicine
- Are herbs just "nutritional supplements" or are they actual medicine?
- How has our cultural attitude about medicine and healing changed over the past century?
- What exactly is "Occupy Herbalism" and how does it fit or not fit in with the concept of the "Occupy" movement?
- What does it mean to bring medicine back to the people?
- How working with plants actually changes people much more deeply
- What is the difference between a reductionist vs. a vitalistic approach to herbalism?
Interested in studying plant medicine with Sam Coffman or Nicole Telkes?
Check out The Human Path Level 1 herbology course in 2012
or check out Nicole Telkes' website for her upcoming herbalism classes
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December 6th, 2011 at 3:05 pm (survival skills, urban survival, the human path, texas outdoor education, outdoor survival, disaster preparedness, readiness, power shortage, survival gear)
Today's podcast wraps up the discussion about bug-out bags and what essentials should go in them. A bug-out bag is a crucial part of any self-preparedness plan, ideally in a waiting closet or car; stocked for an emergency. Sam Coffman and Shaun McKee talk about some of their favorite 'essentials' that can go in a bug-out bag, as well as tips on working the bag into daily life.
- By working with the equipment in the bag in testing situations ... in the dark, under time limits or under stress, a person can grow used to where things are in the pack and become more familiar with and more comfortable using the tools inside the bag.
- Must-have essentials: fasteners like paracord or zip ties, duct tape, lighting options like a candle or head lamp, a rain poncho, knife, etc.
- Other essentials that are invaluable: fishing gear, shoo goo, extra batteries, a multi-tool.
- The benefits of a candle vs. a chem light
- How bike tire tubes can be useful as an emergency firestarter method when wood is wet
- The multiple uses for a rain poncho beyond weather protection
- The psychological effect of luxury or comfort items in a bug-out bag
- Don't forget to pack attitude. Attitude, whether positive or negative, is contagious and will affect every aspect of an emergency situation.
Podcast 076: Fire and Water
Podcast 071: Footwear and Clothing
Podcast 070: Basic Essentials of the Bugout Bag, An Overview.
Anyone participating in the recent Scout series at The Human Path can tell you the importance of what they pack and carry with them. For more information on the upcoming scout classes, visit our 2012 online calendar.
To keep in the loop for our upcoming classes, workshops and more, join our newsletter list!
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December 5th, 2011 at 5:47 pm (survival skills, urban survival, fire-building, texas outdoor education, outdoor survival, disaster preparedness, readiness, survival gear)
In today's podcast, Sam Coffman and Shaun McKee continue their bugout bag ("go bag") conversation. When they left off, they had been discussing the bag itself, and clothing. Today, they continue this discussion with a conversation about:
- Water Containers
- Water Purification when on the move
- Fire making and fire kits
- The importance of having redundant technologies
- The importance of "gear overlap"
Tomorrow's podcast will conclude our discussion of a well-rounded, well-equipped bug-out bag you can rely on.
Podcast 071: Footwear and Clothing
Podcast 070: Basic Essentials of the Bugout Bag, An Overview.
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