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A couple of comments here, I learned prior to and during thru hiking the appalachian trail.

Gore tex is good but It is not a magical bullet, You will still sweat and still have some moisture buildup while being very active wearing, once again it better than all the others options I have tried or read about. Gore tex rain pants and jacket, they act as a wind break, and an extra layer, the rain pants and jacket can be worn while washing your other clothes that have become nasty, stinky and dirty after wearing for several days.

Here is a trick for using a gore tex jacket to help make a sleeping bag warmer, after getting in the sleeping bag with the jacket off, take the jacket face down and slide your feet into the jacket from the botton of the jacket, then take the hood of the jacket fold it under the sleeping bag, pull the draw string snug not tight, to keep the jacket from sliding off the bag.

Second is using two layers of socks, ok granted for a lot of people this works, but for a lot of people this does not work, I use smart wool socks they are a blend of wool and synthetics, change a couple of times a day to keep your feet dry and allow them to breathe especially in the first week or so strenous use.

A third one is polypropilene clothing to wick away sweat expecially in areas of high humidity,

In high humidity areas remember this cotton kills, cotton kills, it absorbs sweat and when exposed to air causes hypothermia,

Now in extremely dry hot area's people want cotton it absorbs the sweat and the moisture helps to kool the body while evaporating.

I have extra socks and short and long sleeve t-shirts in my bug out and get home bags, so when i stop I can get the wet moist shirt off of me before it cools to quickly and causes me to chill, keep the feet dry and happy, change those socks often especially the first few days or weeks of high activity, let the callises build up, no one needs a blister
 
Your local Library is an AMAZING resource! DO NOT Underestimate what you can find there! I just got these books on "Practical survival guide" for- 1) Floods 2) Heat waves and droughts and the 3rd) on Fires. They also have many other books previously mentioned such as NW Foraging --AWESOME book I been thumbing thro it, very detailed and clear on Pousinous plants and the good ones like who would have thought you can make good tea with dried Stinging neetles? --

ALSO the "Back to Basics" books and many others. You really never know what your gonna find. I like to look for a book on a specific topic then goto that area and see all the other books they dont even mention on the "calalog"

Great to be able to check out certain books get the info you need and move on. Some books (like NW Foraging) are definate keepers tho so hard to retain that much good info. plus good to keep a guide like that on hand for DURING an emergency because your mind is gonna be preoccupied on other things besides tryin to remember if is was edible or poisinous and thats nothing you wanna 2nd guess.
 
It occurred to me today that, maybe, not everyone knows that Columbia Sportswear has two outlet stores in the area. One in Lake O. and one in Sellwood. Great prices! Pretty good selection though some times not all sizes. Cammo hunting outer wear, Omni-Tech (their version of Goretex), lots of Polar Fleece and sportswear.
 
Some of my favorite heirloom seed sources.

Sustainable Seed Co.
I love this site. Especially for certified organic heirloom grain seeds. They're a family owned business and take a lot of pride and care in preserving and testing heritage/heirloom seeds. A lot of their rare seeds are donations from other seed savers. They'll often offer some really old and hard to find varieties on there which sell out fast, so you have to jump on them when you see them. And they have a wealth of information on the history and types of seeds they sell and how to grow them. Best place I've found for a variety of non-GMO grains. They have some that are particularly well suited for the Pacific Northwest, like <broken link removed> .

Seed Savers Exchange
A nonprofit dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. You can buy directly from them or become a member and get involved with other seed savers. Excellent source of info and seeds.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - 1400 heirloom garden seeds!
They have an insane variety of heirloom seeds. If they don't have it, I'd be surprised.

D. Landreth Company Heirloom Seeds and Open Pollinated Seeds

Oldest seed house in America.

Territorial Seed Company - Vegetable Seeds, Flower Seeds, Herb Seed, Garden Seed
While I really like Territorial, you have to really pay attention to their products because not everything is heirloom. They offer quite a few organic seeds that aren't. They're supposed to be open pollinated but sometimes I wonder about some of their hybrids that were developed at OSU and other agricultural places. Might be worth a quick call just to be sure you know how their hybrids were developed.


Where ever you get your seeds, just be sure to read the descriptions well or ask. A lot of places still sell non-heirloom seeds to meet the demands of other customers. I avoid GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) seeds/plant starts, and only buy open pollinated hybridized seeds/starts that have been cross pollinated naturally over time. Another thing to keep in mind is, if you grow heirloom varieties, and your neighbor is growing GMO varieties nearby, it is possible that they can cross pollinate and effect your seeds if you're going to save them. So if you can, don't mix your garden or plant too close to other people's. Or maybe give your neighbors some seeds and encourage them to grow heirloom too. :)

More info on GMO
Genetically modified organism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?
Spilling the Beans: Unintended GMO Health Risks
 
Just stored some jig saw puzzles, a couple of new games and a few new books in the non-electrical entertainment bin. I once spent a five day, ice storm power outage with my then little boy and wife. I take the entertainment bin very seriously!
 
USA evacuation routes

USA Evacuation Routes. State by state evacuation information, also includes nuclear power and radiological information. Why not print up your counties evacuation routes now? I recommend printing in color, easier to see in situations with less lighting. Also, don't forget your county and state maps, good to have on hand or stored in your emergency binder. Usually can find free ones at state park offices, county offices, etc.

Site found through Self Reliance Network | Facebook
 
The book "dare to prepare" latest edition by stan and holly deyo, loads of good and hard to find info in here. I have acopy and every time I lend it out, the person buys there own copy, that says it for me.
 
USGS - U.S. Geological Survey

* Avian Influenza
* Climate Change
* Contaminants
* Droughts
* Earthquakes
* Energy and Minerals
* Floods
* Geospatial Analysis
* Groundwater, Surface water
* Human Health
* Invasive Species
* Map Interfaces
* Maps and Atlases
* Microbiology
* Real-time data
* Remote Sensing
* Volcanoes
* Water Quality
* Wildfires

NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Updates and everything you'd need to know about climate, weather, oceans, and coasts. A lot of emergency radios can access their radio frequency for local weather information. Comes in handy.
 

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