Prepping; food for thought.

[aa1911]

need to get a generator this year, we usually have about a 5 day power outtage at least once a year in the winter when it ices over everything. But like you Carver, only thing I need it for is to keep the freezer going (and the cell phones) so I don't lose a year's worth of hunting and fishing (OK, OK, AND grocery shopping...). Last year with the pink salmon running, I musta put away well over 100lbs of fish over the year, couldn't lose that.

Fortunately, it's usually winter time when the power goes out so the freezer will stay OK for about 3-5 days depending on temp. This year we had a 6 day outtage and it got into the 50's so needed a little boost. Didn't have room in it for ice either.

[aa1911]

On the subject of water,

water purification has many choices; but there's 'backpacking' small scale stuff and then there's larger long term methods.

For on the go or a bug out type scenario, an MSR or Katadyn water filter (hand pump kind) with an extra cartridge or two will be very adequate. MSR also makes an electronic one that's the size of a marker, you need a couple AA batteries and rock salt (makes chlorine gas from splitting NaCl) but a gallon of bleach will purify lots and lots of water. 2 drops per quart will kill most anything and leave enough residual but won't make you go blind.

Military iodine tablets should be avoided for any prolonged use, you can quickly build up toxicity from that and it takes too long to purify anyway, kind of a PITA really and one bottle doesn't treat that much.

Solar stills, good luck. you'll need about 100 of them to get much water but they do work.

boiling kills everything (one minute boil is ok, but 5 min is best to be safe) but does not remove toxins or particles. coffee filters and cheese cloth are excellent filtration.

Charcoal is a great way to clean also, pretty much what the hand pump ones are made out of.

There was this stuff I got for free a while back from a guy in NC, don't know if it ever took off but don't think it did. He had this solution called Zenex or something like that, will have to pull one out, but it was a liquid chlorine deal that would treat water in about a minute or so. It also killed/cleaned out tooth cavities and was a great disinfectant. The good thing was that it turned into a gas and evaporated off the water so there was no chemical left in the water (unless you kept it sealed). The gas would also purify the inside of the storage device, say a large water buffalo trailer that was only partially full. pretty neat stuff, but it was light sensitive and only lasted a couple years or so.

probably something similar under a different name out there.

[45nut]

Originally Posted by carver

. I like your question though. All of us should try at least a 3 day weekend. Take nothing with you but a rifle, or shotgun, a knife, ax, a canteen, some method for fire, and water purification tablets. Build a shelter, start, and maintain a fire. Shoot, or trap, something to eat.

Carver,

A better test would be to store some water at your home, then turn it off for a weekend. Try your hand at purifying water, drying meat, eating freeze dried food and heating or cooling naturally. Cleaning your equipment, personal hygiene, practicing fire starting and just generally wrapping your mind around being without power.

If y'all think you'll be able to bugout consider these questions. Do you have enough fuel stored to get you to your destination? Do you know the back roads and 4 wheel roads to get around the dh.s che.ck po.ints? Do you think the small town close to your intended destination is going to let you share their supplies just because you own a piece of land in that county? You're an OUTSIDER!! If you're in the woods, like carver, you are better off than those of us stuck in the burbs.

I can't go so I'm just going to stay home and drink!

Watch Jericho again to see what you'd be up against.

[aa1911]

Everyone talks about bug out but unless you're urban, I think you're better off hunkering down right at home. Unless of course some natural disaster forces you from home like flood, fire, volcano, etc...

I try to keep a bag with the bare essentials in case of volcano erruption or fire but I keep my vehicles stocked with enough food and water, clothing and whatnot to survive a few days. The bag will just get me another week maybe.

people talk about living off the land and how they could survive in the woods naked with a butter knife but I don't buy it. Pretty tough to survive without some goodies.

[time2shoot]

Originally Posted by 45nut

Carver,

A better test would be to store some water at your home, then turn it off for a weekend. Try your hand at purifying water, drying meat, eating freeze dried food and heating or cooling naturally. Cleaning your equipment, personal hygiene, practicing fire starting and just generally wrapping your mind around being without power.

If y'all think you'll be able to bugout consider these questions. Do you have enough fuel stored to get you to your destination? Do you know the back roads and 4 wheel roads to get around the dh.s che.ck po.ints? Do you think the small town close to your intended destination is going to let you share their supplies just because you own a piece of land in that county? You're an OUTSIDER!! If you're in the woods, like carver, you are better off than those of us stuck in the burbs.

I can't go so I'm just going to stay home and drink!

Watch Jericho again to see what you'd be up against.

I do that every year for fun
We call it dispersed camping.
Me and a couple of buddys do it every year for a week or two.
Some of the most relaxing times i have had.
We eat what we catch or bag.
BBQ. Racoon so far is my favorite.

[WHSmithIV]

I've gotta go with energy backup as our top priority here in the mountains. We have a well but that pump needs electricity. Solar and wind generation are my choice in this. At least we can pump from the well then no matter what. I better start figuring out what to do for a manual backup also. Plenty of bullets is a no brainer - can always shoot a deer for meat here. Granted, we also raise sheep and goats and grow a lot so we won't starve too quickly. The energy backup will also be able to keep a freezer going.

Need a couple horses for mobility - we're currently working on that one.....

[45nut]

Originally Posted by aa1911

REALLY tough to survive without some goodies.

Fixed that for ya!!!! Too true

[aa1911]

Originally Posted by 45nut

Fixed that for ya!!!! Too true

yep! While reading a survival manual may make one feel all warm and fuzzy and a bit like Jeremiah Johnson, when the rubber meets the road, survival is extremely hard. I consider myself an avid woodsman and I don't pretend to say I could 'live off the land' with little or nothing. I could endure a short stint of extreme hardship as most could, I've gone a week without any food before but for weeks, months, years? sickness/illness will likely get you if the elements don't first.

Some people think hunger is when they forgot their lunch; try day 5+ with nothing and you'll be ready to kill anyone or anything to get food! that's why I like to keep at least a months worth of food in the kitchen, don't like being hungry.

[armedandsafe]

This is a useful skill. It will have to be increased in size to be practical for a family, but it works.

http://www.practicalprimitive.com/sk...oalfilter.html

Pops

[Jerryboy]

Originally Posted by armedandsafe

This is a useful skill. It will have to be increased in size to be practical for a family, but it works.

http://www.practicalprimitive.com/sk...oalfilter.html

Pops

link doesn't work

[Jerryboy]

here's the water filter my family uses(i think we have the 2.1 gallon version):

http://www.berkeyfilters.com/berkey-...FcRM4AodwDoAAw

[25yretcoastie]

Water left in the sun in a glass bottle will be ok to drink after a few hours as far as bugs go, but won't do anything for the chemicals in it

[carver]

Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) takes about 5 hours, or longer. But it does work. Water that is not already clear must be filtered first.

Suggested treatment schedule.
Weather conditions

Minimum treatment duration; Sunny (less than 50% cloud cover) 6 hours.

Cloudy (50–100% cloudy, little to no rain) 2 days.

Continuous rainfall; SODIS won't work, use rainwater harvesting.

[armedandsafe]

Originally Posted by Jerryboy

link doesn't work

Interesting, as it works for me. Let's try this:

http:// www(dot)practicalprimitive(dot)com/skillofthemonth/charcoalfilter(dot)html

Take out the space, replace the (dot)s with dots.

Pops

[carver]

http://www.practicalprimitive.com/sk...oalfilter.html
Worked fine for me! Still working today.

[ozo]

Originally Posted by armedandsafe

This is a useful skill. It will have to be increased in size to be practical for a family, but it works.

http://www.practicalprimitive.com/sk...oalfilter.html

Pops

And if you want a glass funnel instead of
a plastic funnel, Julie will show you how absolutely
easy [awesome] it is to make one.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh7pc...ayer_embedded#!

bottle and a nail....

[Jerryboy]

http://www.practicalprimitive.com/sk...oalfilter.html

[Jerryboy]

Originally Posted by armedandsafe

Interesting, as it works for me. Let's try this:

http:// www(dot)practicalprimitive(dot)com/skillofthemonth/charcoalfilter(dot)html

Take out the space, replace the (dot)s with dots.

Pops

got it to work using your method, odd that no one else's links worked.

[Curtis R]

i have been watching u-tube vids about prepping and food storage and was wondering what the deal was with mylar bags? alot of them are putting dried goods in buckets in mylar bags.

[millwright]

Been reading posts on variations of the "SHTRCD" for some time now. The one common lack among all of the suggestions I come across is knowledge ! Everything seems focused upon technology and gear, but none upon skills and learning/informational resources. Several years' supply of foods won't do a damn bit of good if you die of sepsis in the first 3 months !

IMO a PDR would be invaluable. So would books on field surgery/dentistry and herbal medicine. Old army field surgery/dentistry kits still exist for sale. But they're useless without some texts showing basic field surgery.

On the technical side a "Millwrights and Machinists Handbook" is high on my personal list as it contains information on everything from recognizing types of steel, to metal crafting/welding and turning to heat treating. The Hydraulics Handbook contains information on everything from piping losses to water weirs. And the list goes on.

My point is, supplies run out, or you're forced away from your stash. Knowledge and books containing it are a portable resource providing a form "trading goods" that might make the owner(s) welcome (and valued) members in any community ! >MW

[Zhurh]

When we moved out along the Yukon a dozen years back, until then I never realized how dependent I was on just driving to Wally World or wherever and just picking it up or having it delivered. I got a rude awakening and have pretty much readjusted how we live since. Ain't being funny one bit, it will wake you all up too when it happens. Think about that aspect of your everyday lifestyle.

Then too, for most of America, it will just be cost & price increases that will shock everyone; maybe to the level that it will generally be just unavailable for the masses.

[Zhurh]

When we moved out along the Yukon a dozen years back, until then I never realized how dependent I was on just driving to Wally World or wherever and just picking it up or having it delivered. I got a rude awakening and have pretty much readjusted how we live since. Ain't being funny one bit, it will wake you all up too when it happens. Think about that aspect of your everyday lifestyle.

Then too, for most of America, it will just be cost & price increases that will shock everyone; maybe to the level that it will generally be just unavailable for the masses.

[armedandsafe]

Originally Posted by Jerryboy

got it to work using your method, odd that no one else's links worked.

Note that the link in the post has some ... in the middle. If you do a copy and paste of that, you won't have a good address because some of the info is not displayed. If you click on the link, the full address should show up in your address bar. You can hover your cursor over the link and the full address should show up in the lower left corner of your screen. You can write that down and then type it into your address bar, but that is a bit of work. You can right click on the post and select show source and the full address will be in the page that shows up, once you wade through all the html code.

If links don't work when you click on them, you have something set up in your browser or virus stoppers. I usually have to hold down the ctrl key when I click. Sometimes I have to hold down the ctrl + alt keys to get the click to work. I'm running AVG and MalWareBytes for protection.

Pops

[Curtis R]

ok so back to my question...whats the deal with mylar bags and food storage?

[ozo]

Originally Posted by Curtis R

ok so back to my question...whats the deal with mylar bags and food storage?

Simply,
Mylar food storage bags are an integral component of any good food storage systems and has been used for many years. Food grade metalized mylar bags are used for lining food storage pails. Mylar bags create an oxygen barrier to protect food during extended long-term food storage. Mylar bags for food storage can be sealed with a standard heat sealing unit or with an ordinary clothes iron.