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Dad's Survival Guide
A few years back, I took it upon myself to write a practical survival guide for my children, but once I read it again today, much of it is too personal to reprint here. I was asked to bring forth the relevant information by James and several members, so I shall post this as an online guide for those of you that despise hunting all over the web.
Please understand that I do live in the country, so may things may not apply if you live in an Apartment building unless you get the owner's approval. I apologize but I cannot tailor make this for everyone, so I will split this into categories and separate subjects.
# 1 MOST IMPORTANT IS SECURING A WATER SOURCE.
It does not matter if it is well water, city water, or pond water. This will only count towards how long your 5 gallon water filter will hold out. If you do not have access to a secure water source then start collection of it now.
How to make a homemade rain barrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwwTK0UySKg
Many styles available on this page.
Next, since I am such a cheapskate, we need to build a low cost, high volume water filter. This page shows you how, and anyone can do it.
Home Made Berkey Water Filter
http://www.alpharubicon.com/kids/homemadeberkeydaire.htm
# 2 FOOD
For those in the City, then dehydrated foods have come a long way in texture and taste, you can find these foods here:
http://search.flashpeak.com/en/search.php?cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF...
To add to the above subject regarding Dehydrated Foods and reviewing how they taste and how long they can last.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc2q_ibcxuU
At one of these companies, i can guarantee you will find something to fit all budgets. Remember if you only get one # 10 can of Great Northern Beans, then you have two weeks of usable protein for two people, depending on your appetite. One of these every paycheck is just that much further along in your food independence. Walton Feed and The Internet Grocer.
Next up will be on how to can meats, where to buy grassfed beef. I do not know what the limit is before this page cuts me of......
Please understand that I do live in the country, so may things may not apply if you live in an Apartment building unless you get the owner's approval. I apologize but I cannot tailor make this for everyone, so I will split this into categories and separate subjects.
# 1 MOST IMPORTANT IS SECURING A WATER SOURCE.
It does not matter if it is well water, city water, or pond water. This will only count towards how long your 5 gallon water filter will hold out. If you do not have access to a secure water source then start collection of it now.
How to make a homemade rain barrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwwTK0UySKg
Many styles available on this page.
Next, since I am such a cheapskate, we need to build a low cost, high volume water filter. This page shows you how, and anyone can do it.
Home Made Berkey Water Filter
http://www.alpharubicon.com/kids/homemadeberkeydaire.htm
# 2 FOOD
For those in the City, then dehydrated foods have come a long way in texture and taste, you can find these foods here:
http://search.flashpeak.com/en/search.php?cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF...
To add to the above subject regarding Dehydrated Foods and reviewing how they taste and how long they can last.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc2q_ibcxuU
At one of these companies, i can guarantee you will find something to fit all budgets. Remember if you only get one # 10 can of Great Northern Beans, then you have two weeks of usable protein for two people, depending on your appetite. One of these every paycheck is just that much further along in your food independence. Walton Feed and The Internet Grocer.
Next up will be on how to can meats, where to buy grassfed beef. I do not know what the limit is before this page cuts me of......
Views: 638
Dad's Survival Guide....Continued
Where to buy grass fed, no hormone beef? Well, for you folks just look here and add your state behind the grass fed beef tag. For myself i use a wonderful farm in East Tennessee. It is much better to find a local supplier to cut down on shipping costs. For myself, I can beef, as well as store it in freezers. If you have limited room, then just start with a small freezer, or if not, then learn these simple techniques for canning beef. The freezers are easy to find in your area on Craigslist.
If you need a locator service to find safe eggs, beef, poultry, pork, and more then go here:
http://www.eatwild.com/products/tennessee.html
and choose your State. The more you buy at one time; the more you can save.
How to can all manner of meats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jyH-SNrkN0
"Cooked in a pint mason jar for 45 minutes at 12 pounds pressure which is 2 pounds more than recommended for that size. For quart sized jars you would cook it for 15 min longer. What happens is in effect you are cooking and sterilizing the meat in its own juices. Theoretically as long as the seal is not broken and it still has a vacuum the meet will remain good In practice I will give it 2 or 3 years."
I love this Ol'Boy, dsarti1 , I tell ya. Just look at the list of videos to the right for learning how to can anything. Subscibe to his channel and he will entertain and teach all manner of things in easy to understand terms. His mini-doberman's scare the hell out of me, though. :P
Remember most vegetables can be done with a Water Bath Canner, but MEATS must be processed with a PRESSURE COOKER.
Tips for buying a pressure cooker
http://www.missvickie.com/workshop/buying.html
I recommend this pressure cooker for most families:
Presto Stainless-Steel 16-Quart Pressure Canner
http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/prestop18qtcan.htm
Another great series is how to can whole meals. As before all the side videos lead to even more wealth of info.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jyH-SNrkN0
One little gift I am pleased to offer you is How To Make
Homemade energy bars: cheap, delicious, and surprisingly easy!
#3 ELECTRICAL GENERATION
This will be the hardest of all. Trust me, this i know. It's a bitch being poor. Everyone would just love to have the money to put up 8 100 watt solar panels, 12 batteries, a solar controller and a Pure Sine Wave Inverter, but for most of us, these are things we buy one at a time, when we can. For all others, please refer to this solar tutorial and thank god you are rich enough to afford all of it.
Solar Tutorial
http://www.batterystuff.com/tutorial_solar.html
For the rest of us, again we depend on gas generators, and a battery bank. The most economical batteries are of course the deep cycle marine batteries found at Wally World for 79 bucks. They will usually only last two-three years and requires at least eight at 900 amps or better. The longest lasting and very best batteries, (only requiring four for a typical home) are found here:
Optima D31A for $239.95
http://www.1st-optima-batteries.com/index.html#deepbluespecs
To figure out just how big a system you need can generally be found here:
http://www.absak.com/library/power-consumption-table
You will need a pure sine wave power inverter to convert DC to AC current to run freezers, fridges, computers, even heaters, but heat and AC will really cost you, so be aware. Many will be able to afford a Grid tie cutoff switch and many won't, so this must be taken into account as well. This requires an electrician if you elect to install a cutoff.
Here is an excellent article on how to choose the correct pure sine wave inverters. THIS ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT YOU DO NOT WANT TO SKIMP ON. At least for your refrigerators, freezers, computers, and TV's. A modified may work, but battery damage and interference can cost you a fortune. Use a cheaper modified sine wave inverter to run lights, sealed oil radiator heaters, and the like.
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago89.html
#4 THE GENERATOR
Personally I want a gas driven generator to start off with. My reason is that you can charge your batteries cheaply and easily while running any of your really high end power hogs at the same time. I own the a Honda 8500 Watt generator capable of running my whole home. I got it at a steal on Ebay. Not all can do this, but please do not buy less than a 4500 Watt generator. Many of these can be found used on craigslist. Honda is the very best and lasts forever, but not all can afford these jewels. Others will just have to do.
http://shop.ebay.com/sis.html?_nkw=8000+Watt+Gas+Generator+Quiet+Po...
If you are truly as poor as I am, and are in the least mechanically inclined, then here is a site that teaches you how to make a homemade generator from an old lawnmower. This is perfect for charging a battery bank and that is the secret to energy independence. These boys at epicenter can have you converted in a matter of hours and even sell their own generators/alternators, and conversion kits. THIS IS WHAT I STARTED OUT ON, and STILL HAVE AS A BACKUP!
http://www.theepicenter.com/tow082099.html
If you want to make a 1KW charging generator from an old riding lawn mower, then here is the man to see.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homebuilt-Generator-Riding-Lawn-Mow...
Always remember that the heart of your energy storage system is your batteries. Please use a charge controller or inverter that can remote start when 20% discharge is detected. Autostart generators are capable of remote start, meaning that these units can be started by an external signal, such as one that might come from an inverter when it detects a set battery voltage level. The control over the generator’s operation—that is, when to run and when to stop—is external to the generator, while the generator provides its own safety protection, such as shutoff for low oil level, overheating, and other factors.
If using the above homemade generators, then you will need a multi meter to detect discharge rates until you become used to your system requirements. Amp and voltage discharge are the indicators. To understand this better please read this:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago87.html
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago88.html
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago89.html
A search on Backwoods Home will find a good array of informative articles on many different subjects.
Also worth reading is: Engine Generators in Home Power Systems from Positive Energy.
http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/index.php?option=com_content&...
Understanding these basics is essential. You must understand the high end systems and concepts to be able to jury rig the best possible generator supported system while leaving it versatile enough to add solar at a later date.
Another possible solution after SHTF when gasoline supplies are few and far between is to use a wood gasifier. Wood gas was used in WWI and II when all oil based supplies were use by military and US citizens were told to go smoke a rope. You actually could then since hemp was vital in the US's victories. (SIDENOTE: If hemp was leagalized, not mary jane, but high fiber hemp, then there would not be a need for crude oil, cotton, or tree cutting for paper production. This is what Wall Street and DC did to solidify corporate control during the last Depression.)
Since it is so easy to go to youtube and watch all manner of different gasifiers being alluded to, I have found that the simplest one that you could practically see work was on a TV Show called "The Colony" Season 1 starting with Episode 2. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THESE VIDEOS! It explains and shows how to use a pressure washer engine, car alternators, and a wood gasifier to run lights and power tools. It is a wonder that the PTB even allowed these shows to air.
http://www.tv-links.eu/tv-shows/The-Colony-_11064/
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