Alex

Heating

Sep 182010

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Keeping warm is one of the basics for survival. It starts with your body and extends outward to a room, a car, a tent or shelter, according to your resources. Anything from stuffing leaves into your jacket for added insulation, to having years worth of wood in the back yard will work. Your needs will depend on your locale, the season and situation.

For a short displacement time in the summer, blankets and/or sleeping bags and a tarp for a waterproof ground cloth or a tent will be enough. Cooler weather and a longer time will bring out the candle in a can or the 100 hour candle in your car with a window cracked open, on up to a tent with a cylinder stove and enough firewood. Saw, axe, hatchet, kindling. Seventy percent of heat transfer is through radiation, so the aluminum foil emergency blankets will help keep the radiated heat in. Twenty dollars worth of heat packets will be a dream come true for fingers and toes at night. Many last 8 to 12 hours and they store a long time. They are oxygen activated salts and iron powder, so you don’t want to puncture the packet until you need it. They are the same as “oxygen packs” used to evacuate dry canned goods. (cylinder stove)

Heating indoors can be dangerous with non-conventional means. A power outage for several days or weeks during a storm has caused many people to leave for a shelter if possible due to lack of resources. Will you have to leave your home if the power goes out? Do you have a wood-burner or fireplace that will operate electric free?

Space heaters can fill a void but are illegal in some states and locales. They have a higher danger risk than built in systems. Some of the common space heaters are the kerosene heater, white gas wick heater and the propane catalytic heater.. You will certainly want a battery operated smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector. (propane catalytic heater)(smoke detector)(carbon monoxide detector)

For the countrified people who heat with wood, it is a two year project each year. It can take two years for wood to dry, so you are looking out a ways for your guesstimate as to how you will do through the winter, next winter.

A fireplace is probably the least efficient wood heat source if it doesn’t have glass doors and use outside air. There is the standard brick/block type of fireplace needing a foundation going to the ground, and the sheet metal type that can be installed on a regular wood joist floor. The brick type were built two different ways, with either a smaller opening or a larger opening with more radiant area exposed to the room. The latter is better. Chimneys are better if they are inside, even though they look nice from the outside with decorative rock applied. Why waste the heat? Keep it all inside.

The wood-burner was the more modular way of producing heat, with types ranging from a base burner to a parlor stove to cook stove to a wood/coal burner with a shaker. Earlier models weren’t necessarily as efficient as the more modern secondary combustion types. These burn hotter and have more air ducting to improve combustion. Some use outside air so you don’t waste your room heat. Still, they have a hot flu temp which means wasted heat.

A masonry heater is an excellent choice for burning wood for heat. It has a large thermal mass, efficient design, burns at a high temperature and will release its heat slowly, often only necessitating two burns per day of a small amount of wood. Some versions have a built in cooking area, or bake oven making them dual purpose. There are kit versions or can be more freehand made to code specs.

The tile stove or ceramic stove is a variant of the masonry heater built in many varied modular designs with ceramic tiles. They are lighter than the massive masonry heater but still burn efficiently and have good heat exchange.

The pellet stove is another heat source, but it requires electric for the auger and the fan. You must use the required fuel source, as opposed to a wood-burner, which can burn most any type and different sizes of biomass. A bank of batteries and an inverter might keep your pellet stove going for a short time in an electrical outage. You can make your own pellets with smaller home type pellet makers. They’re electric, so you would need to have the pellets made in advance.

Code permitting, or not prohibiting, the rocket mass heater is a great way to burn wood efficiently. Their efficiency is usually at least double and sometimes up to 6 or 8 times as efficient as a wood-burner. They come in many varieties. They can be small, stylish and integrate well in different environments including homes and greenhouses. They can be improvised in different ways if you were caught off guard and making do in a tight situation, or more developed in design.

If instead of going to work this morning, you had to go an additional 200 miles, to somewhere you’ve never been, are you ready to set up camp this time of year and wait out a situation? Do you have the few tools you would need to be able to call it just an extended weekend?

Cooking

Cooking 2 Responses »

Sep 172010

Cook-stoves come in different sizes and types ranging from portable to fixed and use different fuel supplies from petroleum based to coal, charcoal, gelled alcohol, wood, corn cob and other biomass sources. Petroleum based stoves range from the small, portable propane or white gas type to commercial, mega burner types with built in grills, and griddles. Non-petroleum stoves range from the hibachi charcoal burner to the classic “antique” type home versions of wood burning stoves. A third type that is up and coming and extremely efficient includes the rocket stoves that range in size and type from hand held to institutional size.

The petroleum based type will need a consumable fuel source typically only available commercially. Rocket stoves and their varieties will use biomass resources, like twigs and branches. The rocket stove was designed by Dr. Larry Winiarski to fill a need for the half of the planet that uses a three stone fire for cooking. Propane and white gas are not available in these areas, and may not be in yours in the configuration you need. The need was to reduce fuel consumption, improve combustion and reduce emissions, including smoke. About 1.5 million people a year die from smoke inhalation related disease from the three stone fire system. The original rocket stove was very simple and has morphed into many designs. The designs reflect the regional culture, from pot cooking to skillet type or multi use cooking. Some are portable and some are fixed. You can build your own. Rocket mass heaters will be discussed in Heating, but are very similar. One difference between the cooking version and the heating version is the length of the initial flu. For cooking, typically the flu length is three times the flu diameter. Thus, a 4″ diameter flu will be 12″ tall. For heating, the length is increased, which allows for a bit cleaner combustion, and reduced soot. The soot is just carbon that hasn’t mixed with sufficient oxygen at 1211°F or hotter to make carbon monoxide and then carbon dioxide. Notice the taper down towards the flu on the top surface of some designs. This keeps the volume the same from near the flu exit to the outer oven edge with a flat bottomed pot.

Time for some lunch. Let’s whip up something hot and healthy. Ready? You get your stove started and I’ll get the paper plates. Where did you put the paper plates? …Where did you put the stove?

Cold Weather Clothes

Clothing, Cold Weather Clothes No Responses »

Sep 162010

When you consider the outside temperature, you are usually talking about dry temperature. Something wet would be cooler due to evaporation. Most body areas exchange heat about the same. Fingers and toes have more surface area per volume than the middle of your body. In cold weather, when the blood vessels in your fingers and toes constrict to protect your core temperature, they reduce your ability to function.

Your clothing strategy is to provide thermal neutrality. Since your micro-climate changes even through the day and according to your activity level, there isn’t a “one size fits all” single garment that accommodates all your needs. That’s where layering comes in. You can somewhat break down layers into three types. The base layer does the wicking to reduce evaporation. Removing the water from your body prevents the state change from liquid to gas from happening against your body.
The insulating layer reduces conduction from warm to cold. A high loft insulation consisting mostly of air eliminates direct contact with a cooler object. If fluffy insulation gets wet, say from perspiration, it conducts more.
The top layer is your weather protection. This layer reduces convection. It prevents air or water from flowing against your body whether it is a wind breaker or rain suit. If the water is flowing through it, the water will convect your heat away.
A radiant barrier will reduce radiation loss. If your clothes warm up, they will radiate that heat away from you. You don’t want a radiant barrier to touch your skin or something smooth or it becomes a conductor. It would be better to have the radiant barrier, shiny side in, supported by something fluffy that doesn’t have as much conducted heat going through it and with an irregular surface next to the radiant barrier to reduce contact, and therefore conduction. A loopy sweater with less contact on a flat surface will leave more air space than something smooth so the amount of re-radiation would be greater.
There are limits to how much sweat your clothes can wick away. Watching your activity level and adjusting your clothing accordingly is common practice. Slower breathing decreases evaporation out of your lungs. Physical movement can pump heat out of your jacket like a bellows. This can be adjusted with a waist drawstring and a tight or lose seal around your wrists and neck. If you want to pump moisture out, leaving them looser will allow more air to flow. When you slow down, you can tighten up. If you are just too wet from sweat, you might need to change your clothes.

Clothing

Clothing No Responses »

Sep 152010

You should have at least one change of clothing for emergencies in your bugout bag, but two or three days worth per person would be better. One to wash, and one to wear, as the older generation would say. Keeping clothes in baggies is a way to keep them clean and dry. Pick items you would normally wear and dedicate a set or three to your bugout bag. An expensive pair of boots for winter would be too much to pack away, so the currently used pair will come along. They’ll be broke in already. Keeping your clothes up to date will keep the growing teens from trying to wear clothes two years too small. Another option is to use vacuum sealed clothes bags. Your hose type vacuum is used to remove air and reduce the volume to about 1/2 or less. A fluffy jacket will compress much more than jeans. You can keep the sealed, waterproof bags with the clothes in them in your bugout bag or under the bed in their handling bag and grab them to go. If you live in a colder climate where you know to keep a spare set of clothes with you anyway, they would help to save space.

If you have to be gone longer and have a few hours to pack, quickly packing a few lightweight, waterproof duffel bags, the ones you kept in your bottom drawer, full of your current clothes is way better than not having them. Trash bags will work, but can’t be handled as much or as rough. Time permitting, you could reduce the volume of the clothes with your vacuum if you have enough of the vacuum bags available and not as much trailer to haul them. Inflatable pillows or pillows with their own stuff bag will be very handy.

Would it hurt to consider clothes storage the same as you would food storage? Could you have a few extra sets of jeans at your place rather than a department store? As one pair wears out, you bring another pair online and look to buying the replacement in the near future. If you were two years ahead in your clothes, would that be a problem? Would it be worth it to be ahead a couple years with your kids clothes? Maybe just a set or two of the most common, timeless, style independent type.

Sort of on the same vein, what if you were 3 months ahead on diapers? While you still might need to buy the current size, you might have a box or two of the next sizes stored away. They’re as expensive as a car payment, but you will be back to cloth diapers in a real hurry in a pinch. Where DID all those towels go?

Any hint of a disaster may prompt you to take note of your current state of your clothes. How far along are they in their life cycle? How much will you weigh 6 months from now? If things just got leaner for an indefinite time, did you prepare a change of clothes? Shoe size may not change much, but the other areas might change a lot. You might not be in the same routine you are now. Time to change hats figuratively. No more business dress, and lots more jeans. No more running from house to car to workplace. Much more time outside getting wood and helping the community. You will probably be changing clothes with the new extended family. You know, the neighbors you never met.

Clothes washing will become an issue pretty quickly. Have you ever hand washed your clothes? In the “olden” days that was a regular chore. There are a couple options for hand washing. Soap and water are a common denominator. Using warm water for washing is good for loosening dirt. Cooler water is good for rinsing since water hits it’s maximum density at 39.4° Fahrenheit and holds the most minerals at that temperature. A 5 gallon pail will work for small loads. The load size increases with the tub size. Soaking helps a lot for things like socks or what ever gets the dirtiest. Let the soap do the work. It takes a certain amount of soap to attach to a certain amount of dirt. Plunging to stir up the clothes works great for loosening the dirt. An antique type plunger can be seen here. This is the same style as was used back when but are made new. They also come in plastic. A regular commode plunger can work in a pinch. A washboard is used to work on stubborn areas, but not necessarily for everything. Rubbing the fabric into itself works for stains also. Add soap to the spot and rub. Rinse with lots of water. Hanging your clothes to drain without wringing may help avoid wrinkles and spare the clothes a little and your work a lot. Take them out of the rinse water while they are loose and floaty and hang rather than let the water drain or you’ll get wrinkles. Regular plastic hangers will work great for many things. Similar to using clothes pins, without the extra step. Real heavy things like sweaters may take a few hangers until they drain. A mechanical wringer is okay, but may damage buttons and wrinkle the clothes. An electric washer works at it for 25 to 35 minutes per load. Don’t get behind or your arms will fall off when you catch up.

Did you have to leave in a hurry? As your mind settles, you will begin to review what you were able to take. When you get to clothing, you will begin to realize how far out your planning will take you. Shoes in winter? Now that you’ll be outside more, you’ll be glad you had a good pair of boots stored away. You can get out of your car and set up camp in this strange place and get some grub.

Food

Canned Food, Dehydrated Food, Food 4 Responses »

Sep 142010

Peas Porridge Hot

Home Food Storage is a lifestyle utilized by some to maintain a “readiness” for any situation. Whether the food is stored in a grocery or at your home, most food is “stored”. The difference there is whether or not you have it accessible when You need it. Home food storage is typically a “Just Add Water” type of system that minimizes preparation needs. Having on hand everything you need to prepare healthy meals contributes to your good health and keeps your meals interesting and diverse. Unlike the journeys on the old sailing vessels with tons of dehydrated peas for a staple, you can do much to diversify your supply today with different storage capabilities. Frozen, freeze dried, dehydrated, canned, or dry stored are typical alternatives. Oxidation is an enemy of food. Typically, items with more fat content will have a shorter shelf life due to oxidation of the fats over time. Items with no fat can be stored in open air much longer and won’t degrade nearly as fast. As little as 1% oxidized fat is harmful to your arteries. Canned or dry stored, most properly stored items can have a shelf life of 25 to 30 years. You can be prepared year round.

Canned foods are a great convenience for short term needs. They come as a single product or complete meals. Which would you pack in your bugout bag? Their lifespan of a year or two will be much shorter than dehydrated, dried or freeze dried foods at 25 to 30 years. You’ll need to rotate more often. People who live on food storage have systems to constantly rotate their food.

One advantage of dehydration over freeze dried is the size of the end product. Freeze dried doesn’t shrink as much as dehydrated, so dehydrated would be a space saver. Both retain good nutritional value. Dehydration is space economical and you can store your food in something besides a glass jar if you’re on the move, hunting, hiking or camping. You don’t need fresh seals for your canning jars if you dehydrate.

At Dehydrate2store.com you can watch about 60 videos on the subject of food dehydration and usage. Tammy explains very well how to take raw fruit and produce and prepare it for dehydration. She shows you how to prepare for packaging meals and loaves of bread in vacuum sealed bags for quick preparation.

Prepackaged meals are a great choice if you don’t have the time, space or interest to prepare lots of complex meals in advance. Prepackaged meals have all the work done for you. Going with prepackaged meals, you can save having to come up with the original product, preparing it with a dehydrator and packaging it. The name brand you see in about every store is Mountain House Freeze-Dried Food. Their products are packaged in different quantities from pouches to loose #10 cans to boxes to a year’s supply delivered on a pallet. You can order #10 cans of Breakfast, Main Entrees, Desserts, Fruits and Vegetables and Meats. A few examples of the 20 or so “just add water” entrees are Oriental Style Spicy Chicken, Hearty Beef Stew, Lasagna with Meat and Sauce and Beef Stroganoff with Meat. That would be a lot of prep work to do it yourself and have #10 cans that will last up to 25 years.

Square Foot Gardening is an alternative for keeping fresh grown veggies around. It’s been around for a long time, is well developed and works great in many applications. You can use planter style boxes from ground or table mounted boxes to fence hung boxes of all different sizes.

Food types will be very important. A balanced meal keeps your eicosanoids balanced and provides nutrition for all parts of your body. The Zone diet is the best and most balanced I’ve found so far. Reading the series will make you quite knowledgeable, yet the concept is incredibly simple. Eating right will maximize your physical abilities, whether at age 7 or 70. Eating nothing but carbs will give you the buzz, but won’t keep your muscles in any kind of good shape. They will eventually degrade from lack of protein.

Chickens produce a constant source of fresh, well balanced protein. Their eggs are one of nature’s best for food. What you don’t use immediately can be cooked, dehydrated and stored for a long time. Or, you can blend the whites and yolks and cook and freeze them. Yolks freeze well either cooked or uncooked, but the whites don’t freeze well by themselves. They get weird. Blending them with the yolks takes care of that. Chickens don’t take up too much space and have a diverse diet. They might need a calcium supplement if they aren’t laying well. Things from oyster shells to their own egg shells dried and ground up have been used. Some city codes don’t count them as farm animals so, without the obnoxious 4 am rooster, you may be able to keep them in more domesticated areas.

Teré Foster has done a great job of explaining how to use home food storage. This video shows the basic setup for cooking with dry mixes. Teré has almost 50 videos on home food storage and at her web site 3DHealth.Net she has available a cookbook showing how to use the basic ingredients. This is a “just add water” system that can 100% replace your current method of cooking with good healthy food cheaper than prepared foods at the store. While they are still available, you would still take advantage of the fresh fruits and veggies as they come in season, but there are fruits and veggies in the system that you can eat year round in your home food storage.

What will it be? Stew? Stir fry? How about corn, corn and corn? Good thing you brought a can… opener…

Home List

Home List 1 Response »

Sep 132010

Survival. It isn’t something you prepare for and then forget about. It is a lifestyle.

Millions of people will find themselves utterly unable to cope with having to do all the stuff that is required to stay alive in a non-powered scarce resource type of environment.

What do you really need? Let’s look at our basic list for essentials that will keep you functional while the markets have been run bare of their supplies, leaving others struggling for even water.

Note: Various merchant links (…) are listed after the item.

Placement – Being farthest away from the need is best. Too many people and you get starvation and diseases running rampant.
A good heat source – A masonry stove will be a foundation piece in your home. Some can opt as a cooking resource. Biomass will be more available than any petroleum resource. As is evidenced in “third world” countries, petroleum products are scarce to non-existent. Biomass is somewhat of a commodity instead. There is concern even there that deforestation may become a problem. Therefore, the most efficient use of even biomass resources is important. A wood burner will cover the heating and maybe cooking second best.
Cell phone – Useful if that much infrastructure is intact. May play itself out in value until society re-establishes that technology.
Emergency radio – Monitoring weather, AM/FM, TV and short wave bands will keep you informed. (crank radio)(Emergency Radios)
Ham radio – Good for global information and communication.
Solar charger or windup charger – This will be convenient to keep things juiced up. Some hand wind LED lamps have multiple connectors to charge an mp3 player or cell phone.
DC to AC inverter – This will be convenient to keep things juiced up. (inverter)
A good bank of batteries – They can store the electric you made from wind, solar, bike generators.

Cash – If checks and cards can’t be processed, you’ll be on a cash only basis. You may be dealing with individuals rather than merchants.
Clothes – You will need at least a sampling of year round clothing in case your displacement from the markets lasts that long. You may be spending more time outside. Heavy gloves for work or warmth, a wool hat to reduce the potential 30% heat loss through your head alone, heavy boots, wool socks, synthetic undersocks. You will want to consider the three layer approach if you will be outdoors. The “Base” layer is wicking. This will usually be synthetics. Not cotton. Second layer is insulation. Wool, down, and synthetics. Third layer is weather proof. Wind and rain, while breathable.
Rain suit – Keeping dry can prevent hypothermia and make those mandatory outside chores a whole lot nicer. There is the lighter and the heavier version. (rain suit)
Wash tubs - Guess who gets to do clothes. Hand washing isn’t too bad if you keep up on it. Your arms will break if you do too much at once. If you don’t have many changes of clothes you’ll be washing often. Two tubs is better. One for soap and one for rinse.
Laundry soap – Just how long would 20 gallons last? Are you ready to make some when the store bought is gone?
Clothespins, line, hangers – You’ll be using them constantly. You will need a place for clothes to drip excess water. Hangers can work great in place of a line and clothespins if no wind will knock the clothes down. The shoulders of a shirt will dry first while the bottom will still be dripping water. Once they stop dripping, you can move them to the best place to dry.
Parachute cord – Great for tying up, tying down.
Feminine, men’s, baby’s hygiene – Don’t leave anyone out for the more essential items. You might not need deodorant, but you don’t want to leave the baby sore and uncomfortable. Think about younger and older women’s needs and cover the spectrum.
Toiletries – soap – Toiletries can be stored pretty small if you get the travel size and bag them up. Soap will be good for cleaning wounds if necessary.
Portable toilets – Back to the outhouse. If you have septic and water, you can go that route. If not either, portable toilets. The kind that fits a 5 or 6 gallon bucket will be better than the bag only kind for handling, although also using a bag inside would make things easier. Twist it and reduce the smell. While bags last. (portable toilet)
Water – One gallon per person per day. More for laundry and dish washing. There are solar powered units that will take moisture out of the air and condense it into usable, filtered water. EcoloBlue advertises 8 gallons a day per unit and comes solar powered. This could be part of placement. How weird would it be to have a decorative lined pond for plants and such in your yard that could double for a water resource. Typical liners are either the plastic or the bentonite clay. (water container)(Water Barrels and Storage)
Water filters/purifiers – For drinking water, there are some hiking size bottles with a filter built in to make any water safe. There are also small purifiers for drinking and cooking water. Use the cleanest water to purify to save the filter. Laundry water may not need to be so purified, so save the best filters for internal use. (water bottle & filter)(tablets)(Water Filters, Purifiers and Storage)(MSR MiniWorks EX)(Oxy-Stabile – the Original Formula!)
Chlorine – for water purification
Vitamins – At least a good multivitamin.
Prepared/dehydrated foods – This would be old hat for anyone using home food storage. Foods that will be available all winter tucked away until needed.(Ultimate Family Preparedness Pak)

Garden – Box planters for herbs and spices. Square foot gardening in a small greenhouse for year round veggies.
Cooking resources – Aluminum melts at about 1000° F. Most good wood fires are 1200° to 2000°. Aluminum will be okay for propane, white gas and a wood burning cook stove, but can be questionable if used on fire, especially if allowed to boil dry or on the parts that aren’t in contact with water. You could easily damage a non-stick coating over an open fire. Remember you can soap the bottoms of the pots if you want them to clean easy. A steel wok will hold out better than an aluminum pot over a campfire.
Cast iron cookware – cast iron cookware for over the fire cooking – Dutch ovens are an art. You can bake cakes, make casseroles and pies. They come in sizes from 5? to large. Some have legs and some don’t. The ones with legs usually have a top with a rim. The ones without legs are flat bottomed and the top doesn’t have a rim. The rim is to hold coals on it so you cook from the top and the bottom. They are the “camp” type, whereas the flat bottomed ones are for a stove or wood stove. Cast iron now comes in many configurations. You can get frying pans, griddle pans, griddles, stock pots, bread loaf pans, pie pans, cornbread pans, trivets, biscuit and muffin pans, and so on. Seasoning cast iron is an art. Too much seasoning will wrinkle and flake off. Too hot and it will burn off. Too thin and dry won’t protect and will allow sticking. Using your iron just right leaves a nice waterproof layer on the inside that’s easy to clean with just water. A tripod will let you hang something with a bail, but those are usually the stock pot and dutch oven. (cast iron cookware)
Cook stove and fuel – Probably biomass, as in wood or corn cob or corn.
Matches and a lighter
Magnifying glass – Renewable fire-starter. At least in the daytime.
Waxed paper – Great for a fire-starter.
Can opener – Mechanical and the nicest one money can buy.
Knife sharpener – Diamond is best.
Ice chest – Works good in the winter as a portable refrigerator. (coolers)
Blankets, pillows, mats (camp pad)
Barbecue type grill – Built in or portable. (barbecue grill)
Cylinder stove – A cylinder stove can be a multifunction tool that you can heat with and cook with. They come in different sizes and have a flat top for cooking on and can have a side tank for heating water. They use wood. (cylinder stove)
Firewood – Dry. Masonry stoves will distribute their heat slowly, so a quick fire isn’t necessary. It may take an hour or more for the heat to soak through anyway. A wood burner has a high rate of heat exchange, so getting it hot quickly is convenient when it’s cold. So, more kindling for the wood burner.
Axes, hatchet, bow saw
Spare blades, wedges, sledge, file
LED lanterns and flashlights – The LED type use the least amount of electric and the bulbs have a long lifespan. One on a headband is great for freeing up a hand, so you can hold your own light in just the right place. Some flashlights have a windup handle for recharging and some have a button/lever for recharging. (LED lantern)(LED flashlight)(LED headlamp)(Emergency Lighting)
Medicines – Get ahead on prescriptions while they’re available.
Glasses, contacts, cases, solution
First aid kit – The best you can get, and training and a manual. (first aid kit)(first aid books)(1st Aid Kits)(Comprehensive Plus First Aid Kit)(EMT Medic Rescue-Pak)
Gasoline/diesel containers – If you are using a generator, you might need that. They can hold denatured ethanol too.

Just another day in paradise. You’ve prepared well. You’ve picked a good location. There’s no imminent tsunami. You’re not going to get flash flooded out. You have fire mitigation. Maybe the neighbors will come over for dinner and you can discuss what just happened, make sure you’re each all right. History in the making. Life is good.

Home on the Range

Stay Long Term No Responses »

Sep 122010

The homestead. A handful of key essentials and you have a homestead instead of an emergency. Having enough of yourself invested in those key resources liberates the rest of you for other interests. How much does it take to cross the line into a place of comfort during a crisis?

For a short-term duration, a generator might be useful for running small items. In the long-term a generator might not be as useful. If you will run out of fuel eventually, you should plan for not using it. Gas can be stabilized for up to 2 years. Diesel lasts longer. If you want to insist on a generator, a long term commitment might warrant converting to alcohol. It will last indefinitely. New products are coming out that automate the process for making ethanol for engine use. You can make your own in the US if you go through the proper procedures. Here’s a PDF file you fill out if you want to be a “producer”. Small is 10,000 gallons or less per year. Medium is up to 500,000 gallons, and large is more than 500,000 gallons per year. And a PDF of an IRS form for the Alternative Fuel Credit. This is federal only. You will need to check on your state and local laws. Some newer flex-fuel cars handle mixed fuels stock. Need more info?

For longer periods, renewable electricity (solar panels, wind turbines, bike generators, rechargeable batteries) and inverters will handle smaller items and keep you in electric.

Location can be very important. It doesn’t have to be big, but placement can make a difference. Do you have septic, or are you on city sewage that will be backed up? Do you have a well, or are you on city water that will not be there? Can you heat and cook without electric? Can you live without a refrigerator? Do you know how to dehydrate or store meats at room temperature in salt or a salt brine without killing yourself? Do you have firewood for two years? Do you have a masonry heater? In building code permitting, or not prohibiting, areas a rocket mass heater would be a good idea. It’s like a masonry heater and is becoming very common in “third world” areas. The typical wood burner lets enough heat to cook with go up the flu. Many don’t use outside air coming through a pedestal base. All that fire is drawing out warm air and drawing in cold air to replace it. A fireplace without glass doors and an outside air source would do the same. Some masonry stoves have an area for cooking, which would be very cast iron compatible. They can come in kits or be made to suit by a certified stove builder. At about 90% efficient, they waste almost nothing. There’s more on the heating page.

Long term food considerations. You will pretty certainly be dealing with dehydrated foods and foods stored in oxygen free cans that eliminate oxidation and degradation of the food. Some things would be more difficult to grow in the states, like rice. You will have what you stored and never have it again. Enough canned meat for say, a year, will let you get weaned onto coming up with meat yourself. Square foot gardening could be done indoors if needed. So could growing potatoes in vertical columns. Chickens might be a great idea. Do you know how to raise chickens? Can you dehydrate eggs? Food has to be there year round. Food storage would be a common theme. What you grow during the summer has to, without exception, last all year. You might get one or two growth cycles, weather permitting, or more if you can grow indoors. Being able to control your micro-climate will improve your success. Usage of long term food storage would be important. Do you know how to make bread out of beans? There are systems explained online on how to use and live with food storage. Check out the food page. If you do it all the time, you are always ready. It is healthy and less expensive.

Nationwide, LDS canneries have bulk items available at good prices. They have bulk wheat grain, rice, etc. in bags and #10 cans to prevent oxidation. Mylar bags in plastic pails are an alternative to #10 cans in some cases. The pails will still need to be used to keep the mice out. Square pails stack nicely.

Are you set for clothes for 10 years, or will you be using deer hides to make buckskin? How much will you weigh in 6 months or a year? Got kids?

Long distance voice/data communications gear (2m/30m RF, wifi amps/dishes) should be near the top of the list. You can reach 100 miles off a battery-backed repeater using AA batteries in a cheap handi-talkie 2 meter FM transceiver.

What will a basic list look like?

Placement A good heat source Cell phone Emergency radio Ham radio Solar charger or windup charger DC to AC inverter A good bank of batteries Cash Clothes Rain suit Wash tubs Laundry soap Clothespins/line/hangers Parachute cord Feminine, men’s, baby’s hygiene Toiletries Portable toilets Water Water filters/purifiers Chlorine for water purification Vitamins	Prepared/dehydrated foods Garden Cooking resources Cast iron cookware Cook stove and fuel Matches Magnifying glass Waxed paper Can opener Knife sharpener Ice chest Blankets/pillows/mats Barbecue type grill Cylinder stove Firewood Axes, hatchet, bow saw, Spare blades, wedges, file LED lanterns and flashlights Medicines Glasses/contacts First aid kits Gasoline/diesel containers
More List Details and Merchant Links
.

The list probably doesn’t look any different than what your grandparents considered normal, except for the strong technological advancements in quality. Plastic gas cans? Diamond knife sharpeners? Solar anything?

A Bump List

A Bump List 3 Responses »

Sep 112010

Heavy, wet spring snow storms can put things at a standstill for a couple days until the snow melts off. Then it’s business as usual like nothing happened. For a day or two, people tend to hunker down. If the lights go out, you have a game changer.

Note: Various merchant links (…) are listed after the item.

A good heat source – A wood burner or masonry stove will be welcome in cold weather if the lights go out. Some can opt as a cooking resource. If legal, a space heater can cover a few days of cold. Moving to one room might save on your heating needs.
Cell phone – Usually phones will work if the power goes out. If your phone is more advanced and has a 110V plug, you might get a cheapy that just runs off the phone company’s power or a prepaid cell phone. You might need to call friends and family or an employer if you’re having a situation. Did you make a list of potential numbers?
Generator – (generator)
Gasoline/diesel containers Carb compliant – Good fuel to use the generator, if you went that way. Keep your auto’s tank full if there’s a rumor of a disabling storm.
Car charger or windup charger – This will be convenient to keep things juiced up. Some hand wind LED lamps have multiple connectors to charge an mp3 player or cell phone. (automotive inverter)
DC to AC inverter – If you need to run something small that doesn’t need heavy start up amps like a washing machine, you can use an inverter to run your AC appliances. The battery source could be your car battery.
A good bank of batteries – You can run small 110V appliances on an inverter for a while. You can charge your cellphone and mp3 player.
Cash – If checks and cards can’t be processed, you’ll be on a cash only basis. You may be dealing with individuals rather than merchants.
Clothes – You will want seasonal clothing, the type of which will also depend on where you end up and what you have to do. You will want to consider the three layer approach if you will be outdoors. The “Base” layer is wicking. This will usually be synthetics. Not cotton. Second layer is insulation. Wool, down, and synthetics. Third layer is weather proof. Wind and rain, while breathable.
Rain suit – Keeping dry can prevent hypothermia and make those mandatory outside chores a whole lot nicer. There is the lighter and the heavier version. (rain suit)
Wash tub – You could use your bathtub for laundry if you have enough water.
Laundry soap
Clothespins, line, hangers – If you do any hand washing, you will need a place for clothes to drip excess water. Hangers can work great in place of a line and clothespins if no wind will knock the clothes down. The shoulders of a shirt will dry first while the bottom will still be dripping water. Once they stop dripping, you can move them to the best place to dry.
Feminine, men’s and baby’s hygiene/supplies – Don’t leave anyone out for the more essential items. You might not need deodorant, but you don’t want to leave the baby sore and uncomfortable. Think about younger and older women’s needs and cover the spectrum.
Toiletries
Portable toilets – These might be better than flushing the bowl with water from a bucket. If you are still at home during a power outage without water, this might be a better idea than filling up the bowl and not being able to empty it. You can take care of the “problem” later. The kind that fits a 5 or 6 gallon bucket will be better than the bag only kind for handling, although also using a bag inside would make things easier. Twist it and reduce the smell. (portable toilet)
Water – One gallon per person per day. More for laundry and dish washing. Water is hard to store and carry. Remember that you’re only about 3 pounds of minerals and the rest is water. A couple empty containers for storage might be easier for collecting water if the markets are out. Keep resources to sterilize it as needed. (water container)
Water filters/purifiers – For drinking water, there are some hiking size bottles with a filter built in to make any water safe. There are also small purifiers for drinking and cooking water. Use the cleanest water to purify to save the filter. Laundry water may not need to be so purified, so save the best filters for internal use. (water bottle & filter)(tablets)
Chlorine – for water purification – Unfragranced.
Prepared/dehydrated foods – to minimize water usage – Make things easy on yourself for the few days normal resources are out of commission. Keep several “whole meals” in cans or bags. (Mountain House Freeze-Dried Food)
Cooking resources – Aluminum melts at about 1000° F. Most good wood fires are 1200° to 2000°. Aluminum will be okay for propane, white gas and a wood burning cook stove, but can be questionable if used on fire, especially if allowed to boil dry or on the parts that aren’t in contact with water. You could easily damage a non-stick coating over an open fire. Remember you can soap the bottoms of the pots if you want them to clean easy. A steel wok will hold out better than an aluminum pot over a campfire.
Cast iron cookware – for over the fire cooking – Dutch ovens are an art. You can bake cakes, make casseroles and pies. They come in sizes from 5″ to large. Some have legs and some don’t. The ones with legs usually have a top with a rim. The ones without legs are flat bottomed and the top doesn’t have a rim. The rim is to hold coals on it so you cook from the top and the bottom. They are the “camp” type, whereas the flat bottomed ones are for a stove or wood stove. Cast iron now comes in many configurations. You can get frying pans, griddle pans, griddles, stock pots, bread loaf pans, pie pans, cornbread pans, trivets, biscuit and muffin pans, and so on. Seasoning cast iron is an art. Too much seasoning will wrinkle and flake off. Too hot and it will burn off. Too thin and dry won’t protect and will allow sticking. Using your iron just right leaves a nice waterproof layer on the inside that’s easy to clean with just water. A tripod will let you hang something with a bail, but those are usually the stock pot and dutch oven. (cast iron cookware)
Cook stove and fuel – Propane or white gas or gelled alcohol will last a few days. A battery powered CO detector wouldn’t be a bad idea. (propane stove)(multi-fuel)
Barbecue type grill – This could be a three day solution to cooking needs if the electric is out. Do it outdoors. (barbecue grill)
Matches and a lighter
Can opener(non-electric) – Any mechanical type will do from the military type the size of a half dollar to something that cranks. It doesn’t have to be big, since it’s for emergency use only.
Paper plates and cups – You will want disposable everything for the three day jaunt. Don’t use extra water to clean things if you can help it.
Silver/plastic ware
Ice chest – to hold refrigerated items if the electric went out. Usually things will stay cold in a refrigerator or freezer for hours, but not necessarily days. Grabbing some dry ice if available can help, but beware that CO2 will pool as it is twice as heavy as air. If you live in a basement apartment, think hard about where you will put your cooler. The CO2 can build up on the floor. Any building can harbor CO2, so sleeping on the floor might be fatal if you used lots of dry ice in a contained area. Think about Fluffy. He or she can’t get out of harm’s way. (coolers)
Cots & inflatable mattresses – If you’re moving into one room to save on heating needs you can break out the cots or move your mattress in there. (cots)(inflatable beds)
Sleeping bags – There are different temperature ratings for sleeping bags from 40° to -30°. (sleeping bags)
Blankets, pillows, mats – Extra insulation if you don’t have heat or if you don’t want to move your mattress into a common room. (camp pad)
Cylinder stove – A cylinder stove can be a multifunction tool that you can heat with and cook with. They come in different sizes and have a flat top for cooking on and can have a side tank for heating water. They use wood. (cylinder stove)
Firewood – Dry. No time to be looking or trying to start wet wood. Sure you can cut that small tree down for firewood you otherwise didn’t collect, but try starting it on fire.
Axes, hatchet, bow saw
Spare blades, wedges, sledge, file for ax sharpening
LED lanterns and flashlights – The LED type use the least amount of electric and the bulbs have a long lifespan. One on a headband is great for freeing up a hand, so you can hold your own light in just the right place. Some flashlights have a windup handle for recharging and some have a button/lever for recharging. (LED lantern)(LED flashlight)(LED headlamp)
Medicines – Don’t forget the prescriptions. If you have a hint of a storm coming, don’t wait until the last minute to restock.
Glasses, contacts, cases, solution
First aid kit (first aid kit)(first aid books)

Well. Let’s see. No washer or dryer. The generator can’t handle that. TV for a couple hours a day, maybe. Don’t want to waste fuel. Don’t know how long the problem will last. The battery bank and inverter will handle the stereo and smaller TV. Clean off the wood-burner. We need a fire. Smell the dust burning off? Where shall we hang the wet clothes, so they don’t freeze before they dry?

A Bump in the Road

Stay Short Term No Responses »

Sep 102010

If you were able to stay at your location during an emergency, the thing to have prepared for is sustainability. The basics will have to be covered for an indefinite time. For a short-term duration, a generator might be useful for running small items. Remember that motors in things like a washing machine or well pump will require three times the juice to start up than to run. Some washers cycle back and forth all the time. You could still run things like a microwave, TV, radio, VCR, etc. Diesel will last longer than gas. With a gas conditioner, gas might last two years. It should be used before it expires so you don’t have to dispose of it as toxic waste.

A battery bank and inverter might be a good option for low power items. You can still get information from radio and TV.

Do you have septic, or are you on city sewage that will be backed up? Do you have a well, or are you on city water that will not be there? Will your pipes freeze? Can you heat and cook without electric? Can you live without a refrigerator?

Just how good is your insulation? Do you have to leave home to go to a shelter because you don’t have non-electric heat? You might want to move into a more central room to minimize heating needs. That would leave heating the water serviced rooms like bath and kitchen. Pipes underground might not freeze, but the ones above ground could. Can you run a dribble of water to prevent that? Your drain pipe can be cold enough to cause the dribbles of water to freeze in it and back your drain up. You might move plants and such into the main room and set up a cot or air mattress, or drag your mattress in there for the duration.

Let’s look at the basics.

A good heat source Cell phone Generator Gasoline/Diesel tanks Car charger or windup charger DC to AC inverter A good bank of batteries Cash Clothes Rain suit Wash tub Laundry soap Clothespins/line/hangers Feminine, men’s, baby’s hygiene Toiletries Portable toilets Water Water filters/purifiers Chlorine for water purification Prepared/dehydrated foods	Cooking resources Cast iron cookware Cook stove and fuel Barbecue type grill Matches Can opener Paper plates and cups Silver/plastic ware Ice chest Cots & inflatable mattresses Sleeping bags Blankets/pillows/mats Cylinder stove Firewood Axes, hatchet, bow saw Spare blades, wedges, file LED lanterns and flashlights Medicines Glasses/contacts First aid kit
More List Details and Merchant Links
.

It may be surprising how fragile your infrastructure is when the lights go out. Probably nothing you won’t survive, but it’s easier to take some common sense steps now to make it insignificant.

TEOTWAWKI List

TEOTWAWKI 2 Responses »

Sep 092010

Going past a couple days brings on a need for a lot more supplies than the BOB. This list emphasizes much more clothing, cooking and heating resources and personal maintenance in each of these categories. As with all things, you may need some, all, or more depending on your situation. Your mileage may vary.

Note: Various merchant links (…) are listed after the item.

Utility trailer or larger – moving enough stuff to live on for weeks can easily take up at least a small 4′x8′ trailer. This won’t leave room for a motorcycle or anything else besides survival supplies. Having a trailer, hitch with the correct size ball, proper light connections and possibly electric brakes all in place will help greatly in preparing to leave for an extended time. This assumes you have what goes on the trailer. A teardrop camping trailer is a cute but effective answer to being displaced. They can be adequately insulated for even winter camping. Not being very big, they can be pulled with a small vehicle and tucked away pretty easily. They are their own subculture. Moving up will put you into the RV trailer. Don’t get more trailer than you have truck.–
Cell phone – A cell phone will come in very handy if you have to leave the area or local lines are down. A prepaid phone will be adequate for that. You might need to call motels, friends and family or an employer if you’re having a situation. Did you make a list of potential numbers?
Car charger or windup charger – This will be convenient to keep things juiced up. Some hand wind LED lamps have multiple connectors to charge an mp3 player or cell phone.(automotive inverter)
DC to AC inverter – If you need to run something small that doesn’t need heavy start up amps like a washing machine, you can use an inverter to run your AC appliances. The battery source could be your car battery. (inverter)
Generator(generator)
Gasoline/diesel containers Carb compliant
Radio – That could be one of two kinds. One type for communication and the other for listening for information. (crank radio)
Maps – Helps to know where you are ; )
Cash – If checks and cards can’t be processed, you’ll be on a cash only basis. You may be dealing with individuals rather than merchants.
Clothes – You will need at least a sampling of year round clothing in case your displacement lasts that long. You may be spending more time outside, especially if you ended up in a tent. Heavy gloves for work or warmth, a wool hat to reduce the heat loss through your head, heavy boots, wool socks, synthetic undersocks. You will want to consider the three layer approach if you will be outdoors. The “Base” layer is wicking. This will usually be synthetics. Not cotton. Second layer is insulation. Wool, down, and synthetics. Third layer is weather proof. Wind and rain, while breathable. The vacuum seal bags made for clothing will reduce the size considerably, maybe to half depending on how much loft each item has, and keep them dry and dirt free. A fluffy jacket will get lots smaller whereas maybe a stack of T shirts not so much. (space bag)
Rain suit - This is the outer layer garment that could double as a ground cloth if you had to wing it under the stars. Keeping dry can prevent hypothermia and make those mandatory outside chores a whole lot nicer. There is the lighter and the heavier version. (rain suit)
Wash tub – Guess who gets to do clothes. Hand washing isn’t too bad if you keep up on it. Your arms will break if you do too much at once. If you don’t have many changes of clothes you’ll be washing often. Two tubs is better. One for soap and one for rinse.
Laundry soap – Just how long would 20 gallons last? Are you ready to make some when the store bought is gone?
Clothespins, line, hangers – You’ll be using them constantly.
Parachute cord – Great for tying up, tying down.
Feminine, men’s and baby’s hygiene/supplies – Don’t leave anyone out for the more essential items. You might not need deodorant, but you don’t want to leave the baby sore and uncomfortable. Think about younger and older women’s needs and cover the spectrum.
Toiletries – soap – Toiletries can be stored pretty small if you get the travel size and bag them up. Soap will be good for cleaning wounds if necessary, so stick a couple unscented travel bars in there also. Chop off a piece from a big bar if you need to. A sealing plastic baggie can keep them waterproof. (toiletry kit)
Portable toilets – If “camping”, this will be very handy for many, including elderly, children, etc. Some campgrounds and picnic areas have a RV cleanout area that you can use. Or, in an emergency, if a bear can do it… . The kind that fits a 5 or 6 gallon bucket will be better than the bag only kind for handling, although also using a bag inside would make things easier. Twist it and reduce the smell. (portable toilet)
Water – One gallon per person per day. More for laundry and dish washing. Water is hard to store and carry. Remember that you’re only about 3 pounds of minerals and the rest is water. If you can carry it, a gallon a day per person. A couple empty containers for storage might be easier if water will be where you’re going. If not, it’s 8 pounds per gallon. Still, it’s necessary, so bring what you can. Bring resources to sterilize it as needed. (water container)
Water filters/purifiers – For drinking water, there are some hiking size bottles with a filter built in to make any water safe. There are also small purifiers for drinking and cooking water. Use the cleanest water to purify to save the filter. Laundry water may not need to be so purified, so save the best filters for internal use. (water bottle & filter)(tablets)
Chlorine – for water purification
Vitamins – At least a good multivitamin.
Prepared/dehydrated foods – to minimize water usage – Using home food storage all the time will make this one easier. Just grab a bunch of bins and buckets and go. You already have the variety and know how to use it. Your body is already adjusted to those types of food.
Cooking resources (plastic measuring cup, plastic or stainless mixing bowls, utensils) – Bread making doesn’t go well with metal bowls and utensils, so probably plastic bowls and plastic or wood spoons. Glass will be too fragile and heavy. For other things, bowls and containers that nest.
Cook stove - for just a few days a single burner stove might work fine, but for longer term, a multiple burner type will be preferred. (propane stove)(multi-fuel)
Fuel – Propane or white gas or wood – Consumable fuels will run out, so bring enough or plan B for using wood or other biomass.
Matches – in a metal tin – Ideally bring three types of way to start a fire. Matches, a lighter, and magnesium will work just fine. A metal tin will keep mice from ruining your day by lighting your matches. It has happened. Don’t put the striker inside. Glue it to the outside. Only get the strike anywhere type and not the strike on box type. Plastic waterproof containers are good also. Waxed paper is great for a firestarter. Flatten out a roll or more. It will be waterproof and light weight and will get some tiny kindling going if needed.
Magnifying glass – for fire starting – will save matches and the lighter for dark times.
Cook ware – Aluminum melts at about 1000° F. Most good wood fires are 1200° to 2000°. Aluminum will be okay for propane and white gas, but can be questionable if used on fire, especially if allowed to boil dry or on the parts that aren’t in contact with water. You could easily damage a non-stick coating over an open fire. Remember you can soap the bottoms of the pots if you want them to clean easy. A steel wok will hold out better than an aluminum pot over a campfire. (cookware)
Cast iron cookware – for over the fire cooking – Dutch ovens are an art. You can bake cakes, make casseroles and pies. They come in sizes from 5″ to large. Some have legs and some don’t. The ones with legs usually have a top with a rim. The ones without legs are flat bottomed and the top doesn’t have a rim. The rim is to hold coals on it so you cook from the top and the bottom. They are the “camp” type, whereas the flat bottomed ones are for a stove or wood stove. Cast iron now comes in many configurations. You can get frying pans, griddle pans, griddles, stock pots, bread loaf pans, pie pans, cornbread pans, trivets, biscuit and muffin pans, and so on. Seasoning cast iron is an art. Too much seasoning will wrinkle and flake off. Too hot and it will burn off. Too thin and dry won’t protect and will allow sticking. Using your iron just right leaves a nice waterproof layer on the inside that’s easy to clean with just water. A tripod will let you hang something with a bail, but those are usually the stock pot and dutch oven. (cast iron cookware)
Can opener (non-electric) – Any mechanical type will do from the military type the size of a half dollar to something that cranks. It doesn’t have to be big, since it’s for emergency use only.
Prepping utensils – You’ll want the big spoon, big fork and big spatula set. (utensils)
Bowls for preparation – Since you’re not going to have everything prepackaged, you will need to mix things up in something. Bread making doesn’t like metal, so plastic would be better. Glass will be too heavy and fragile.
Paper plates and cups – They will run out eventually, but will be convenient to start with.
Plastic, melamine, metal plates and cups - Will require precious water for cleaning.
Silver/plastic ware
Aluminum foil – for cooking, solar heating, insulation
Ice chest – many things could be stored in it until you had to bug out – It can keep things cold or from freezing, depending on the time of year. (coolers)
Tent – Probably something bigger like a hunting tent. Some have a cylinder stove flu jack. This would depend on how many people, how long, etc. (Tents)
Cots & inflatable mattresses – They will keep you off the ground. (cots)(inflatable beds)
Sleeping bags - There are different temperature ratings for sleeping bags from 40° to -30°. (sleeping bags)
Blankets, pillows, mats – Campers have pillows that come with their own stuff bag that you can cram them into. Some are inflatable. Surprising how much you will miss one. Extra clothing works too. (stuff pillow)(inflatable pillow)(camp pad)
Cylinder stove – A cylinder stove can be a multifunction tool that you can heat with and cook with. They come in different sizes and have a flat top for cooking on and can have a side tank for heating water. They use wood. (cylinder stove)
Firewood – Dry is best for kindling. Green will dry out and burn eventually if left on burning dry wood.
Axes, hatchet, bow saw
Spare blades, wedges, sledge, file for ax sharpening
LED lanterns and flashlights – The LED type use the least amount of electric and the bulbs have a long lifespan. One on a headband is great for freeing up a hand, so you can hold your own light in just the right place. Some flashlights have a windup handle for recharging and some have a button/lever for recharging. (LED lantern)(LED flashlight)(LED headlamp)
Medicines – Don’t forget the prescriptions. They will be where you usually blank them out.
Glasses, contacts, case, solution
First aid kits – A small pack size will go a long way. (first aid kit)(first aid books)
Backpacks, duffel bags
Multipurpose tool (multi-purpose tool)
Small tool box with basic tools
Important documents – Insurance, titles, deeds

If your world just ended for an indefinite time, have you thought about where you’d like to go to? It’s an interesting thing to change locales in your life. You can recreate your whole world in another place. Time for an adventure. You were wise to not try to hold onto your toys. Move yourself first. If you have things safely in storage, you can get them later. With your head swimming, you’ll have enough to do to focus on the basics.

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