If you haven’t decided to become a prepper yet there's a valuable lesson you can learn from others.
Read the post here:
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Ready to Start Preppin' Yet
There's a great post at North Dakota Preppers Network by Another Prepper.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Season's Greetings!
Season's Greetings to all PEI Preppers! All the best to each of you and your families over the holidays and in the new year!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Tips for saving on your water bill
A few days ago HUP over at the Wisconsin Preppers Network did a post about water usage and the fact that her family were becoming very cognisant of the amount of water that they were using (you can find the original post here). After reading the post a few ideas that I had learned immediately came to my mind and I left some of the tips and tricks that we had learned over the years in the comment section of the post.
And then I got to thinking. Prior to moving into our current home a little over 3 years ago, we hadn't much thought about water usage. Or tire gardening. Or canning the food we grow. Or a bunch of other stuff like prepping.
But at that time we did some research and learned of a bunch of different ways to reduce our water bill and the results have been nothing short of astounding! Considering that we have no gas-line coming into the house and have a solar-powered hot water heater - reducing our water bill has really cut out some monthly expenditures! And saving $5, $10 or $20 dollars a month in utilities is money that can be put towards more preps!
Do some research on the internet and you will find a million and one ways to reduce your water bill - the ones that I will share below are the ones that we found useful and that have helped us reduce our bill.
1.) Install gutters on your roof, get a rainbarrel or two and get a Berkey Water Filtration System!!! The people over at Berkey should really start paying me as I find a way to talk about our Berkey no matter what the topic of conversation!!! I really can't say enough about drinking filtered rainwater - it is sooo delicious - and I really can't say enough about our Travel Berkey!!!
We use it year-round and during the winter we melt snow to run through the Berkey!!! The initial investment (gutters, rainbarrel and Berkey) is costly - but really - start saving now! It is one of the best investments we have ever made and we are no longer spending money on bottled water, nor on costly Britta filters, nor drinking fluorinated tap water - bleck! And the money you will save on your water bill (or bottled water bill) is seen immediately!
(You can check the first post I ever did on our rainbarrels and Berkey System here).
2.) Follow the "mellow" method of toilet flushing. For those of you unfamiliar with the catchy little limerick, it goes like this:
"If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
For those of you who still don't know what the mellow method is - it's this: if it's a #1, let a few build up before flushing...and flush all #2's immediately. This method is especially good if you have already starting using cloth wipes instead of toilet paper...but that's a whole 'nuther story (Jennifer of the New Mexico Preppers Network shared info about cloth wipes at the PEI Preppers Network here - thanks Jennifer!).
We have been following the mellow method for some time now and again - you see the results on your water Bill right away!!!
3.) Keep a large bucket full of water near your dishwasher and/or sink. Instead of using running tapwater to rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, use the bucket instead. Once the water in the bucket becomes too dirty, dump and refill. The water in the bucket only needs to be replaced 2-3 times a day instead of running the tap.
4.) Save all water that you use for cooking food to water your houseplants and/or your garden. I keep a big bucket under the sink for this purpose. Any time that you boil or steam vegetables, eggs or pasta - dump the water that you used into the bucket. When it's time to water your houseplants - use this nutrient-infused water instead of running the tap - you'll save money on houseplant fertilizer too.
5.) Check all faucets AND hoses for drips. This is a real biggee! We had a dripping hose that we weren't aware of when we first moved in here and could not understand why our water bill was so high. We have since fixed that problem and needless to say - it was immediately reflected on our bill. A slow-dripping faucet and/or hose can accumulate up to 2 gallons per hour!!!
So...as I said...do some research on the internet and you will find a million more tips to save on your water bill. The ones I have shared have been tried and tested by us and have definitely helped us save money on your bill. I hope that some of you will find some of the methods listed above helpful, and I hope that you will try some of them.
And lastly, thanks to HUP for being the inspiration behind this post! These Prepper Networks are not only good for learning and sharing information - they're good for thinking up new posts too!
And then I got to thinking. Prior to moving into our current home a little over 3 years ago, we hadn't much thought about water usage. Or tire gardening. Or canning the food we grow. Or a bunch of other stuff like prepping.
But at that time we did some research and learned of a bunch of different ways to reduce our water bill and the results have been nothing short of astounding! Considering that we have no gas-line coming into the house and have a solar-powered hot water heater - reducing our water bill has really cut out some monthly expenditures! And saving $5, $10 or $20 dollars a month in utilities is money that can be put towards more preps!
Do some research on the internet and you will find a million and one ways to reduce your water bill - the ones that I will share below are the ones that we found useful and that have helped us reduce our bill.
1.) Install gutters on your roof, get a rainbarrel or two and get a Berkey Water Filtration System!!! The people over at Berkey should really start paying me as I find a way to talk about our Berkey no matter what the topic of conversation!!! I really can't say enough about drinking filtered rainwater - it is sooo delicious - and I really can't say enough about our Travel Berkey!!!
We use it year-round and during the winter we melt snow to run through the Berkey!!! The initial investment (gutters, rainbarrel and Berkey) is costly - but really - start saving now! It is one of the best investments we have ever made and we are no longer spending money on bottled water, nor on costly Britta filters, nor drinking fluorinated tap water - bleck! And the money you will save on your water bill (or bottled water bill) is seen immediately!
(You can check the first post I ever did on our rainbarrels and Berkey System here).
2.) Follow the "mellow" method of toilet flushing. For those of you unfamiliar with the catchy little limerick, it goes like this:
"If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
For those of you who still don't know what the mellow method is - it's this: if it's a #1, let a few build up before flushing...and flush all #2's immediately. This method is especially good if you have already starting using cloth wipes instead of toilet paper...but that's a whole 'nuther story (Jennifer of the New Mexico Preppers Network shared info about cloth wipes at the PEI Preppers Network here - thanks Jennifer!).
We have been following the mellow method for some time now and again - you see the results on your water Bill right away!!!
3.) Keep a large bucket full of water near your dishwasher and/or sink. Instead of using running tapwater to rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, use the bucket instead. Once the water in the bucket becomes too dirty, dump and refill. The water in the bucket only needs to be replaced 2-3 times a day instead of running the tap.
4.) Save all water that you use for cooking food to water your houseplants and/or your garden. I keep a big bucket under the sink for this purpose. Any time that you boil or steam vegetables, eggs or pasta - dump the water that you used into the bucket. When it's time to water your houseplants - use this nutrient-infused water instead of running the tap - you'll save money on houseplant fertilizer too.
5.) Check all faucets AND hoses for drips. This is a real biggee! We had a dripping hose that we weren't aware of when we first moved in here and could not understand why our water bill was so high. We have since fixed that problem and needless to say - it was immediately reflected on our bill. A slow-dripping faucet and/or hose can accumulate up to 2 gallons per hour!!!
So...as I said...do some research on the internet and you will find a million more tips to save on your water bill. The ones I have shared have been tried and tested by us and have definitely helped us save money on your bill. I hope that some of you will find some of the methods listed above helpful, and I hope that you will try some of them.
And lastly, thanks to HUP for being the inspiration behind this post! These Prepper Networks are not only good for learning and sharing information - they're good for thinking up new posts too!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Making your own Shampoo
(originally posted at the YTPN by Jennifer)
As a prepper one should understand that after the basics: food, shelter, and clothing, one needs to begin thinking beyond this, to ensure your family's comfort. One way to do this is to learn how to make your own shampoo. I used this site to get me started on making my own shampoo.
The ingredients I used for this batch are red clover, chamomile flowers, and a dash of peppermint, and the base Castile Soap. Oh notice the empty container, I saved an old shampoo bottle to refill.
This is the resulting shampoo, on the right next to the Castile soap. It is lighter, because I used chamomile tea in it. For my blond hair this is the combination that works best for me.
Total costs=herbs 10 cents, 1 ounce of Castile Soap 56 cents, so 66 cents for shampoo to add to my prepper stockpile! You know what else? No toxic chemicals going straight into your scalp!
(c) Double Nickel Farm
Jennifer
As a prepper one should understand that after the basics: food, shelter, and clothing, one needs to begin thinking beyond this, to ensure your family's comfort. One way to do this is to learn how to make your own shampoo. I used this site to get me started on making my own shampoo.
The ingredients I used for this batch are red clover, chamomile flowers, and a dash of peppermint, and the base Castile Soap. Oh notice the empty container, I saved an old shampoo bottle to refill.
This is the resulting shampoo, on the right next to the Castile soap. It is lighter, because I used chamomile tea in it. For my blond hair this is the combination that works best for me.Total costs=herbs 10 cents, 1 ounce of Castile Soap 56 cents, so 66 cents for shampoo to add to my prepper stockpile! You know what else? No toxic chemicals going straight into your scalp!
(c) Double Nickel Farm
Jennifer
Monday, November 23, 2009
Some prep tips from the Southwest
(originally posted by Jennifer at the YTPN)
Hello to all from New Mexico! Kymber has graciously permitted me to share some lifestyle and prepper tips that will help you out long term in many a crisis situation. Learning how to function without all the cozy comforts most of us have in our day to day lives will most certainly make all the difference. I live on a small farm smack dab in the desert and very close to the border with Mexico. I have spent several years learning to use less and live a more simple pleasant, slow paced life. I hope you can find this post useful and I would not mind one bit if you leave me a comment!
Important to Remember the Mundane
The lifestyle of a prepper has so many facets. The initial concern is always to outwit, outlast, and survive any given situation. But then it becomes critical to think beyond and to the mundane. Yes, the mundane.
(c) Double Nickel Farm
Remember times are changing and you need to ask yourself one question: Are you prepared?
Jennifer
Hello to all from New Mexico! Kymber has graciously permitted me to share some lifestyle and prepper tips that will help you out long term in many a crisis situation. Learning how to function without all the cozy comforts most of us have in our day to day lives will most certainly make all the difference. I live on a small farm smack dab in the desert and very close to the border with Mexico. I have spent several years learning to use less and live a more simple pleasant, slow paced life. I hope you can find this post useful and I would not mind one bit if you leave me a comment!
Important to Remember the Mundane
The lifestyle of a prepper has so many facets. The initial concern is always to outwit, outlast, and survive any given situation. But then it becomes critical to think beyond and to the mundane. Yes, the mundane.
This is a post to explain how to maintain your laundry in a situation that changes your lifestyle. I play scenarios and then see if I can resolve them. So what happens if our electricity is out for a good period of time? How can you do laundry then? Well our ancestors lived without power and they wore clean clothes, so what is the secret? Do we have to spend several hundred dollars on an electric free washing machine from Lehman's? Or is there a frugal tip that will help post emergency for ones mental well being?
I am making an assumption that you have access to water, as that would be key. Then you need 3 five gallon buckets, a washboard, and a clothes wringer, a plunger, some rope and clothespins, and a large kettle. But wait, washboards and clothes wringers are once again causing one to spend money on something that is most often already in your home. Scratch the washboard and find your broiler pan. You know the pan that comes with your stove and usually lives in the bottom drawer of the oven. Take the top pan with the slats out and flip it over and viola, a washboard. Now the wringer is something you need to spend for, but not from Lehman's but a standard store. I bought a mop bucket and it has a wonderful wringer in it, that squishes out the water on your clothes.
Now to another simple tip, whatever you are spending on laundry soap, I 
can guarantee it is too much. I use ZOTE soap which costs $.99 a bar and it lasts three to four months. I have two in my laundry bin, one that is for whites and one for colors. I then use vinegar. 
To wash your clothes start the kettle over an open fire and have it filled with water. Then sort your clothes and when the water is hot, fill one bucket with hot water and grate theZOTE soap into the bucket. I usually count ten scrapes(this is just me). Let the clothes soak in the soapy water, then one at a time pull an item out and use your washboard and scrub the item on it. Work out any stains or spots, then toss this into bucket number 2 which is filled with cold water and ¼ of a cup of vinegar. Finish the load in the bucket...and put all in bucket number 2, take your plunger(new one please OK folks!) and plunge the laundry up and down for several minutes. Wring out each item and toss into bucket #3 which is filled with cold water. This is the rinsing stage and swirl each item up and down and then wring out and hang up on the clothesline. Repeat until all the clothes are finished. 
I use less than 15 gallons for a standard size laundry basket of clothing. When you run a standard washing machine, you use 60 gallons for each load. This is costly when you are paying for water (especially in the southwest US where water rationing is rampant-but not for me as I have a well).
Tips to hand washing:
Cut your bath towels in half and sew them or use only handtowels to dry off after bathing, as it is easy to wash as a small towel instead of the large bath towels we are all familiar with.
Plan a three day wardrobe and put the other clothes up. This way you will not be overwhelmed with laundry, as the more clothes you have the easier it is to put off doing laundry. Of course underwear and socks should be at will and needed.
A fourth outfit is for going to town or looking presentable. If we are in a scenario that is catastrophic then we still need to have a day of rest and gather to honor our Lord.
If you have a crisis with underclothing because of small children or health issues that cause diarrhea, separating the soiled clothing andpresoaking in the bucket alone with hot water and a capful of bleach is a must. Then rinse squeeze out and wash with the regular clothes.
When I hand wash it is a time of reflection and thought over every member of the family. I have time to think of them and even to flash back to a moment when the loved one was wearing the clothing item. Cherish every opportunity to think on your loved ones. Time is precious and short.
Washing bedding requires using bedding such as the Europeans use. They use a cover over the quilt or comforter, like a pillow has a case, that can be washed and the comforter then is hung on the window ledge to sun air out. I lived in Germany for almost 4 years, and witnessed bedding hanging this way all over.
Without the mop bucket or wringer, one just needs to have a partner in the laundry that helps twist and squeeze the water out of the clothing.
(c) Double Nickel Farm
Remember times are changing and you need to ask yourself one question: Are you prepared?
Jennifer
Friday, November 20, 2009
No cellular service? No problem!
(originally posted at the MPN by Frazer)
Winter's coming so we need to get our vehicles ready, winter tires, Chains (if you live in rural areas), tune up, etc. We all know the stuff to keep in our vehicles for if you get stranded. You'll want to customize this kit for your needs. A kit for someone who never leaves Winnipeg will be much different from say the kit we used in my household back when I lived in Manitoba when we would drive out to Brandon to visit my grandpa's farm. If you live in a rural area you'll need a totally different kit as well. I think we all know about the standard stuff, gas can, extra warm clothing, sleeping bag, candle etc etc etc.
What I want to talk about today is something known as a PLB or Personal Locator Beacon. They go for $500 and up but it can save your life! If your driving down a rural highway and you slide off the road, your cell doesn't work or you have no signal and you have no way to call for help the last thing you want to do is wait for someone to drive by. A PLB will call help for you!
When buying a PLB Make sure it's on the Canadian National Search and Rescue agency lists of approved PLBs for Canada. Make sure you buy a 406MHz beacon! the difference is 45 minutes with the old 121.5MHz beacons before the signal is received and 5 minutes with the 406MHz beacon. I'll give you a basic break down of the old 121.5MHz beacons vs the new 406MHz beacons.
Signal
The New: Digital signal with identification code that lets them know exactly who they are looking for.
The Old: Anolog signal with no identifying code and a higher false alarm rate.
Signal Power
The New: 5 Watt Pulse
The Old: 0.1 Watt continuous
Coverage
The New: Global
The Old: Regional
Position Accuracy
The New: It has two ways of locating you, Doppler Radar which is accurate to 5km and GPS accurate to 100m
The Old: Has Doppler only and is only accurate to 20km
Alert time
The New: 5 Minutes, nuff said
The Old: 45 Minutes, see why? The difference is the satellite type.
Doppler Position Ambiguity
The New: Resolved at first satellite pass
The Old: Two passes required to resolve position ambiguity
Using the COSPAS-SARSAT system it can find you effectively and is becoming the world standard for land based emergency locating.
Last winter a woman died here in Ontario from her car stalling and then getting plowed in by a snow plow. She was lost and made the drastic mistake of trying to walk to civilization in the frigid cold. A PLB would have given her the ability to call for help even though her cell phone wasn't working for some reason. You could be out in northern Manitoba and get stuck in a snow bank and all you have to do is hit a button and help will come. Of course this is a last resort if you don't have cellular signals! Search and Rescue (SAR) crews will find you most likely alive! When compared to having to walk to the nearest town to get help if you run out of gas or get stuck you just give your PLB a tap and you don't have to risk hypothermia and walk to get help without cellular signals!
I always advocate doing your own research. There are some so called PLBs that don't do the job of a real PLB. There is one I know about thanks to Doug Ritter's website called the TracMe, this is not a PLB. Basically it sends out a signal using FRS (Family Radio Service) frequencies that says "Help...Emergency" and beeps every 15 seconds. Now you'll all know FRS radios by those cheap little wakie takies that you get at Wall Mart or Cabelas that claim to have a 40KM range but really you can't hear someone at the end of the block. Someone will have to be withing 1KM of you and happen to have a FRS radio on them scanning channel 1. No one really knows what to do if they here this, these FRS radios in my opinion are toys at best so this is unlikely to make someone go call emergency services. You can read all about the controversy with the TracMe in Doug Ritter's article "That's No Personal Locator Beacon". So do your research and make sure it's real and good quality!
Frazer
Disclaimer: I'm not a PLB expert, so you'll need to seek a qualified professional and do your own research when buying a PLB
Winter's coming so we need to get our vehicles ready, winter tires, Chains (if you live in rural areas), tune up, etc. We all know the stuff to keep in our vehicles for if you get stranded. You'll want to customize this kit for your needs. A kit for someone who never leaves Winnipeg will be much different from say the kit we used in my household back when I lived in Manitoba when we would drive out to Brandon to visit my grandpa's farm. If you live in a rural area you'll need a totally different kit as well. I think we all know about the standard stuff, gas can, extra warm clothing, sleeping bag, candle etc etc etc.
What I want to talk about today is something known as a PLB or Personal Locator Beacon. They go for $500 and up but it can save your life! If your driving down a rural highway and you slide off the road, your cell doesn't work or you have no signal and you have no way to call for help the last thing you want to do is wait for someone to drive by. A PLB will call help for you!
When buying a PLB Make sure it's on the Canadian National Search and Rescue agency lists of approved PLBs for Canada. Make sure you buy a 406MHz beacon! the difference is 45 minutes with the old 121.5MHz beacons before the signal is received and 5 minutes with the 406MHz beacon. I'll give you a basic break down of the old 121.5MHz beacons vs the new 406MHz beacons.
Signal
The New: Digital signal with identification code that lets them know exactly who they are looking for.
The Old: Anolog signal with no identifying code and a higher false alarm rate.
Signal Power
The New: 5 Watt Pulse
The Old: 0.1 Watt continuous
Coverage
The New: Global
The Old: Regional
Position Accuracy
The New: It has two ways of locating you, Doppler Radar which is accurate to 5km and GPS accurate to 100m
The Old: Has Doppler only and is only accurate to 20km
Alert time
The New: 5 Minutes, nuff said
The Old: 45 Minutes, see why? The difference is the satellite type.
Doppler Position Ambiguity
The New: Resolved at first satellite pass
The Old: Two passes required to resolve position ambiguity
Using the COSPAS-SARSAT system it can find you effectively and is becoming the world standard for land based emergency locating.
Last winter a woman died here in Ontario from her car stalling and then getting plowed in by a snow plow. She was lost and made the drastic mistake of trying to walk to civilization in the frigid cold. A PLB would have given her the ability to call for help even though her cell phone wasn't working for some reason. You could be out in northern Manitoba and get stuck in a snow bank and all you have to do is hit a button and help will come. Of course this is a last resort if you don't have cellular signals! Search and Rescue (SAR) crews will find you most likely alive! When compared to having to walk to the nearest town to get help if you run out of gas or get stuck you just give your PLB a tap and you don't have to risk hypothermia and walk to get help without cellular signals!
I always advocate doing your own research. There are some so called PLBs that don't do the job of a real PLB. There is one I know about thanks to Doug Ritter's website called the TracMe, this is not a PLB. Basically it sends out a signal using FRS (Family Radio Service) frequencies that says "Help...Emergency" and beeps every 15 seconds. Now you'll all know FRS radios by those cheap little wakie takies that you get at Wall Mart or Cabelas that claim to have a 40KM range but really you can't hear someone at the end of the block. Someone will have to be withing 1KM of you and happen to have a FRS radio on them scanning channel 1. No one really knows what to do if they here this, these FRS radios in my opinion are toys at best so this is unlikely to make someone go call emergency services. You can read all about the controversy with the TracMe in Doug Ritter's article "That's No Personal Locator Beacon". So do your research and make sure it's real and good quality!
Frazer
Disclaimer: I'm not a PLB expert, so you'll need to seek a qualified professional and do your own research when buying a PLB
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