Author Archives: Trace Adams

Have a Plan (Even For The Minor Things)

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Make a PlanPlanning should start with the most likely scenarios first. Yes, it’s much more exciting to discuss how we plan to survive “the end of the world as we know it”, and while those eventualities are possible — they’re just not real probable. Think of the smaller “disasters” in your life that are far more probable: getting lost, a flat tire in an unsafe location, losing your cell phone, credit/debit card not working, getting in a car crash, and the list goes on. While these are not typically the disasters we discuss as preppers, they are the events that are more likely to happen in our lives.

The first step, when preparing for any potential 2779disaster, is having a plan. In the military they’d say, “The reason why things aren’t going exactly according to plan, is that there never was a plan.” Think through likely emergencies/disasters that might just affect you personally, then ones that would only affect your family, then neighborhood, then local area, then wide-spread area and come up with plans to deal with them. Start small, write the important ones down and discuss them with your family.

Anyone who’s been prepping for very long knows that it can become expense. It doesn’t have to, but it frequently does as we stockpile extra basic needs and all the related paraphernalia. The one big part of prepping that doesn’t cost any money, is making a plan.

Recently this point was again illustrated to me when Sarah’s brother went on a multi-day kayaking trip around the San Juan Islands. His friend put together a “Float Plan”, detailing their duration, timeframe, route, distances, destinations, contact info, and concluded with some contingency situations and when to contact emergency services if necessary (see below). It was very detailed, yet at the same time, very simple.

Putting something together like this costs nothing but a little bit of time. You’ve already done the research for the trip, so it’s just a matter of correlating it and sending it to someone(s) on your In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.) list.

It’s the relatively minor, day to day things–that we can do something about–that are likely going to cause us the biggest problems, plan for them first. Once you have them all accounted for, then tackle the apocalypse.

[<click> to see their Float Plan (personal data blacked out)]

Float Plan 1

Float Plan 2

Sarah’s View: The First Steps to Debt-Free

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by Sarah Adams -

1288604993JYP2mWLast year I wrote A Prepper’s Budget, about the budgeting philosophy that has helped us work toward being debt-free. That post, however, talked mostly about our ongoing budgeting strategies and did not really address how to get started.

While it depends on what your goals are, as Trace and I have talked about before on this blog, getting debt-free was our primary goal and certainly recommended by many in the prepping world. In order to be debt-free you must stop using the credit cards. You cannot be debt-free if you’re still digging the hole.

debt-ball-and-chainStep 1: Pay your monthly bills. Can you pay all of your monthly bills with your current income? In order to make any kind of dent into your debt, you have to be able to cover all your monthly expenses with your monthly income. If you are not in a position to pay all your bills each month you need to take a hard look at your lifestyle. What can be dropped? Do you need cable? Can you find a cheaper cell phone plan? What about income? Can you pick up extra hours? Once you can cover all your normal monthly expenses, without dipping into the credit card, you’re on your way.

Step 2: Create a financial emergency fund. This is Dave Ramsey’s Baby Step 1 – the $1,000 emergency fund. He recommends keeping this in cash, someone accessible — but not so accessible that you go to it when it’s not a true emergency. The idea is to set aside $1,000 to cover the unexpected; so that when the unexpected does happen you don’t have to use credit (and go deeper into debt). I know it isn’t always easy to save up to $1,000, especially if Step 1 was a challenge, but it’s so important to be prepared for those emergencies that will come so that you can continue down the path to debt-free.

debt snowballStep 3: Debt snowball strategy. Again, we followed Dave Ramsey’s recommendation and paid off our debt using the concept of a “debt snowball”. The idea is that you pay any extra toward the debt with the smallest principal (don’t worry about the interest rates). Say the minimum payment is $50 a month and you add an extra $10 a month to that payment; once that bill is paid you now take that $60 and put it towards the debt with the next-smallest principal outstanding. This $60 is over and above the minimum payment for this debt. As you can see the payments you are making “snowball” quickly.

Step 4: Begin saving. Now that you have paid off, or at least paid down, your debt you can start saving. Once we had our debt paid off, we were able to save for and buy a truck last year with the money we had been using for our snowball. We have also worked to have at least one month’s expenses in savings. Trace and I are currently saving toward the new house, but after that we plan to save up to having the three to six months’ expenses in savings. The best part, by doing it this way, our old debt no longer needs to be included in the amount we need to save to cover our monthly expenses. We have less debt and, therefore, fewer expenses to worry about in an emergency.

We followed the above steps while doing a monthly zero-based budget as I described last year. The budget allowed us to see our expenses each month, in black and white, and helped us project when we could move from one step to the next.

Life-Without-DebtGetting started can be incredibly overwhelming and money is a challenging topic to tackle, but it is so worth it. As a prepper, being debt-free is one of the best things you can do to prepare for any scenario – big, small, local or nation-wide.

 

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: The 911 Bag

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by Nick Romaniello -

ambulanceWith bugout bags, get home bags, EDC, etc, preppers tend to organize many go-to kits for various emergency scenarios. The prepper mentality is largely one of self-reliance, but what happens when injury or health emergency force you to rely on someone else? Do they know everything they should? I have recently experienced a few scenarios, both directly and indirectly, within my own family where medical emergencies rendered a person unresponsive. Without going into too much personal detail, one scenario had me alone with a person who lost consciousness from a drug interaction. Training had allowed me to avoid panic and react properly. A call was placed to 911 and information was conveyed in a calm clear way to assist responders as much as possible. When paramedics arrived on scene, the quest for information continued and I found myself suddenly unable to answer all the questions. “What medications does this person take?” “Who is their Primary Care Physician?” “We are taking them to So and So hospital, do you know the way?” I was suddenly at a disadvantage. A disadvantage that affected this persons effective treatment. What could I do to prevent this disadvantage in the future?

Pregnant women are often the most prepared for a sudden departure to a hospital or birthing center. They know they will be going, but just aren’t sure when. So they get prepared. When “it’s time” they just pick up and (relatively) calmly go, knowing that they will have everything they need. The truth is that we all may be on our way to the hospital and just don’t know when. Remember that “it’s not if, but when” mentality of being prepared and pack a small bag for each household to be grabbed in the event of a medical emergency. When a person is rushed to the hospital (especially if they are unable to speak) you will have important information and gear that will make the difference.

emergency roomWhile I’m sure there are resources out there that discuss this type of prep, I haven’t come across any. Based on my personal experiences alone, I would recommend the following to be included in such a kit:

  • Prescription Information: This includes a list of all current medications, dosage amounts, usual times they are taken, and prescribing doctors contact information.
  • Over-the-Counter or Natural Remedy’s: If the subject is taking anything that may react with prescriptions being taken or medications that may be administered in hospital the ER should be alerted.
  • Allergy Information: If the subject has any allergies to medication, food, latex, etc.
  • Copies of ID: Drivers license, organ donor information, insurance card, and a list of important phone numbers.
  • Personal Essentials: If the subject wears glasses, dentures or anything else needed to function normally be sure to either include spares in the bag, or list a reminder to get them on the way out the door.
  • Hospital Information: Depending on your location, there may be one or many possible destinations for an ambulance. A list of local ER’s with addresses, phone numbers and directions can help greatly when your mind is racing.
  • Clothing and Personal Items: A change of clothes, a book, and some comfort items such as a family photo can bring some peace to a person facing an unexpected hospital stay. Perhaps include some snacks and a book for the person sitting in the waiting room holding the bag. Include dollars and coins for parking and vending machines.

For me this type of kit is a recent concept and is far less refined than the oft-discussed B.O.B. so I would welcome any additional information or ideas to help make the 911 bag, as I am calling it, a more effective piece of prepping gear. A rush to the hospital is never a pleasant experience, but being prepared can help alleviate stress and speed effective treatment.

 

Momma Bear: Book Review: Wool

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by Leah, Momma Bear -

WoolI recently picked up the book Wool, by Hugh Howey. There were a couple reasons I picked up this book: it was a post-apocalypse story set in a missile silo, it was originally self-published as a short story/e-book and then later picked up by Simon and Schuster, and the movie rights have been picked up by Ridley Scott. I will be curious to see if this book ever develops into a movie. While this was a decent book, I would not put it on the same level as some of the genre classics.

I come from a family of big science fiction nerds. I have had a long love affair with science fiction and the end of our world, a science fiction sub-genre known as apocalyptic or dystopian fiction (the basic “we’re doomed” theme). From movies to books, I love it all. Most of us think of the apocalyptic genre as stemming from the 1940’s and beyond, coming from the Cold War at the end of World War II. But the truth is that the genre is actually much older. Mary Wool-1Shelley (the same lady who gave us Frankenstein) wrote The Last Man in 1826, which is believed to be the first modern apocalyptic novel, about a world-wide pandemic. Seventy years later, HG Wells hit the literary scene with such masterpieces as The Time Machine in 1895, and War of the Worlds in 1898. These stories, with their end of the world themes, continue to be popular today as we see them portrayed each summer in the latest movies. In fact, many of our favorite apocalypse movies are rooted in literature. For instance, Blade Runner is loosely based on the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick.

Wool is an intriguing read because it deals with the intricacies of human nature in a post-apocalypse society. Within the silo are the last vestiges of humanity, following some unexplained and no longer remembered apocalypse that has left the outside world toxic. Inside is a tightly contained, controlled, and stratified society in which every birth must be preceded by a death, a one for one population control essentially. Society itself is divided by a person’s occupation and location within the 100+ level silo, with the administrative/political people residing closest to the surface and the workers on decreasing levels until you reach the dark bottom, mechanics levels (though they are the ones who provide everything from air to electricity). But when a few people start to question authority, society within begins to crumble.

I found the setting of Wool particularly interesting because of the current popularity of Doomsday Preppers using old missile silos for end of the world retreats. Today in America, a couple hundred thousand dollars can buy you a rusting hole in the ground without electricity, or a million can buy you a small apartment within a luxury silo. It seems that these silos fall into the categories of “fixer upper” or “buy your survival”, with the latter leaving you unable to choose your neighbor and silo mates.  Whichever you choose, like Wool, it will take more than a few people and some structured society to keep it running. How do you choose the people for your silo team? How do you keep control when the s**t hits the fan and you’re in lockdown?

missile-silo-houseCheck out these links to available silo properties:

For more great apocalyptic reading, check out these lists:

Apocalyptic movies lists:

 

What if the Disaster was: No Money Available?

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We strive to be prepared for upcoming struggles and/or disasters — big and small. We talk about food, water, shelter, security, energy, and hygiene but we don’t seem to talk a lot about money.

Woman Having Credit Card DeclinedRecently a friend had her bank account frozen. Unbeknownst to her there had been a legal judgement against her and her bank account was to be garnished. She first became aware of this when she went to use a debit card and it was declined. She knew there was several thousand dollars in the account. When she checked her account status on line she found that her money was unavailable to her and the only explanation given was “We have been instructed by legal order to place a hold on these funds.”

Sure in this day and age of credit card visa-declinedcornucopia that many of us carry in our wallets, no big deal — just use another card. But that’s not the point, the point is HER money was unavailable to HER. No notice, no warning, nothing. Whether it was a legitimate or illegitimate reason doesn’t matter to her when she needed to access the money she had placed in the account from her paycheck. Hell, it could have even have been a mistake, but the money still wasn’t available.

I’ve written before that we know that we have basic needs, and that we need them everyday “…but most of us are dependent upon systems beyond our control to supply them for us. We also know that those systems have and will again fail. So if we know we need them why not plan ahead and have extra on hand…?”

Doesn’t this also apply to money we have in the banking system?

It could be a legal lien, a mistake, a bank failure, or even just a relatively long-term wide-spread power outage. Whatever. But if the money that you have in the bank isn’t available to you, it’s a big deal. Sure the problem will likely be resolved soon, within a few days or a week at most — can your family make it that long without access to your bank funds?

There will be those who argue that in a collapse money won’t even have value and won’t matter, and I agree that is true in a complete collapse. But we prepare for the most likely disasters first, and being unable to access your bank funds is more likely than an EMP going off and destroying all electronics and the electrical grid.

I’ve given some thought as to what our family can do (and in some situations already does) to prepare ourselves for this “disaster” / this short-term SHYF (shit-hits-YOUR-fan) situation:

  • have cashHave cash in a secure place at home. You’ve heard it before, but have enough cash readily on hand to cover your family’s expenses for at least one month, preferably three (with a goal of six).
  • Carry cash in your wallet. An extra $100 will allow you to maneuver around most short-term situations and allow you to get back home.
  • Carry more than one credit/debit card, and be sure they are from different financial institutions. Sometimes mistakes happen and credit cards get declined or just don’t work, if you need to use a card to pay have a back up just in case. (see Repetitive and Redundant x2)
  • Consider having small individual accounts for both you and your spouse with some extra money. That way if only one of you is targeted by a legal lien, or a mistake, there will still be banking funds available.

Plan ahead. We know we need, and use, money on a daily basis. Have a back-up plan for what to do if your normal routine fails.

 

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: The 1st “Prepper” I Knew

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by Nick Romaniello

I was saddened by the news recently that my aunt, Joann Green, had passed away. I don’t intend to hijack a prepping blog to eulogize a family member, but as I reflect on her life I recognize her as one of the first people I know who prepped, and as someone who had occasion to confront the disaster scenarios that we discuss here.

HurricaneHugo

Remnants of Hurricane Hugo

In 1989, my aunt, along with her husband and mother, survived when Hurricane Hugo devastated Charleston, SC. As workers in the insurance industry, they were kept busy after the storm helping others put their lives back together while dealing with their own hardships. I only saw the devastation in pictures, but they had to live and work through it. Watching from the safety of Pittsburgh, my 10-year-old mind could barely imagine it.

About three years later, my mother and I moved to Charleston. We stayed for a time at the new home my aunt and uncle were building after the storm destroyed their previous house. I was fascinated by some of the things I saw that we now call “preps”. The house was built on pilings seven feet above the ground, to protect it from the storm surge of a future hurricane. Pre-cut plywood panels were designed to slip into brackets over the windows to allow for fast securing against flying debris and looting. A room beneath the house was filled with candles, food, jugs of water and other necessities. They were ready for the next storm.

Despite being politically liberal (as am I for the most part) they were also the first people I knew to keep firearms for home defense. Their new home was remote–the closest police station was over a half hour away–that took all of the politics out of gun ownership, leaving only a practical decision to protect themselves in the absence of timely professional help. When my uncle passed away and my aunt remained there by herself, a .410 Remington and a loyal dog were her first line of defense.

During the Tunisian Revolution

During the Tunisian Revolution

Eventually, my globally minded aunt left her rural home to travel the world teaching English. Abroad, she encountered many more disaster scenarios that preppers muse about. A bank collapse while residing in Argentina left many residents rioting without access to their money. Recently, she lived (and remained) in Tunisia throughout the fall of the government that launched the “Arab Spring” of region-wide civil unrest and loss of public services. Rented apartments, varying international laws, and regular relocation prevented the hoarding of supplies and firepower that are sometimes the basis of prepping in the US, but she still JoanneThailandmanaged to sail through these and many other crises relatively unscathed. Her kind personality gained her friends anywhere she went so there was always a strong support network that would be lost to the isolationist. Simple living, mobility, adaptability, and above all a calm and rational demeanor, allowed her to roll with the punches of any situation and get through with a smile and another good story to tell.

As a traveler myself she was my definitely my biggest role model, but as a prepper I learned a lot from her too. She demonstrated to me the value of preparing ahead of time, and remaining adaptable and open-minded above all. She not only endured through, but thrived in many trying times. She showed by her example that life is not merely to be survived, but to be lived as a gift with more optimism than fear.

 

Mother Earth News Fair Review

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Mother Earth News logoThe first weekend of June Sarah and I attended the Mother Earth News Fair at the Puyallup Fairgrounds (Brynn also attended most of Saturday). It’s held annually here, but we had never been before. It was highly recommended by some good friends who went last year, and since it’s practically in our backyard we made it a priority to attend.

The Mother Earth News crowd was different from the typical prepper crowd. There were a lot of old (and new) hippies, tree huggers, and minimizing your carbon footprint types — not that this is a bad thing, but different. Mother Earth News describes themselves on their Facebook ‘About’ page as: “Launched in 1970, Mother Earth News features practical and money-saving information on organic gardening; do-it-yourself projects; cutting energy costs; using renewable energy; green home building and remodeling; rural living; and conscientious, self-sufficient lifestyles.” All these are also prepper goals, but their motivation and scope are different. For example, with the exception of Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy (yes they were there, more below), there was no discussion of collapse scenarios or disaster preparedness. And there definitely wasn’t any mention of guns, security, or home defense.

Again I’m not saying this as a negative observation, just an observation. Just because they don’t have the same endgame in mind doesn’t make their skill-sets, knowledge, and goals any less valuable. It was actually refreshing to approach some of these topics without the typically implied doom and gloom caveats.

The fair was centered around two full days of classes (six class blocks each day), with thirteen available choices each block (yea, there were a lot to choose from). Of course there were also the many booths and vendors supplying both information and equipment, ongoing demonstrations, and animal displays.

Sarah and I, after pondering the list of classes, took a class almost every block; some together but mostly separate to be able to cover more information. Some of the notable classes we took were:

Mother Earth News w Joe & Amy-1We learned a ton and are very motivated to apply the new knowledge we gained. As we get closer to getting our own 5-acre homestead we can’t wait to try our hand with more livestock, permaculture planning, and alternative power! (Quick home purchasing update: We recently got the appraisal back and were very happy with it, hopefully we’ll close about mid-July.)

A highlight of the weekend was getting to meet Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy (aka Joe and Amy Alton). We’ve “known” them for a couple of years, but had never met in person. They are awesome and incredible people, anxious to share their vast knowledge, and full of positive Mother Earth News w Dave-1energy! We were able to have dinner with them and, because Amy had just met Dave Duffy the founder of Backwoods Home Magazine, Dave and his assistant Toby came to dinner also!

It was a great weekend: the organization, the people, the knowledge, and the energy. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Mother Earth News Fair. If there’s one in your area I can’t recommend it enough! (Seven Springs, PA September 20-22, Lawrence, KS October 12-13).

 

Sarah’s View: What Happens With Your Body When You Die?

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by Sarah Adams -

Death happens. Death happens to all of us, once you are born you will die. Being prepared means being prepared for all aspects of life, and that includes death. And preparing for death includes what happens after death. It’s not a fun topic, in fact it is rather uncomfortable, but having a plan for your body after death relieves your family of at least one decision during a difficult time. Because what happens to your body is definitely a decision they will be asked to make.

One of the things that makes us human is the respect we show for the body after death. For most (all?) of human history there have been rituals surrounding the care and processing of a body after death. These rituals are not universal, they vary with time and culture, but that there is a ritual is universal.

There are many many options available to us today – cremation, embalming, burial in a casket, entombing, donation. What you choose might depend on your religion or family or culture. Do you know how you’d like your body cared for after your death? Does your family know what your wishes are?

Now, since we’re preppers, we need to ask how many of those would be available or practical in a collapse situation?

Coffin-crematoriumA cremator generates temperatures between 1600-1800 degrees Fahrenheit. As far as I know, there’s no way to generate that kind of heat with easy to gather fuels. Modern embalming solutions include formaldehyde, methanol and other solvents. Not only would those materials be difficult to locate in a collapse situation, but people with the skills required to embalm without modern equipment and electricity are few and far between. Even burial is a challenge without modern excavation equipment — think about digging a deep enough hole by hand, now imagine doing it during a collapse. Many of the options we take for granted today would not be practical in a collapse situation.

burialplatform-curtis

So what options should we consider in a collapse? My suggestion would be to look at what native peoples indigenous to your region may have done. Their traditions were probably adapted to the locale. If you live near the coast an ocean burial may be an option. There are also the famous mounds of the Native Americans of the Mississippi River where bodies were “buried” in a mound of dirt instead of in a hole in the ground. Here in the Pacific Northwest it was common to practice “above ground burial” where a body was placed on a scaffold and left for the elements and animals.

I, personally, am a fan of some sort of exposure. In a pre-collapse world I’d like to be donated to the Body Farm; I would like my body to provide some use for science. In a post-collapse world, above ground burial or simple exposure in the forest works for me; my body is put to use, recycled into the circle of life.

The key, as always, is preparation. What do you want? Is it in writing? Does your family know?

 

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: Dual Flush – The Smarter Toilet

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by Nick Romaniello

CrapperWe have come a long way from digging a hole in the ground, to get rid of our bodily wastes, and then wiping with a leaf — but anyone who has been through a disaster can tell you it doesn’t take much to send us back there. Although toilet technology has progressed over the years, most homes still contain toilets that use components developed in the 18th and 19th century. Karl Benz may find nothing in a modern automobile resembling the horseless carriages that he developed in the late 1800’s, but plumbing pioneer Thomas Crapper could easily find his innovations operating virtually unchanged in commodes over 130 years later. While fancy water saving toilets have become the norm elsewhere in the world, the West has been slow to adopt these due to water being plentiful and cheap. We don’t really stop to think about water consumption very often, but the truth is that the average American family uses about 100 gallons of water per person every day! That’s far more than the one gallon per person per day that we consider the survival standard. The biggest household consumer of water is the toilet, responsible for 25-30% of usage. This can be a heavy burden in a water shortage, or even if you have a finite supply such as a private well or small municipal source. Water conservation can help the planet and your wallet, but it can also preserve a precious resource for more important needs.

Dual flushWhile new toilets sold in the U.S. meet EPA guidelines of 1.6 gallons per flush, many homes still contain older, less efficient models that can use around six gallons per flush or more. Replacing an old toilet with a new high efficiency model is an easy project for a do-it-yourselfer, but little effort is needed to take it a step further and install a dual flush toilet. Dual flush toilets look like and install like any other toilet but allow you to choose how much water you flush with. Many have two buttons in place of a flush handle or a flush handle that can be pushed up or down to select the desired amount. When you only have urine and some toilet paper to flush, the first setting only uses a fraction of the amount in the tank. For solids, the second setting uses a full tank to thoroughly flush everything down. Gone are the days of the “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down” mentality of conserving water. I have installed many dual flush toilets and my customers have always been pleased with the planet and cash saving technology. Dual flush toilets come in as many style options as any other toilet and like anything, the fancier you want, the more you will pay. However, a dual flush toilet doesn’t have to be expensive. I have installed several Glacier Bay (Home Depot brand) and Aqua Source (Lowes brand) dual flush toilets which cost around $100. I have had no reports of problems with these less expensive models even after some have been in use for years.

df conversion kitIf you already have a high efficiency toilet that isn’t dual flush, conversion kits are available that replace the flush mechanism in your tank. These conversions are quick, easy and don’t require the removal of the toilet. While the packaging wouldn’t discourage a sale by saying so, these conversion kits do not work on toilets older than 1995 when the low flow technology became the standard. These kits cost from $30 and up.

Upgrading to any dual flush technology will quickly pay for itself with savings on your water bill and keep less of a life giving resource from going down the drain.

 

Momma Bear: Bugs For Dinner?

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by Leah, Momma Bear -

DSC01552We currently feel like we’re under attack from cicadas! This is the year when the so-called 17-year periodical cicadas emerge in the BILLIONS from northern Georgia to upstate New York. Our yard, here in Virginia, is littered with holes in the ground from the recently emerged larvae. Hundreds of larva husks are dangling from my bushes, and the red beady eyes from the newly sprung cicadas are staring back at us. The mating calls have not yet started, but they aren’t far off. What is a prepper to do with all these bugs? The answer: EAT THEM!?!

bugsAbout 80% of the world’s population eats insects as a primary protein source. CNN recently reported, U.N.: Eat Insects, Save the World, that it has been hypothesized bugs are the future of food production due to their extremely low carbon footprint (compared to traditional proteins like chicken/beef/pork). Mass production of bugs for food does not pollute the environment, they are inexpensive to grow, and require very little space compared to the alternative proteins. Cicadas are just one of many edible insects, enjoyed throughout the world. Other common insects include meal worms, crickets, and water bugs (these look like giant cockroaches). These are all included on this photo I took of a “fast food cart” in Bangkok, Thailand, serving bugs for lunch.

DSC01550Cicadas are definitely edible, and were eaten by early Native Americans. They are best harvested in the newly emerged larvae stage for the most tender eating, though they can also be eaten as the fully developed cicada, though they are much crunchier.  Most insects are fried/sautéed. My kids voted that they would best be served with fried rice, that way they would be mixed in with other vegetables (and maybe they wouldn’t notice them so much). Interestingly, cicadas are a type of arthropod, which is the same category of food as shrimp and lobster. While I personally still prefer shrimp over cicadas, it is nice to know of another protein source that is literally right outside my door!

[Trace’s note: I challenged Momma Bear to serve them for dinner, she responded that they wouldn’t be eating them anytime soon — but was glad to have additional options if necessary.]

bug nutritional chart

Though it's not listed in this chart: 
gram of protein = 4 calories
gram of fat = 9 calories
gram of carbohydrates = 4

giantwaterbugSo, for example, a Giant Water Beetle (pictured on the right) would provide 77.6 calories from protein, 74.7 calories from fat, and 8.4 calories of carbs; for a total of approximately 160 calories per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of Giant Water Beetle.